Director of Athlete Marketing

Position Summary:

Athletes First (A1) is seeking a seasoned sales executive to handle marketing partnerships within A1’s industry-leading football representation practice. The Director of Athlete Marketing will be responsible for securing significant revenue and marketing opportunities for A1’s NFL clients. The individual will become an integral member of the A1 sales team and work cross-functionally and collaboratively in selling across all organizational assets. The position will be based in A1’s marketing headquarters in New York City.

Overview and Responsibilities:

• Generate revenue for a wide range of NFL players in a targeted regional approach through various marketing initiatives including but not limited to, social media, digital, television, brand endorsements, appearances, and speaking engagements
• Manage full sales cycle from A-Z, including prospecting, outreach, ideation, pitching, and closing deals
• Activate all deliverables of each partnership in a concise, full-service manner, including significant coordination with player agents and as necessary, with players directly
• Maintain ongoing communication and collaboration with player agents, marketing personnel, legal counsel, communications, creative, and finance teams to ensure flawless execution of each partnership from start to finish
• Develop new business contacts and cultivate pre-existing relationships across a targeted set of media agencies, sports agencies, talent buyers, and relevant influencer-marketing companies
• Maintain and update key account contacts for prospects, brands partners, and agencies in a CRM environment
• Work in a highly collaborative manner with other sales members as part of a team-oriented selling culture; sharing leads, ideas, and opportunities
• Integrate A1 events and/or media platforms into player endorsement deals to maximize brand impact while generating revenue for applicable A1 sales divisions
• Support individual agency initiatives as needed, such as the A1 Coaches Summit, Athletes First Classic, A1 House, A1 Tailgate Tour and more
• Serve as a positive culture contributor to support A1’s “better together” philosophy

Required Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree (marketing or business-focused degree a plus)
• 5+ years sales experience, including direct experience marketing athletes
• Established network of brand and agency buyers and senior decision-makers
• Proven track record in delivering 6-7 figure per annum, multi-year endorsement deals with blue-chip, industry-leading brands
• Experience using CRM as a sales tool and collaboration facilitator
• Passion and knowledge in sports business and NFL
• Ability to multi-task in a high-paced and entrepreneurial environment
• Competitive, driven attitude with demonstrated ability to work in a highly collaborative fashion with peers and subordinates
• Excellent presentation, written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to travel, as necessary