Job Title: Vice President – Corporate Partnerships
Job Summary: The Kansas City Royals are seeking a creative, personable, results-oriented professional with an entrepreneurial spirit to lead corporate partnership sales, media sales, and partner activation, with a strong focus on driving revenue growth and delivering best-in-class partner experiences.
This leader will implement a top-down, strategic sales philosophy, personally leading high-level, sophisticated sales efforts while building a disciplined, scalable process that maximizes the value of the organization’s core assets and media platforms. This VP will package these assets into innovative, long-term partnerships aligned with both partner objectives and organizational priorities.
Equally important, this role will establish and manage a best-in-class service and execution model centered on fully customized partnerships, measurable marketing outcomes, and strong, relationship-driven engagement.
The Kansas City Royals are building a new stadium and mixed-use development in the heart of Downtown Kansas City that will become the pride of the Midwest and be on scale with the largest developments in sports. This role will be part of a leadership team that has the opportunity to build a legacy and a career defining project.
The Vice President will assist in shaping the vision and strategy for corporate partnerships within the organization’s new stadium and mixed-use development, ensuring alignment with long-term revenue and brand objectives. This leader will collaborate cross-functionally to support broader organizational goals, including hospitality, ticket sales, and community impact initiatives.
As a member of the leadership team, the VP will help drive organizational culture, mentor and develop staff, and foster a high-performance environment grounded in accountability, collaboration, and innovation.
Responsibilities and Accountabilities: • Responsible for achieving and exceeding individual and team revenue targets. • Strategically plan, create, and market new sponsorship opportunities that fulfill the revenue and brand needs of the Royals. • Lead sales team and Account Executive development while building processes focused on prospecting, maximizing core categories and inventory, presentation, negotiation, and close. • Lead and develop an activation team with a focus on meeting the needs of our current partners, growing partnerships year-over-year and effectively communicating with our partners to ensure cohesion of goals and activations. • Incorporate meaningful tickets and hospitality with partnership and meet annual hospitality goals. • Work closely with Royals Community Impact team and the Royals Foundation to grow partner contribution and support. • Focus on building media sales verticals for both Royals.TV and the Royals radio network. • Be partner-focused and collaborate with current and potential partners to create new and innovative platforms which fit their unique business objectives. • Capable of utilizing analytics and data to articulate and demonstrate the value proposition that can enhance and properly express ROI to partners. • Execute strategic sales plans to grow corporate sponsorship revenue by bringing in new partners as well as optimizing existing relationships through up-selling and cross-selling. • Develop and maintain CRM for tracking, communication, and inventory management • Oversee the partnership life cycle and experience for the department. • Ensure partners value and utilize their brand association with the Royals.
Position Qualifications, Skills, and Experience Required: • Bachelor’s degree • 10+ years of sales experience with a verifiable record of success in sponsorship sales and team development • Solid network of high-level contacts with both brands and rightsholders • Strong sports industry knowledge, specifically as it relates to sponsorships/commercial revenue programs • Demonstrated experience in developing sales teams and processes that sustain revenue growth and employee development • Excellent communication and presentation skills • Proven account management experience • Meticulous with strong organizational and people skills • Multi-task in a demanding environment, with the ability to work solo or within a team atmosphere
Physical Requirements: • Ability to lift items weighing as much as 25 pounds • Must be able to work in a seated position for majority of workday • Must be able to be productive utilizing a computer keyboard and telephone • Must be able to be productive in a work environment where the noise level can be high at times • Must be comfortable walking to navigate the facility to access the office, concourse, etc. • Must be able to work extended hours and/or weekends as required by deadlines and event scheduling The physical demands described here are representative of those that may be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
This role is a Full-Time, Exempt opportunity that is eligible for Company Benefits, 401K, and PTO. This role is expected to have a standard 40-hour work week and is expected to work events that occur on nights and weekends.
We also afford equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with a disability. For this reason, the Kansas City Royals will make reasonable accommodations for the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability who is an applicant consistent with its legal obligations to do so, including reasonable accommodations applicable local, state and / or federal law. As part of its commitment to make reasonable accommodations, the Club also wishes to participate in a timely, good faith, interactive process with a disabled applicant to determine effective reasonable accommodations, if any, which can be made in response to a request for accommodations. Applicants are invited to identify reasonable accommodations that can be made to assist them to perform the essential functions of the position they seek. Any applicant who requires an accommodation in order to perform the essential functions please inquire with Human Resources by email at humanresources@royals.com.
We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
