Director of Athlete Partnerships & Strategy

About Valiant Management Group

Valiant Management Group (VMG) serves as the leading, comprehensive marketing and licensing agency dedicated to University of Michigan student-athletes, facilitating group and individual NIL rights and overseeing commercial NIL activities. Since its inception in 2021, VMG has empowered student-athletes to authentically develop and monetize their personal brands by connecting them with numerous notable brands, businesses, and licensees.

Role Overview

The Director of Athlete Partnerships & Strategy will be crucial in expanding VMG's athlete marketing operations. This role manages the core operational functions of VMG’s athlete marketing business by collaborating directly with student-athletes, brands, agents, marketing representatives, and strategic partners to deliver exemplary NIL activations. Post agreement execution, the director leads campaign planning and delivery from inception to conclusion, ensuring outstanding service for brand partners and student-athletes alike, while maintaining alignment across involved parties.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the main liaison and relationship manager for student-athletes, brands, agencies, and strategic collaborators throughout each partnership's lifecycle.
• Evaluate partnership proposals from agencies and brands, promoting innovative NIL solutions through collaboration with strategic partners.
• Expand NIL funds accessible to all student-athletes by identifying potential partner renewals, activation expansions, and long-term growth opportunities.
• Transform finalized agreements into comprehensive activation plans with explicit timelines, responsibilities, and expected outputs.
• Manage the execution of athlete marketing campaigns from contract initiation to fulfillment, including scheduling, content approval, contract handling, deliverable coordination, and on-site activation oversight.
• Coordinate with agencies, sponsors, and athlete revenue partners to guarantee smooth execution and timely delivery of campaign components.
• Serve as a point of contact for student-athletes regarding campaign expectations, activation logistics, and NIL guidelines, maintaining precise records of athletes, brands, and deals using CRM and project management tools.
• Collaborate with internal creative, content, and legal/compliance teams to ensure high-quality creative standards and adherence to contractual and regulatory mandates.
• Lead regular cross-functional operational and strategic meetings to review activation progress, uncover new opportunities, and manage the NIL deal pipeline.
• Monitor campaign performance and ROI, providing feedback and strategic recommendations to brand partners and internal leadership.
• Develop and enhance operational workflows, systems, and reporting mechanisms to support business growth.

Qualifications

• At least 5 years of professional experience in athlete representation, brand partnerships, sponsorship activations, influencer marketing, agency account management, or similar roles within college athletics, NIL, sports, or entertainment sectors.
• Familiarity with NCAA, conference, College Sports Commission, and institutional NIL regulations and compliance.
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple complex and high-priority projects meticulously.
• Outstanding organizational and communication abilities, capable of fostering trust among athletes, brands, and internal teams.
• Adept at cultivating strong partnerships across athletes, corporate stakeholders, university representatives, and internal colleagues.
• Comfort thriving in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment with limited supervision.
• Proficient in CRM software, project management tools, and presentation platforms such as PowerPoint, Keynote, or Canva.
• Experience managing partnerships, delivering complex projects, and working collaboratively with various stakeholders.

Work Location & Compensation

This position is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, operating on a hybrid onsite schedule. Compensation is competitive and aligned with candidate experience.