Director of Partnership Activation
Reports to: Senior Director of Sales
Direct reports: Partnership Activation Coordinators
Location: Indianapolis, IN
Status: Full-time, Exempt
Position Summary
The Partnership Activation Director is responsible for ensuring the seamless execution and fulfillment of corporate partnership agreements, enhancing partner engagement, and delivering measurable value to brand collaborators. This role serves as the primary liaison between corporate partners and the Indianapolis Indians, overseeing activation planning, contract fulfillment, and strategic implementation of partnership assets across digital, in-game, and on-site platforms.
The Director also oversees the Partnership Activation Coordinators, ensuring timely, consistent, and high-quality execution of all Indianapolis Indians partnership commitments. The Partnership Activation Director plays a vital role in maintaining strong partner relationships, driving activation ROI, and elevating the overall fan and partner experience. The ideal candidate is a dynamic leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment and is passionate about building relationships and delivering best-in-class service.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage all aspects of partner activations, ensuring contractual obligations are met and exceeded through flawless execution and service delivery.
- Oversee the day-to-day activities and professional development of Partnership Activation team, ensuring consistent execution and fulfillment of all corporate partnership deliverables.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned corporate partners, fostering long-term relationships through proactive communication, responsiveness, and value delivery.
- Develop and implement creative activation strategies that align with partner objectives and the Indians’ brand, leveraging digital, in-venue, and experiential platforms.
- Lead on-site activations, in-game promotions, hospitality experiences, and special events to ensure seamless execution and an elevated partner experience.
- Analyze activation outcomes and deliver insights and metrics to partners to demonstrate ROI and shape renewal conversations.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with marketing, operations, and ticket sales teams to integrate partnership activations into broader fan engagement strategies.
- Identify and recommend partnership enhancements and contribute to renewal efforts by presenting expansion opportunities that add measurable value.
- Ensure that all activations are executed in compliance with league regulations, brand standards, and partnership best practices.
- Maintain accurate documentation of partnership activities, timelines, and status updates using internal tracking systems and CRM tools.
- Represent the organization with professionalism and enthusiasm during public events, client meetings, and on game days.
Skills and Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, sports management, or a related field
- 3+ years of experience in partnership activation, sponsorship management, or sports marketing, preferably within the sports or live entertainment industry
- Strong ability to build and maintain positive relationships with corporate partners, internal teams, and external stakeholders
- Proven experience in coordinating multiple sponsorship activations, ensuring flawless execution under tight deadlines
- Familiarity with live event operations, including managing sponsor activations, in-game promotions, and hospitality experiences
- Ability to assess partnership performance, interpret data, and develop insights for sponsor recaps and renewals
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to present ideas and results effectively to internal and external audiences
- Thrives in a fast-paced environment, demonstrates strong attention to detail, and proactively finds solutions to challenges
Compensation
- Salary, bonus structure (when eligible)
- Benefits include paid vacation, 401(k) plan (when eligible) and health, dental and vision insurance
About the Indianapolis Indians
The Indianapolis Indians are the professional Triple-A baseball club affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. In continuous operation since 1902, the organization believes in creating affordable and memorable experiences for fans so they can grow closer together with family, friends, and the community through the game of baseball. The Indians play their home games at Victory Field, a 13,000-seat ballpark located in downtown Indianapolis and White River State Park. The venue opened in 1996 and has received numerous national accolades as one of the best minor league ballparks in the United States. The team has led Minor League Baseball in combined total attendance over the past 15 seasons. In 2018, the organization was recognized as Ballpark Digest Team of the Year. It was also named a 2019 Best Places to Work by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.
Equal Opportunity Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.