Job Description
About the role\n
The Account Director oversees a portfolio of brand and property clients, leading the strategic consulting and partnership management work that drives their sports and entertainment investments. This is a bit classic sports agency seat, with an underdog mindset approach: part trusted advisor, part dealmaker, part day-to-day steward of high-value rights relationships, but mostly “let’s go do things differently”.
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About Underdog & Company. underdog & company (UDCO) is a network of sports marketing and experiential agencies, including BeCore, Altius Sports Partners, B. Partners, 40 Love Agency, Wide Angle Group, and the underdog venture team. Together we help brands, leagues, teams, and athletes build partnerships and activations that move culture and business.
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What you'll do for underdog venture team\n
Strategic consulting
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• Serve as the lead strategic advisor to a portfolio of brand and property clients, shaping sports and entertainment strategies tied to their business objectives.
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• Lead property evaluations and rights-fee valuations across leagues, teams, events, venues, and athletes, and make clear recommendations.
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• Build partnership portfolio audits, category analyses, and competitive landscape reviews that inform where clients should invest or exit.
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• Translate client brand and marketing goals into partnership briefs, activation frameworks, and annual plans.
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Partnership management and Activation approach
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• Own the day-to-day management of client sponsorship relationships and agreements, delivering unique solutions to leveraging rights and assets
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• Act as the primary point of contact between clients and rights holders, managing relationships at the league, team, and agency level.
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• Lead the development and execution of platforms and activations supporting client business objectives
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• Lead and/or support new rights negotiations and renewals, including term sheets, deal structures, and contract review alongside legal.
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• Develop measurement and ROI frameworks, and deliver post-season recaps that make the case for renewal or restructuring.
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• Deliver campaign ideas and thought starters that challenge the norm and boundaries, leaving an underdog mark on the work that we deliver
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Client and team leadership
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• Grow organic revenue within existing accounts by identifying new scopes, properties, and services across the UDCO network.
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• Support the growth of the underdog venture team client partnerships portfolio, expanding our presence and impact in the sports and entertainment industry
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• Manage account budgets, scopes of work, and fee forecasts with finance, keeping engagements on scope and profitable.
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• Supervise and develop Account Managers, Coordinators, and interns, and set the standard for client service.
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• Collaborate with sister agencies across UDCO on integrated pitches and cross-BU programs.
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• Contribute to new business pitches, capabilities presentations, and thought leadership.
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What you bring\n
Required
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• 7–10 years of experience at a sports marketing agency, rights holder, or brand-side sponsorship team, with at least 3 years leading client accounts.
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• Deep working knowledge of the sports partnership ecosystem: how rights are packaged, priced, negotiated, and activated across leagues, teams, events, and athletes.
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• A track record of managing multimillion-dollar sponsorship portfolios and negotiating or renewing rights agreements.
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• Strong valuation and analytical skills, including asset valuation, media equivalency, and ROI or ROO measurement.
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• An established network of contacts across properties, leagues, and partner agencies.
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• Executive presence and the ability to advise senior marketing leaders with confidence.
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• Excellent written communication, including recommendation decks, partnership briefs, and contract summaries.
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• Experience managing and mentoring junior staff.
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• Willingness to travel for client meetings and events, including nights and weekends during peak seasons.
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Preferred
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• Experience on both agency and rights-holder sides of the table.
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• Familiarity with sponsorship evaluation tools and data sources (for example, Nielsen Sports and others).
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How success is measured\n
• Client retention and renewal rate across your portfolio.
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• Organic growth in account fees and scope year over year.
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• On-time, on-budget delivery of contracted partnership assets.
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• Quality of strategic recommendations, reflected in client satisfaction and adoption.
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• Development and retention of the team you manage.
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What we offer\n
Health, dental, vision, 401(k), unlimited PTO
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Equal opportunity\n
underdog & company is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic.
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Salary: $115,000 - $125,000