Senior Director / Director of Sales & Partnerships

About Team Liquid

Team Liquid began as a StarCraft clan in 2000 and grew into a global esports and gaming organization. At our heart, we're still a community of people who love competitive gaming.

Our main quest is to forge a global fandom that celebrates creativity, mastery and kindness.

Across our teams, creators, content and Liquipedia, we bring people closer to the games they love. That takes colleagues with different skills, perspectives and backgrounds, working together across countries and disciplines.

Joining Team Liquid means helping shape what comes next. We value people who take ownership, stay curious and support those around them, and who care about how we succeed together.

About the Team

Team Liquid’s Commercial team grows and supports our commercial business across Sales & Partnerships, Experiential & Activation, Business Intelligence, and Business Development.

Together, these teams turn Team Liquid’s teams, creators, events, audiences, and broader ecosystem into valuable opportunities for brands — from identifying and selling partnerships to developing new commercial opportunities, using data to inform decisions, and bringing partnerships to life.

Within Commercial, our Sales & Partnerships team is a small, senior group that stays close to the work. We build relationships, develop proposals, negotiate deals, and manage partnerships ourselves rather than handing each part of the process to a different team.

In the US, the team works closely with Marketing, Creative, Talent Management, Events, Finance and other teams to develop partnerships that create value for our clients, our fans and Team Liquid. From identifying new opportunities and developing proposals to growing existing accounts and bringing partnerships to life, the team combines strong commercial thinking with an understanding of our gaming, esports, entertainment and sponsorship landscape.

The Role

As the Senior Director / Director of Sales & Partnerships, NA, you'll lead Team Liquid's Sales & Partnerships function, driving partnership revenue, developing and expanding strategic partner relationships, and ensuring the successful execution of partnership commitments.

You'll be responsible for setting sales and partnership strategy, leading and developing the team, and managing key partner relationships and negotiations.

This is a leadership role that combines commercial strategy, revenue growth, and relationship management. You'll also collaborate across the organization to maximize commercial growth and create long-term value for Team Liquid and our partners.

What You'll Own

• Team Leadership

  • Lead and oversee the Sales & Partnerships team, actively supporting their growth and development within the department and across Team Liquid.

  • Manage, coach and develop the Senior Manager, Sales & Partnerships, including goal-setting, regular one-to-ones and performance reviews to company policy.

  • Allocate account and pipeline responsibility clearly, so ownership is never ambiguous.

  • Review work before it reaches a partner, and raise the standard of proposals, reporting and written communication across the team.

  • Contribute to the development of departmental processes and best practice.

  • Provide updates to management on deal flow across sales and partnership opportunities, including deliverable execution, campaign reporting, and relationships established at events.

  • Contribute to strategic projects and initiatives focused on the department and broader organization.

  • Lead major strategic initiatives aimed at advancing the Partnerships department and supporting organizational goals.

  • Drive the development and implementation of departmental strategies, policies, and procedures in alignment with overall business objectives.

  • Collaborate closely with executive leadership to provide strategic insights and recommendations for organizational growth and development.

  • Represent the Partnerships department in cross-functional leadership meetings and initiatives.

  • Leverage AI tools, including Gemini and Claude, to support sales and partnership strategy, market research, revenue forecasting, performance analysis, and operational efficiency.

• Strategic Account Management

  • Oversee the ongoing management and execution of all projects and deliverables associated with Team Liquid's partners, ensuring high-quality execution and timely delivery.

  • Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with key client stakeholders at partner companies, from brand and product marketing through to senior leadership.

  • Lead the full lifecycle of partnership deliverables — activation planning, product integration, content, live events, training facilities and team naming rights — ensuring execution to a standard that justifies the relationship's tenure.

  • Build and pursue a structured upsell plan: new titles, new territories, new inventory, product co-development, player and creator rights, facility and venue components, and cross-business-unit opportunities across Liquid Media, Liquipedia and Talent.

  • Plan, forecast and execute renewals well ahead of term, with a business case grounded in performance data rather than relationship goodwill.

  • Own reporting to the partner: campaign performance, KPIs, audience and media value, delivered on a predictable cadence.

  • Monitor and manage COGS on the account, maintaining margin standards and flagging variance early.

  • Serve as the primary point of contact for high-level partnership discussions and negotiations, representing Team Liquid's interests and driving outcomes aligned with organizational goals and objectives.

  • Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders to develop and execute partnership strategies that drive growth and innovation across Team Liquid platforms.

  • Travel as needed to execute partner deliverables and fulfill responsibilities, which may occasionally require work outside of normal business hours and on weekends based on partner requirements and project demands.

• New Business and Pipeline

  • Lead the development and execution of the sales strategy for Team Liquid's partnership portfolio in North America, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and objectives.

  • Carry a personal new-business target alongside the account and direct the sales teams in setting and achieving ambitious revenue targets, providing guidance, support, and mentorship to drive performance.

  • Maintain an accurate, weekly-updated pipeline view for yourself and your direct reports.

  • Represent Team Liquid at industry events and build the network that feeds the pipeline.

  • Develop customized proposals aligned to partner objectives, collaborating closely with cross-functional teams to develop integrated proposals that deliver maximum value to partners and enhance overall partnership outcomes.

  • Oversee the negotiation of high-value partnership agreements, ensuring terms align with organizational goals and objectives while maximizing value for all parties involved.

  • Drive revenue growth by identifying new business opportunities and expanding existing partnerships through strategic initiatives.

  • Foster strong relationships with key stakeholders at partner organizations, including C-suite executives and decision-makers, to facilitate successful partnership negotiations and agreements.

  • Stay current on industry trends and market developments, leveraging insights to inform sales strategy and decision-making and maintain a competitive edge.

• Cross-functional and other duties

  • Work with Brand, Marketing & Content, Talent Management, Athletics, Finance, Operations and Legal to ensure what is sold can be delivered.

  • Support the SVP on departmental and organizational priorities as needed.

AI Fluency at Team Liquid

Using AI thoughtfully is an expectation across Team Liquid, including in non-technical roles. We’re looking for people who explore how these tools can improve their work, test ideas and share what they learn with their teams.

In this role, that could include:

• Using approved AI tools to support prospect and market research.

• Using AI to analyze client, category and sponsorship trends and identify potential commercial opportunities.

• Supporting proposal development, presentations and sales workflows with AI while applying strong human judgment.

• Exploring ways to make prospecting, research, reporting and other commercial processes more efficient.

You don’t need to be an AI expert on day one. We do expect a willingness to learn, experiment and build confidence. Just as important is knowing how to check outputs, protect confidential information and recognize when human judgment is essential.

What You Bring

You have:

• 8+ years of experience in sales, partnerships, business development, sponsorships, or a related commercial function, ideally within gaming, esports, sports, media, entertainment, or a related industry.

• Proven experience leading and developing high-performing sales and/or partnerships teams, including coaching, mentorship, and performance management.

• Demonstrated success developing and executing sales and partnership strategies that drive revenue growth and achieve commercial targets.

• Strong track record of managing, growing, and renewing complex, high-value strategic partnerships.

• Experience leading complex partnership negotiations and building relationships with senior executives and key decision-makers.

• Strong commercial acumen, with the ability to identify new business opportunities, expand existing partnerships, and maximize long-term partner value.

• Experience overseeing partnership campaigns and deliverables across multiple internal teams and stakeholders.

• Strong strategic thinking, with the ability to translate organizational goals, market trends, and commercial insights into actionable strategies.

• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship management skills.

• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with executive leadership and cross-functional teams.

• AI fluency, with demonstrated ability to effectively use tools such as Gemini and Claude to enhance sales and partnership workflows, including research, analysis, strategic planning, presentations, and operational efficiency.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities and make sound decisions in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

• Willingness and ability to travel as needed and occasionally work outside standard business hours, including evenings and weekends, based on partner and event requirements.

What You Bring

It would be great if you also have:

• Experience within gaming, esports, sports, media, entertainment, or other sponsorship-driven industries.

• Existing network of relationships with brands, agencies, and/or industry decision-makers.

• Experience developing global or multi-market partnerships and working across international teams.

• Experience with integrated partnerships spanning digital, social, content, events, creators, and other brand activations.

• Familiarity with CRM, sales pipeline management, reporting, and forecasting tools.

• Strong understanding of the gaming and esports ecosystem, including relevant market trends, audiences, brands, and commercial opportunities.

Our Values in Action

Team Liquid runs on six values. They're not posters on a wall, they're how we hire, promote, and work every day.

• Integrity: We do the right thing, even when it isn't easy or convenient.

• Humility: Empathy, listening, and respect matter more than being right.

• Pursuing Excellence: We treat self-improvement as a never-ending journey, not a destination.

• Curiosity: We have an insatiable thirst to understand ourselves and the world, including the new tools reshaping how we work. This is where our AI Fluency expectation comes from — we believe curious people build the future faster.

• Authenticity: We welcome who you are, as you are. There's no pressure to fit in.

• Inclusivity: We work to be an equalizing force that humanizes differences and builds safer communities.

Life at Team Liquid

Across every Team Liquid office, you'll get:

• Game Day, once a quarter — the whole office pauses to play games together and enjoy some friendly competition.

• In-house chefs at every facility, serving two meals a day.

• Three extra global holidays — one for each continent we operate on, celebrating our global presence.

• Premium health coverage for you and your family including Dental and Vision, Unlimited PTO and 401K plan

We're looking for people who are genuinely excited to build this with us, not just fill a seat.

If you need a reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, reach out to HR@teamliquid.com. We'll work with you to make it right.

Salary Range (U.S.-based role):

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $120,000–$180,000, with additional commission and bonus opportunities.

Actual compensation will be determined based on job-related factors such as skills, experience, education, internal equity, and geographic location, where applicable and permitted by law.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Team Liquid is an equal opportunity employer. We view everyone as an individual, and we know inclusion means more than diversity — it means belonging. We celebrate what makes each of us unique; it's a core part of what makes us good at what we do.

Agencies: Team Liquid does not accept unsolicited resumes from agencies and is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited candidates.