Director, Partnership Strategy - University of Southern California

LEARFIELD•Los Angeles, CA

3d•$110,000 - $130,000

About The Position

Learfield is seeking a Director of Partnership Strategy to oversee the activation and fulfillment of corporate sponsorships at one of our largest university properties. This individual is responsible for leading a high-performing activation team, managing partner relationships, and serving as a key liaison with university leadership. The Director plays a critical role in shaping the property’s partnership experience, ensuring that every campaign reflects our standards of excellence, innovation, and impact. In this role, you’ll manage the full partnership lifecycle across a wide-ranging portfolio—ensuring high-quality execution across digital, social, in-venue, broadcast, and experiential channels. You’ll lead and coach a team of activation professionals while working closely with the General Manager and Sales leadership to drive renewal strategy, upsell opportunities, and long-term client retention. This is a senior leadership role ideal for someone who excels at both building relationships and operationalizing strategy through people, process, and collaboration.

Requirements

Significant experience in sponsorship activation, partnership marketing, client service, or a related field (typically 8–10 years), preferably within sports, media, or entertainment.
Proven experience managing teams, with a demonstrated ability to lead through others and drive performance.
Strong strategic thinking, with the ability to translate big-picture goals into operational execution.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a track record of building strong relationships with clients and institutional partners.
Experience executing integrated campaigns across digital, in-venue, and experiential channels.
Skilled in project management, time management, and managing competing priorities.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and project/CRM tools.
Ability to work evenings and weekends for game days, events, and partner engagements as needed.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, communications, or a related field.
Experience working with or within a large collegiate athletics department.
Familiarity with the multimedia rights and collegiate sponsorship landscape.

Responsibilities

Oversee the full activation strategy for a large and diverse partnership portfolio, ensuring flawless execution across all assets and platforms.
Directly supervises and manages activation staff including managers, coordinators, and support personnel.
Cultivate strong relationships and serve as a key point of contact for university leadership, ensuring strong alignment between property initiatives and institutional goals.
Build and maintain relationships with partners, contributing to retention and growth strategies.
Own key processes for campaign execution, asset delivery, and contract fulfillment; ensure scalability and consistency.
Collaborate with the General Manager and Sales team to identify upsell opportunities, improve renewal planning, and maximize partner value.
Direct the development of partner recaps, data analysis, and post-campaign reporting; ensure quality and storytelling align with brand standards.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement within the activation team.
Represent Learfield at key partner events, university meetings, and game day activations.
Ensure all activity is compliant with Learfield policies, university guidelines, and contractual obligations.