San Diego FC Hiring for Vice President, Corporate Partnerships at San Diego, CA Full Time NEW

VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS

San Diego FC (San Diego FC) is the newest member of the MLS family. As part of the unique Right to Dream model and the Sycuan Tribe’s deep roots, we are proud to be building a San Diego-centric soccer organization that honors our history and celebrates emerging excellence.

San Diego FC has built something extraordinary—and this is your opportunity to be a foundational part of it. As we enter a pivotal stage in our inaugural season, we’re seeking a visionary and driven executive to lead our Corporate Partnerships team. This is more than a sales role—it’s a rare chance to help shape the commercial identity of a club poised to redefine soccer in Southern California and beyond. With the backing of world-class ownership, a passionate community, and a blank canvas of untapped market potential, San Diego FC offers the ideal platform for a high-performing executive to leave a legacy, drive major partnership revenue, and be part of something game-changing from the ground up.

Role Overview

The Vice President, Corporate Partnerships will oversee the strategic vision and day-to-day leadership of San Diego FC’s Partnerships department—spanning partnership sales, activation, and creative strategy. This executive will play a critical role in generating new business by independently securing six- and seven-figure, multi-year partnerships while overseeing the partnership sales and service team to ensure collective revenue goals are achieved while maintaining a positive and collaborative team environment.

Essential Functions

• Lead, manage, and mentor the partnership sales and service team to exceed revenue goals while maintaining an empowering and constructive team environment
• Plan and execute a robust partnership renewal and activation plan
• Handle gameday planning and execution including trouble shooting and team management
• Oversee media deals and work to structure new business opportunities in this space
• Lead category development and platform ideation for new and existing partners in collaboration with the other members of the partnerships team and Club
• Collaborate with creative design compelling vision decks and facilitate interactive pitch meetings
• Conduct partnership development meetings with prospective clients through both relationship leveraging and strategic outreach
• Develop collaborative processes with internal stakeholders to create integrated partnership opportunities
• Present San Diego FC to national and international sponsorship prospects with a solution-oriented sales approach
• Maintain and grow a robust pipeline of new business prospects
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key marketing decision-makers and advertising agency contacts
• Identify and research target industries and organizations for sponsorship opportunities
• Negotiate, close, and execute sponsorship contracts in collaboration with legal counsel
• Participate in weekly senior executive meetings and provide regular updates on recruitment and sales activity
• Act as an ambassador for San Diego FC by representing the club positively in all corporate and partner interactions

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent required
• Minimum of 8 years of high-level partnership sales/or activation experience, ideally within MLS or another professional sports league
• Experience in leading a high functioning sales team in a competitive environment
• Proven success in solution-selling and high-revenue partnership development
• Established network of high-level corporate contacts with sponsorship investment potential
• Demonstrated track record of securing six- and seven-figure sponsorship deals
• Expertise in strategy development, opportunity identification, and creative deal structuring
• Strong leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills
• High energy, adaptable personality suited for a dynamic and fast-paced environment
• Competitive mindset with a strong work ethic and drive to exceed goals
• Ability to effectively communicate the value of sponsorship beyond traditional media
• Skilled at developing creative proposals aligned with partner objectives
• Collaborative team player who can foster internal trust and build strong peer relationships
• Strong activation experience a plus

About San Diego FC:

We value community, diversity, and acting with purpose. We are looking for leaders at all levels to co-create the culture of a new organization that is built on the premise that you can discover, understand, and re-define excellence by nurturing talent and creating opportunity anywhere – specifically though soccer.

This is an opportunity to be a part of a great team building something meaningful for San Diego. We offer excellent benefits including health coverages with generous company contributions, over 30 days of paid time off, and a 4% company match on your 401(k).

We encourage all individuals who share our commitment to community and soccer to apply. Soccer is humanity and together, we can make a meaningful impact both on and off the field, fostering a culture that embraces excellence and equal opportunities. SDFC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.