Athens Crush

The Sponsorship Sales Manager is responsible for generating corporate partnership revenue through the sale of sponsorships, advertising, premium hospitality, and integrated marketing programs. This individual will identify new business opportunities, cultivate long-term relationships with corporate partners, and develop customized sponsorship packages that deliver measurable value while helping the organization achieve its revenue goals.

As one of the franchise’s founding employees, the Sponsorship Sales Manager will play a critical role in building the business foundation of the Athens Crush and establishing partnerships with leading local, regional, and national brands.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a strategic sponsorship sales plan to achieve annual revenue goals.
• Prospect, qualify, and secure new corporate sponsorships through cold calling, networking, referrals, and in-person meetings.
• Sell integrated sponsorship packages that may include arena signage, digital advertising, social media, promotions, hospitality, premium seating, naming rights, community events, and game-day activations.
• Develop customized partnership proposals tailored to each prospective sponsor’s marketing objectives.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with business owners, executives, marketing leaders, and community organizations.
• Manage the sponsorship sales pipeline and maintain accurate records in the team’s CRM system.
• Renew and grow existing sponsorship accounts by identifying additional partnership opportunities.
• Collaborate with the marketing department to develop sponsor activation strategies that maximize return on investment.
• Work closely with the ticket sales department to create bundled sponsorship and hospitality packages.
• Coordinate sponsor fulfillment to ensure all contractual obligations are delivered accurately and on schedule.
• Attend networking events, chamber meetings, business functions, and community activities to generate new leads.
• Assist with sponsor recognition and hospitality on game days and at team events.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Sports Management, Communications, or a related field preferred.
• Minimum of 3 years of sales experience, preferably in sponsorship sales, advertising, media, business development, or professional sports.
• Demonstrated success in developing and closing high-value business-to-business sales opportunities.
• Strong presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities.
• Highly organized with strong attention to detail.
• Self-starter capable of managing multiple projects and deadlines.

Desired Characteristics

The ideal candidate is:

• Competitive, motivated, and results-driven.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for building new business.
• Professional, confident, and comfortable presenting to executives and business owners.
• Creative thinker who can develop innovative marketing partnerships.
• Excellent networking and interpersonal skills.
• Strong work ethic, passion for sports, community engagement, and creating meaningful partnerships.

Compensation

• Competitive base salary based on experience.
• Aggressive commission structure with uncapped earning potential
• Performance-based bonuses
• Team apparel.
• Opportunity for advancement within a growing professional sports organization

Why Join the Athens Crush?

This is a unique opportunity to help launch and grow a professional sports franchise from day one. You’ll work alongside an ownership group that includes Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis, College Football Hall of Famer David Pollack, and former MLB All-Star and NFL standout Brian Jordan, while building partnerships that connect businesses with one of Northeast Georgia’s most exciting new entertainment brands.

If you are an ambitious sales professional who enjoys creating innovative marketing solutions, building lasting business relationships, and helping organizations grow through strategic partnerships, we invite you to join our team and be part of making the Athens Crush a premier franchise in the Indoor Football League.