Director, International Partnerships

The Director, International Partnerships will lead MLB’s International Partnership sales efforts to enhance MLB’s promotion and visibility in international markets and increase revenue across the League. This person will have strategic and operational responsibility for MLB’s International commercial partnership deals working in collaboration with MLB’s Regional Offices as well as the International Client Services team on the creation, implementation, strategic management and profitability of partner promotional programs and initiatives. Responsibilities International Sales Strategy & Leadership Advise senior leadership on MLB’s international partnership sales strategy to optimize sponsorship promotion, visibility, and revenue growth across international markets. Lead and develop an international team of partnership sales professionals across Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Mexico/LatAm, UK/Europe, and Canada, including training and performance management. Provide strategic & tactical guidance to regional International Sales and Client Services teams by reviewing and analyzing new and existing international partnership deals. Recommend global partnership targets by advising domestic and international sales teams on partners suited for multinational, cross-territory discussions. Partnership Development & Optimization Develop, review and analyze high-value global sponsorship sales processes and partner programs, providing recommendations to improve deal efficiency, strategic management, and long-term profitability. Develop strategic partnership recommendations for multinational sponsors using a category- and territory-based approach. Research and evaluate prospective partners to understand business needs and recommend opportunities that drive revenue growth and brand-building relationships. Sales Pipeline, Enablement & Governance Develop, review and optimize the international sales pipeline, sales presentations, and proposals, providing recommendations to improve efficiency, clarity, and conversion. Establish and reinforce a standardized global international sales framework, including deal structures, terminology, Salesforce workflows, and evolving sales materials. Partner with Sales Leads and Sales Support to strengthen pitches, proposals, term sheets, and executive materials, providing end-to-end deal guidance from sales analysis through activation planning. Cross-Functional Alignment & Global Execution Serve as the central liaison between International Sales, Activation, and MLB HQ to ensure assets, rights, territories, and categories are clearly defined and conflict-free prior to deal execution. Lead cross-functional coordination across Legal, Finance, Sales Support, Activation, Events, and venues to enable compliant deal structuring and seamless execution, including international events (e.g., International Series, World Baseball Classic). Maintain structured, proactive communication on prospects and active deals, aligning domestic and international priorities and leading global workstreams across time zones from deal conception through delivery. Contracting & Deal Oversight Provide leadership and oversight for the development, negotiation, and execution of third-party contracts supporting MLB’s international sponsorship and partnership initiatives. Oversee the end-to-end international contract workflow in partnership with Legal and Sales leadership, ensuring agreements meet commercial, operational, and compliance requirements. Ensure adherence to internal and external sales implementation processes, including Salesforce workflows, standardized documentation, and accurate financial reporting. Partner, Event & Asset Management Lead management of third-party partners supporting MLB international events, including promoters, broadcast and multimedia partners, and other commercial stakeholders. Collaborate with Sales leadership to plan and manage partner hospitality programs for marquee international events, including ticketing an…