Director, Partnerships

The Director, Partnerships will serve as a subject-matter expert in evaluating, developing, and executing partnership opportunities with a dedicated focus on Sports & Entertainment media, platforms, and ecosystems. Reporting to the SVP, Partnerships, this role supports the creation and execution of partnership strategy across sports leagues, teams, talent, live events, content owners, and entertainment platforms, ensuring excellence in deal structure, delivery, and value realization.

You will collaborate across adjacent media channels, environments, and disciplines, working closely with internal teams to ensure partnerships deliver against core objectives: strategic alignment, innovation, and measurable value. The Director partners with the SVP to ensure Sports & Entertainment partnerships contribute meaningfully to dentsu’s broader partnership vision across all channels.

You will operate across multiple capabilities, including media investment, activation, planning, trading, and technology. Leading the strong cross-functional collaboration will create outcomes that benefit clients, partners, and internal teams. The Director will also help future-proof the business by building and scaling innovative partnerships with leading Sports & Entertainment media owners and vendors.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and guide senior-level relationships with Sports & Entertainment partners, including leagues, teams, talent networks, streaming platforms, content owners, and live event properties; share relevant insights and updates with dentsu stakeholders.

• Support the SVP, Partnerships in executing Sports & Entertainment partnership strategy by identifying opportunities aligned to client needs, media trends, and evolving fan behaviors.

• Act as a recognized leader and subject-matter expert in Sports & Entertainment partnerships, representing dentsu internally and externally.

• Partner closely with Investment & Activation teams and Amplifi to ensure partnership approaches drive client value, innovation, and effective media integration.

• Manage day-to-day deal structures, negotiations, and partner communications to ensure best-in-class execution across agreements.

• Educate Investment & Activation teams on partner deal terms while identifying new testing, sponsorship, and media value opportunities.

• Support the creation and execution of dentsu and client Joint Business Plans, ensuring all negotiated Sports & Entertainment value is tracked and fully activated.

• Serve as an integrator and problem solver, aligning internal teams and external partners to maintain momentum and on-time delivery across complex, multi-party engagements.

• Help develop key Sports & Entertainment partnership narratives and themes, supporting external communications such as industry panels, PR, and thought-leadership content.

• Maintain clear, organized documentation of partnership agreements to ensure accurate distribution of commercial details and ongoing deal progression.

• Support client-specific needs by developing custom partnership plans and providing expertise on the evolving partner landscape.

• Participate in new business efforts as a Sports & Entertainment partnerships expert, contributing to value propositions and partnership strategy for prospective clients.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in the digital media industry, with experience across sports and entertainment partnerships, investment, or media strategy.

• 3+ years of people management experience.

• Strong project management skills with the ability to prioritize effectively and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with experience presenting data and performance insights to senior leaders.

• Professional, collaborative approach when navigating complex negotiations and stakeholder relationships.

• Demonstrated passion for problem-solving and cross-functional collaboration.

• Ability to translate complex partnership structures and media concepts into clear, actionable recommendations.

At dentsu, we believe great work happens when we’re connected. Our way of working combines flexibility with in-person collaboration to spark ideas and strengthen our teams. Employees who live within a commutable distance of one of our hub offices, currently located in Chicago, metro Detroit, Los Angeles, and New York City, are required and expected to work from the office three days per week (two days per week for employees based in Los Angeles). Dentsu may designate other Hub offices at any time. Those who live outside a commutable range may be designated as remote, depending on the role and business needs. Regardless of your work location, we expect our employees to be flexible to meet the needs of our Company and clients, which may include attendance in an office.  

The annual salary range for this position is $94,000-$150,000. Placement within the salary range is based on a variety of factors, including relevant experience, knowledge, skills, and other factors permitted by law.

Benefits available with this position include:

• Medical, vision, and dental insurance,

• Life insurance,

• Short-term and long-term disability insurance,

• 401k,

• Flexible paid time off,

• At least 15 paid holidays per year,

• Paid sick and safe leave, and

• Paid parental leave.

Dentsu also complies with applicable state and local laws regarding employee leave benefits, including, but not limited to providing time off pursuant to the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act, in accordance with its plans and policies.  For further details regarding Dentsu benefits, please visit www.dentsubenefitsplus.com.

To begin the application process, please click on the “Apply” button at the top of this job posting. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis, and qualified candidates will be contacted for next steps.

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