Job Function: The Assistant Director of Licensing and Commercial Partnerships is a newly created position responsible for managing and growing the NCAA's Endemic Partner Program—a strategic commercial initiative through which companies integral to college sports (equipment manufacturers, apparel brands, sports technology providers, and related suppliers) receive traditional marketing rights in exchange for their partnership with the Association. This position serves as the NCAA's primary day-to-day manager of endemic sponsor relationships, working in close collaboration with an NCAA-designated marketing rights agency to prospect, onboard, activate, and steward endemic partners across the championships portfolio. The Assistant Director ensures that endemic sponsors receive full value from their NCAA partnership, that contractual obligations are met on both sides, and that the program grows in scope, revenue, and strategic importance over time—translating the NCAA's unique position at the center of the college sports ecosystem into durable, mutually beneficial commercial partnerships.
Job Responsibilities
Program Management & Development
- Serve as the primary NCAA national office point of contact for the Endemic Partner Program, owning the day-to-day operational management of all active endemic partnerships and the overall health of the program.
- In partnership with the NCAA’s designated marketing rights agency, develop and refine the Endemic Partner Program's structure, sponsorship tiers, rights packages, and pricing framework to maximize both partner value and NCAA revenue across a multi-year ramp-up period.
- Maintain a comprehensive program dashboard tracking partner status, contract terms, activation deliverables, revenue performance, and renewal timelines for all endemic sponsors.
- Coordinate with legal and compliance to ensure that all endemic partnership agreements are consistent with NCAA rules, association policies, and the boundaries established by the NCAA's broader commercial marketing rights structure.
- Work with the Director of Licensing & Commercial Partnerships to set annual program revenue targets and contribute to the long-range financial planning for the endemic program.
Marketing Rights Agency Liaison
- Serve as the NCAA's primary operational liaison to the designated marketing rights agency, coordinating on prospecting strategy, sales pipeline management, partnership proposals, contract negotiations, and partner activation.
- Review and approve agency-developed sales materials, sponsorship decks, partner proposals, and activation plans to ensure alignment with NCAA brand guidelines, policies, and commercial priorities.
- Participate in joint sales calls, pitches, and partner meetings alongside agency representatives, providing NCAA institutional knowledge, credibility, and decision-making authority.
- Conduct regular performance reviews with the agency, evaluating pipeline progress, deal conversion rates, activation quality, and partner satisfaction against agreed benchmarks.
- Escalate and resolve agency-partner conflicts, compliance issues, or fulfillment gaps in a timely manner, ensuring the program's integrity and partner confidence are maintained.
Partner Relationship Management & Activation
- Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with all endemic sponsors, serving as their primary NCAA contact for questions, requests, activations, and strategic dialogue.
- Develop and execute partner activation plans that deliver the full scope of contractual marketing rights, including on-site presence at NCAA championships, digital and social integrations, licensing of NCAA marks, signage, hospitality, and other negotiated benefits.
- Coordinate with internal NCAA teams—including Championships Operations, Digital, Social Media, Media Coordination, Broadcast, Ticket Operations, and Marketing—to facilitate seamless activation of endemic partner rights across all relevant championship events and platforms.
- Manage the transition of existing Official Supplier Program partners into the endemic partnership structure, where applicable, ensuring continuity of relationship and a clear, compelling articulation of enhanced rights and value.
- Conduct post-championship and post-season activation reviews with each partner, documenting deliverable fulfillment, gathering partner feedback, and identifying opportunities to strengthen or expand the partnership.
Prospecting, Pipeline & Business Development
- In collaboration with the marketing rights agency, maintain an active pipeline of endemic partnership prospects, including current Official Suppliers, prospective new entrants in sports equipment and apparel categories, and adjacent sports industry companies.
- Research and identify new endemic partnership categories not currently represented in the Official Supplier Program, developing tailored sponsorship concepts and outreach strategies to expand the program's brand base.
- Support contract negotiation processes by preparing internal briefing materials, financial models, and partnership comparables that inform NCAA decision-making and ensure favorable deal outcomes.
- Track competitive intelligence on how peer sports organizations structure and price endemic sponsorship programs, using those insights to continuously sharpen the NCAA's offering.
Compliance, Contracts & Reporting
- Manage the contract lifecycle for all endemic partnership agreements, from initial term sheet development through execution, amendment, and renewal—coordinating with legal, finance, and compliance at each stage.
- Ensure that all endemic partners are compliant with NCAA brand use guidelines, mark licensing requirements, and agreed activation parameters, conducting regular audits and communicating corrections as needed.
- Produce quarterly and annual program performance reports for senior leadership, detailing revenue against targets, partner activation status, pipeline health, and strategic recommendations.
- Maintain accurate records of all endemic partnership agreements, correspondence, activation deliverables, and financial transactions in the NCAA's partnership management systems.
Other Duties
- Represent the Licensing & Commercial Partnerships department in cross-functional planning conversations related to championships, marketing, and digital strategy as they pertain to endemic partner activation.
- Stay current on trends in sports sponsorship, brand licensing, and collegiate athletics commercial development; bring relevant market intelligence back to the team on an ongoing basis.
- Other duties as assigned by the Director of Licensing & Commercial Partnerships.
Job Requirements
Education & Experience
- Bachelor's degree required; graduate degree in sports administration, business, marketing, or a related field is preferred.
- Two to four years of progressive professional experience in sports sponsorship, licensing, partnership management, or commercial development—with demonstrated responsibility for managing sponsor or licensee relationships. Three to five years of experience, preferred.
- Experience working with or within a sports organization's licensing or commercial partnerships function strongly preferred; familiarity with college athletics is a meaningful advantage.
- Experience working alongside or managing third-party sales agencies, marketing rights holders, or commercial representation partners preferred.
- Demonstrated experience in contract management, including reviewing agreements, tracking deliverables, and ensuring partner compliance.
Technical & Analytical Skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) required; advanced Excel skills for financial modeling and program reporting preferred.
- Experience with partnership management platforms, CRM systems, or sponsorship reporting tools is an asset.
- Ability to build and interpret financial models, revenue tracking dashboards, and deal comparison analyses to support program planning and decision-making.
Knowledge & Abilities
- Working knowledge of NCAA organizational structure, governance, championship operations, and the existing Official Supplier and Corporate Partner program frameworks preferred.
- Strong understanding of sports sponsorship activation principles: how partners derive value from on-site presence, digital integration, brand licensing, media exposure, and hospitality.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex partnership structures clearly to internal stakeholders and external partners.
- Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple active partnerships and contract timelines simultaneously without losing accountability for any.
- Sound commercial judgment and negotiation instincts, with the confidence to advocate for favorable terms on behalf of the NCAA while maintaining constructive partner relationships.
- Willingness to travel up to 25% of the time, including attendance at select NCAA championships to support endemic partner activation on-site.
- This position will be based out of the national office in Indianapolis, Indiana. Current work environment is hybrid; 2 days in the office and 3 days are remote.
Key Competencies
- Effective Communication: Can exchange ideas, thoughts, opinions, knowledge, and data so that the message is understood with clarity and purpose.
- Teamwork: Can effectively work together with other people and collaborate to achieve a common goal or to complete a task in the most effective and efficient way.
- Stakeholder Focus: Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external stakeholders, gets first-hand stakeholder information and uses it for improvements in products and services, acts with stakeholders in mind, establishes and maintains effective relationships with stakeholders and gains their trust and respect through honesty, integrity, authenticity, and inclusivity.
- Project Management: The discipline of planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of a specific project.
- Accountability: Holds self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results. Determines objectives, sets priorities, and delegates work. Accepts responsibility for mistakes. Complies with established control systems and rules.
Core Values
- LEADERSHIP | We actively listen and continually strive to provide vital solutions, counsel and advocacy for student-athletes and intercollegiate athletics.
- INCLUSION | We seek and incorporate different perspectives and experiences to drive innovation and impact.
- COMMUNICATION | We commit to an environment of openness to build trust and make timely decisions.
- COLLABORATION | We work together, based on mutual respect, to lead and serve our stakeholders.
- ACCOUNTABILITY | We take ownership for our actions and results to add value every day.
Required
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.
