VP of Partnerships

Position Description Reporting directly to the President, the Vice President of Partnerships provides executive oversight of the club's entire corporate partnership operation — from setting the strategic vision and revenue architecture to ensuring world-class execution across new business development, renewals, and partner servicing. You will define the long-term partnerships roadmap, build and lead a high-performing department, and serve as a key member of the club's senior leadership team. This is a foundational executive role with the opportunity to build a partnerships program from the ground up and directly shape how the club connects with the business community throughout Oregon. Primary Responsibilities Define and drive the overarching partnership strategy aligned to annual revenue targets, long-term club goals, and broader organizational priorities. Establish departmental KPIs, pipeline targets, and reporting cadences; deliver regular performance updates to the President and senior leadership team. Identify new revenue streams and partnership categories; stay ahead of trends in sports sponsorship and experiential marketing to position the club competitively. Build and manage the department budget, forecasting revenue and allocating resources to maximize return. Cultivate and maintain relationships with local, regional, and national brands across key categories, personally leading engagement with the club's highest-value prospects and partners. Oversee the development of customized partnership proposals that align sponsor objectives with club assets (signage, broadcast, digital, experiential, community). Negotiate and close multi-year agreements that deliver ROI for partners and sustainable revenue for the club. Own the renewal and upsell strategy; drive high retention rates and year-over-year revenue growth across the portfolio. Serve as the executive point of contact for top-tier sponsors; ensure best-in-class service, regular reporting, and strategic alignment. Direct the creation of mid-season recaps, end-of-year reports, and ROI analyses. Recruit, develop, and lead the partnerships team, including direct oversight of the Partnerships Manager and any future hires as the department grows. Establish scalable processes and best practices for pipeline management, CRM usage, proposal development, and fulfillment tracking. Collaborate with Marketing, Ticketing, and Operations leadership to develop integrated campaigns, hospitality packages, and in-stadium activations. Represent the club at matchdays, community events, league meetings, and industry functions; entertain clients and prospects as needed. Qualifications 8-12+ years in corporate sponsorship sales with a proven track record of closing six-figure deals. 4+ years leading or building a sales team, with demonstrated ability to hire, develop, and retain talent. Direct experience selling sports, venue, or entertainment partnerships strongly preferred. Strong understanding of the sponsorship landscape (signage, digital/social, broadcast, experiential, emerging platforms). Proficiency with CRM platforms (Salesforce, HubSpot, or similar). Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills, with the executive presence to represent the club at the highest levels. Entrepreneurial mindset; comfortable in a fast-paced, startup-like environment. Soccer knowledge strongly preferred; Spanish proficiency a plus. Must be able to work home matchdays (20-25 days per year, often nights and weekends). We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.