Job Title: VP, Brand Partnerships

Company: MADE Hoops

Location: Remote / Some Travel Required (Major U.S. market preferred)

Reports to: CEO

Company Description

MADE Hoops is the premier grassroots basketball events organization in North America. Founded in 2014, our mission has always been Maximizing Athletes’ Development and Exposure (MADE). We host 100+ boys and girls basketball events annually, including competitive camps for all ages, middle school and high school tournaments, and the top independent high school circuit in the country. We're proud to have countless McDonald's All-Americans, NCAA athletes, and NBA stars among our alumni.

Job Overview

We are seeking an experienced and passionate senior brand partnerships leader who can deliver and execute on new partnerships and elevate existing partnerships to grow MADE’s world-class brand partnership portfolio. The VP of Brand Partnerships will focus on sales, but can also help lead project delivery across strategy, activation, and brand storytelling, and will collaborate closely with other MADE departments to deliver MADE’s white glove, world-class experience to our brand partners. In addition to driving new business, this role will lead and develop the Brand Partnerships team, establishing a culture of accountability, collaboration, and high performance while ensuring the department consistently delivers against revenue goals and partner expectations.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in the sports sponsorships and brand sales space, and ideally has a track record and existing foundation of strong agency and brand relationships.

Key Responsibilities

Sales & Revenue Generation for New Brand Partnerships

• Proactively identify, pitch, and close new brand partnerships across MADE Hoops events, content, and digital properties.
• Creation, contribution to, and management of pitch decks.
• Pitching prospecting brands for new brand partnership business based upon cutting edge storytelling.
• Own the full sales cycle: prospecting, pitch development, negotiation, contract execution, internal onboarding, and execution/activation of new deals procured.
• Develop customized proposals, pitch decks, and partnership packages that align with partner objectives while using MADE’s storytelling approach and directives.
• Leverage personal relationships and agency networks to grow a pipeline of brand partners targeting multiple target audiences (Gen Z, youth sports, sports, sneaker culture, and lifestyle spaces, etc.).
• Package and sell integrated partnerships that are inclusive of media rights, digital/social content, in-event activations, and custom branded experiences.
• Personally sourcing, pitching, and closing significant brand partnership opportunities.
• Managing the team's performance, pipeline, professional development, and overall departmental revenue results.

Strategic Planning & Brand Activation

• Cross-collaborate with various MADE departments as necessary to design, create, and execute upon brand activation strategy at MADE events (e.g. in-event signage, digital content, other agreed upon campaign items).
• Assist with brand integrations across MADE events and MADE social media, as necessary.
• Working alongside leadership to shape the long-term direction, growth, and positioning of MADE's brand partnerships business.

Campaign Performance Tracking & Reporting

• Monitor, analyze, and improve campaign metrics, KPI milestones, and deliverables.
• Create brand partnership reporting packages post-event as reasonably necessary for internal reporting and client satisfaction.

Cross-Departmental Collaboration

• Coordinate with marketing, events, operations, merchandise, and content teams, as reasonably necessary, to align messaging, audience delivery, and overall sponsor experience.

Client Management for Existing Partnerships

• Serve as day‑to‑day liaison for MADE’s existing partners.
• Manage live campaigns with established brand partnerships, from end‑to‑end, ensuring fulfillment, client satisfaction, and world-class execution/experience.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, manage, and mentor the Brand Partnerships team, fostering a high-performance, collaborative, and results-driven culture.
• Establish clear individual and team goals, performance expectations, and accountability measures aligned with MADE's overall brand partnership and revenue objectives.
• Oversee team sales pipelines, business development efforts, and partnership execution to ensure consistent progress toward departmental revenue targets and strategic priorities.
• Provide ongoing coaching, professional development, and constructive feedback to elevate team performance, strengthen sales capabilities, and support career growth.
• Effectively delegate responsibilities, prioritize team resources, and ensure efficient execution across new business development, existing partner management, and brand activations.
• Conduct regular team meetings, pipeline reviews, and performance evaluations to drive accountability, identify opportunities, and address challenges proactively.
• Collaborate with executive leadership on departmental strategy, organizational structure, hiring needs, and long-term growth initiatives.

Qualifications

• 5-10+ years in sports partnerships, sponsorship activation, and/or event marketing.
• Prior agency experience and/or in-house brand relationship experience.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate and manage B2B brand relationships.
• Strong organization and project management skills to succeed in a multi-event, fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading, managing, and developing high-performing sales and/or brand partnership teams, with a track record of driving individual and collective success.
• Proven ability to establish team goals, manage performance, coach employees, and build a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet tight deadlines.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills with the ability to succinctly coordinate needs across to relevant internal and external stakeholders.
• Passion for youth sports, development, and experiential fan engagement.
• Track record of working with national and local sponsors (like national brands, beverage, apparel, youth‑oriented products).
• Strong understanding of social media and brand storytelling.
• Analytical mindset with experience in data-driven decision-making and reporting.
• Deep understanding of market trends, consumer behavior, and competitive strategies within the youth basketball landscape.
• Passion for basketball and youth development.
• Willingness to travel for events as required.

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.