Vice President, Commercial Partnerships - Military veterans preferred

Position Title: Vice President, Commercial Partnerships

Requisition ID: R100743

Location: Dallas, TX | Atlanta, GA | Neptune Beach, FL

Full/Part-Time: Full time

About Us:

Learfield is the leading media and technology company powering college athletics. Through its digital and physical platforms, Learfield owns and leverages a deep data set and relationships in the industry to drive revenue, growth, brand awareness, and fan engagement for brands, sports, and entertainment properties. With ties to over 1,200 collegiate institutions and over 12,000 local and national brand partners, Learfield’s presence in college sports and live events delivers influence and maximizes reach to target audiences. With data-based solutions for a 365-day, 24/7 fan experience, Learfield enables schools and brands to connect with fans through licensed merchandise, game ticketing, donor identification for athletic programs, exclusive custom content, innovative marketing initiatives, NIL solutions, and advanced digital platforms. Since 2008, it has served as title sponsor for the acclaimed Learfield Directors’ Cup, supporting athletic departments across all divisions.

Our people-first culture is the foundation of our business and is reflective of our approach to building meaningful relationships with our employees, partners, and fans. The company strives each day to deliver the mission statement and embody the core values that make Learfield an exciting place to work.

Our Mission

Powering the connection of fans to the brands and experiences they love.

Our Core Values

Build Trust | Be Fans of One Another | Power Tomorrow | Create & Connect Communities | Have Fun

We are seeking a seasoned and collaborative professional to help drive our collegiate naming rights and high-value inventory strategy. This role will be responsible for identifying, negotiating, and securing impactful naming rights partnerships with universities across the U.S., while also leading efforts to develop and activate high-value branding inventory such as field logos, on-court logos, and jersey patches as they become available. The ideal candidate will bring a strong teamwork mindset and play a key role in equipping and mentoring our field teams with go-to-market strategies, training, and best practices to ensure alignment and execution excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end process for securing naming rights and high-value inventory partnerships with colleges and universities
• Drive opportunities around high-value branding inventory, including field logos, on-court logos, and jersey patches, in collaboration with university partners and internal teams
• Develop and implement go-to-market strategies, including playbooks, training sessions, and field enablement tools
• Foster a collaborative environment by working closely with cross-functional teams and field sales to support success
• Build and maintain strong relationships with university leadership, athletic departments, and general manager
• Provide coaching and guidance to field teams on best practices for collegiate partnerships and activation
• Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and on-campus meetings
• Travel regularly to meet with university stakeholders and support field teams (estimated 30–50%)

Minimum Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in business development, sponsorship, partnerships, or related roles in sports/entertainment/media
• Proven ability to secure high-value partnerships and navigate complex stakeholder environments
• Strong understanding of higher education institutions, particularly collegiate athletics and campus branding
• Experience with high-value sports or media inventory is a strong plus
• Demonstrated success collaborating across departments and with external partners
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills
• Experience leading training and enablement for sales or partnership teams
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university
• Willingness to travel and work flexible hours to support university schedules

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in sports sponsorships, multimedia rights, or enterprise partnerships
• Familiarity with marketing solutions that include digital and experiential assets

Learfield offers a full spectrum of benefits for eligible employees including Medical, Dental, Vision, Health Savings Account, Life Insurance and Other Insurance Plans, Flexible Paid Time Off (minimum 10+ days annually), including Parental Leave, 20 Paid Holidays, 401(k) + Match, and Short/Long Term Disability. Leave benefits are consistent with state and local laws, including the Colorado Health Families and Workplaces Act.

Learfield is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to applicants and employees without regard to race; color; sex; gender identity; sexual orientation; religious practices and observances; national origin; pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions; status as a protected veteran or spouse/family member of a protected veteran; or disability.

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