WHO IS USA LACROSSE

USA Lacrosse, a non-profit organization, is the governing body of men's and women's lacrosse in the United States, leading the U.S. National Teams Program and establishing universal standards. With nearly 400,000 members, we provide national leadership, structure, and resources to fuel and unify the sport's growth and enrich the experience of its players, coaches, officials, parents, and program leaders.

USA Lacrosse believes a diverse staff best positions our organization to fulfill its mission. We strive to attract and maintain a team of talented and dedicated professionals who reflect the diverse nature of our membership and the national lacrosse community. We are committed to a staff culture that ensures everyone feels welcomed, valued, and included.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director, Corporate Partnerships & Business Development focuses on new business development and sponsorship and partnership sales while working closely with other business teams within USA Lacrosse on determining sellable assets and devising a sales strategy to generate revenue for the organization. In this critical role you will meet directly with new and existing sponsor and partner prospects to increase overall sales opportunities and create and promote brand awareness for USA Lacrosse while concentrating on selling integrated corporate sponsorships and partnerships.

A Typical Day Looks Like...

Business Development & Sales

• Develops the go to market strategy to grow USA Lacrosse's portfolio of sponsors and partners (local, regional, national, and official) by working cross-departmentally to understand what would bring value to USA Lacrosse, its members, and our National Team players and coaches.
• Partners with the VP, Commercial Partnerships & Ventures, the Partnership & Advertising team, and other departments across USA Lacrosse to brainstorm and develop new and cutting-edge ideas to generate revenue and build brand recognition for USA Lacrosse and its National Teams for continued growth of the organization and its initiatives.
• Develops and manages a realistic prospect pipeline of potential sponsors and partners with local, regional, and national companies who would be a good fit for USA Lacrosse. This includes working cross-departmentally to understand what USA Lacrosse is doing in other departments to align efforts to make an impact on the overall business and initiatives of USA Lacrosse.
• Prospects, solicits, cultivates, and maintains all sponsorship and partner sales efforts by making cold calls, sending emails, scheduling introductory meetings, conducting sales presentations, and negotiating and closing contracts. This includes driving all corporate sponsorship and partnership sales generation/new business development based on individual and team sales goals and leads the department in achieving annual overall revenue and in-kind targets as establishes by USA Lacrosse.
• Guides and protects brand positioning and representation of USA Lacrosse marks across all sponsorship and partnership programs/relationships. This includes leveraging sponsorship and partnership relationships beyond driving revenue to include increasing member value and building brand awareness and equity while supporting USA Lacrosse's overall mission of fueling the growth of the game.
• Structures, negotiates, and sells integrated sponsorship and partnership opportunities including, but not limited to, intellectual property (IP), entitlement options, events, print and digital advertising, member communications, USA Lacrosse programs, retail promotions, and USA National Teams to maximize sponsor and partner ROI to provide value to USA Lacrosse.
• Works with the marketing and communications team to develop assets and implement new and innovative sponsorship and partnership programs and communication strategies.
• Creates sales materials and proposals, including customization of elements, terms, and language, to establish value/rate card of USA Lacrosse
• Delivers engaging and informative presentations to prospective sponsors and partners to show them the ROI they would receive from working with USA Lacrosse. This includes providing follow up information and overcoming objections to close the deal.
• In partnership with the Advertising & Partnership team, maintains and builds positive business relationships with new and existing sponsors and partners to continually reinforce the value they bring to USA Lacrosse, its members, and its National Teams to ensure their experience is positive.
  

Reporting & Analysis

• Develops and maintains sales projections and prospect reporting procedures and database, including regular reporting to track and forecast sales prospects (i.e., potential sponsors and partners) and renewal accounts.
• Serves as the liaison with the Finance team to develop and maintain the Partnership & Advertising department's budget, including identifying and reporting on all expenses and revenue.
• Provides regular and requested reports to the leadership team to show revenue performance of the Partnership & Advertising team. This includes making recommendations for areas of opportunities into new markets/areas that would provide value to USA Lacrosse.

Leadership

• Monitors the competitive marketplace, including maintaining an understanding of what other national governing bodies (NGBs), local, and national sports and entertainment organizations are doing to keep USA Lacrosse on the cutting edge.
• Works cross departmentally with other department leaders within USA Lacrosse to understand what they are doing so the Partnership & Advertising team can bring value and increase awareness of other USA Lacrosse

Is This You...

• High school diploma or GED equivalent. Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, communications, or similar field of study or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Five (5) to seven (7) years of experience in a sales, business development, or marketing role with revenue generation and management experience.
• Previous work experience in a non-profit, association, or other member-based organization a plus.
• Intermediate to advanced computer skills with working knowledge of Microsoft 365 products, including Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of software's used for sales/business development, such as SalesForce, or comparable database applications used to track, monitor, and report on sales data with the aptitude to learn such software's.
• Working knowledge of sales/business development and sponsorship activation concepts, principles, and best practices. This includes the ability to solicit business (cold call) and build relationships with prospects and existing clients.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to multi-task and keep data organized to provide insights for actionable sales strategy for revenue generation.
• Strong relationship building skills with the comfort and ability to cold call and "work a room" to generate sales and enhance existing relationships.
• Excellent communication skills, including interpersonal, written, and verbal.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team in a hybrid (in-office/remote) work environment in a fast-paced, "roll up your sleeves" environment to deliver results based on organizational objectives.
• Ability to exercise discretion and understand how to handle confidential information when necessary.
• Strong work ethic with the ability to present a professional, customer-focused persona over the phone, in writing, and in person.
• Willingness to learn about the sport of lacrosse and appreciate the needs for developing funds to fuel its development and growth.
• Ability to align with USA Lacrosse's Mission, Vision, and Values and Strategic Plan to support our initiatives and organizational goals.
  

Core Values & Competencies

• We Influence - Written and Verbal Communication
• We Serve - Customer Focused
• We Create & Innovate - Creativity
• We Collaborate - Peer Relationships
• We are Humble & Honest - Integrity and Trust
• We Embrace Individuality - Diversity
• We Have Fun - Work Hard and Play Hard

Expected Hours of Work

This position is generally expected to work Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5:00pm and occasionally requires longer hours or weekend work as related to events and other business needs. This is a hybrid position and works from the headquarters office in Sparks, MD three (3) days a week with the flexibility to work from home two (2) days a week.

Travel Requirements

Travel may be necessary up to 20% of the time (local, regional, national). Travel would involve the following mode(s) of travel: car, train, or air. Out of area and overnight travel will be expected.

EEO Statement

USA Lacrosse is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or any other status/characteristic protected under federal, state, or local law. USA Lacrosse believes diversity and inclusion among our team is critical to our success as an organization, and we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool.