Director of Corporate PartnershipsThe Lake Erie Crushers are a professional baseball team based at ForeFront Field in Avon, Ohio, just 18 miles west of Cleveland. As a member of the Frontier League, an official MLB Partner League, the Crushers have delivered affordable, family-friendly entertainment to Northeast Ohio since 2009.
As Lorain County's only professional sports franchise, the Crushers are a major economic driver for the region, hosting more than 200 annual events, including 51+ Crushers games, USL2 soccer matches, concerts, community events, and charitable functions.
Position SummaryThe Lake Erie Crushers are seeking a dynamic and results-driven corporate partnerships director to lead our corporate partnerships department at ForeFront Field. Reporting directly to the Chief Revenue Officer, this role will serve as a key member of the leadership team, responsible for driving revenue growth, developing high-performing sales teams, and building strategic partnerships that support the club's long-term success.
Key Responsibilities- Lead corporate partnership department sales and activation.
- Establish revenue goals, KPIs, and accountability measures across the department.
- Develop and execute short- and long-term revenue growth strategies.
- Recruit, develop, coach, and retain top-performing sales talent.
- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, creativity, and competitive excellence.
- Oversee partnership sales strategy, including identifying new business opportunities and underdeveloped categories.
- Personally contribute to revenue generation through prospecting, relationship building, and closing key partnership opportunities.
- Conduct strategic outreach through phone calls, email, networking, referrals, community events, and face-to-face meetings.
- Develop customized partnership proposals, presentations, and activation strategies.
- Manage partner servicing and fulfillment to ensure long-term retention and growth.
- Build and maintain a disciplined sales pipeline and forecasting process with clear visibility into revenue pacing.
- Develop creative, integrated partnership packages that provide measurable value to partners.
- Identify opportunities to increase partnership revenue through upselling and cross-selling.
- Lead monetization efforts for all events hosted at ForeFront Field.
- Collaborate with marketing, creative, ticketing, game operations, community relations, and other departments to execute partnership programs.
- Manage departmental budgets and resources to maximize performance and profitability.
- Cultivate strong relationships with corporate partners, community leaders, and key stakeholders.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications- Bachelor's degree required.
- 2+ years of sales leadership experience in sports, entertainment, hospitality, or a related industry.
- Proven track record of generating revenue and consistently exceeding sales goals.
- Strong leadership, coaching, and team-development skills.
- Exceptional communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building abilities.
- Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Experience managing sales pipelines, forecasting, and performance metrics.
- Willingness to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, and game days.
