Business Development Director (Remote)
The Athletic Media CompanyPosted 4/4/2025
Business Development Director (Remote)
The Athletic Media Company
Job Location
Salary Range
130k - 145k USD / YEAR
Job Summary
The Athletic is seeking a Business Development Director (Remote) to oversee business development operations for their Commercial team. The ideal candidate will have 8 years of relevant experience in business development and partnerships, with a strong track record of managing large-scale projects and growing commercial revenue. They will work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure operational excellence and contribute to long-term strategic planning to identify opportunities for future business growth. The role offers a competitive salary range of $130,000 - $145,000 USD, plus comprehensive benefits and perks. As a remote-based role in the US, the successful candidate will represent The Athletic brand well and have excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Job Description
About Us
The Athletic is a digital sports media company that brings true sports fans closer to the athletes, teams and leagues that captivate their attention. We serve a multi-faceted audience that craves a richer connection and understanding with immersive storytelling and a like-minded community of fans. Founded in 2016 and with major operational hubs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, London and Melbourne, we empower a truly global team of more than 600 creators and cover more than 250 professional sports and collegiate teams across the United States, Canada and the UK. Our newsroom has produced thousands of in-depth reports along with more than 120 podcasts and other forms of premium content. Put simply, The Athletic is at the center of a sports fan’s universe.
About This Role
We are looking for a Business Development Director to apply their skills in business development, business operations, and partnerships - supporting senior leadership and working across all functions to maximize the business impact of The Athletic’s large and growing commercial organization. Our ideal candidate will be experienced in business development and partnerships within the consumer media industry and have familiarity with managing large and complex projects across different business functions.
This role is remote to the US only.
Responsibilities
- Oversee business development operations for the Commercial team.
- Own the partnerships development pipeline and help negotiate big, long-term, strategic partners that touch all parts of The Athletic’s business.
- Work efficiently with cross-functional teams including legal, finance, product, editorial, design and marketing to ensure operational excellence on a daily basis.
- Work closely with the Head of Global Business Development on large, comprehensive strategic partnerships and to grow commercial revenue.
- Liaise closely with the Partner Management team to ensure partnerships are operating effectively and are optimized for success.
- Help grow The Athletic’s other lines of business by supporting partner outreach and operating global licensing deals.
- Create and manage project plans for various partnership executions.
- Own P&L management for all strategic partnerships and business development deals.
- Contribute to long-term strategic planning to identify opportunities for future business growth.
Requirements
- BA/BS degree with 8 years of relevant business development and partnerships operations experience.
- MBA a plus; Project Management certification a plus.
- Experience owning the partnership development pipeline from ideation to execution.
- Experience working on large-scale, cross-functional projects.
- Experience in digital media, content licensing, and content-based partnerships.
- Business development and external outreach experience.
- Proficiency in developing project plans, process maps, and project tracking.
- High level of professionalism; driven and motivated with excellent follow-up.
- Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills (both written and verbal).
- Extremely organized.
- Ability to think creatively and strategically to come up with out of the box ideas.
- Ability to multitask and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment with colleagues based in New York, San Francisco, around North America, and internationally.
- This is a remote-based role in the United States.
- Represent The Athletic brand well.
The annual base salary range for this role is $130,000.00 - $145,000.00 USD. The total compensation offered for this position may vary based on factors such as education, experience, skills, and location. It may also include non-cash rewards and benefits. The base salary range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.
The Athletic offers unique perks and benefits to all full-time employees based on their country of residence. Our comprehensive US benefits package includes:
- Highly competitive, employer-contributed medical, dental, vision, basic life and disability insurance plans.
- Savings accounts for medical, wellness, and childcare expenses.
- 401k retirement savings plan and employer match.
- Paid time off including paid sick leave, 12 paid holidays, 15 days of accrued vacation to start, and up to 20 weeks of Paid Parental Leave.
For international candidates: Our global benefits packages offer similar benefits and perks, competitive to the local market.
The Athletic Media Company is an equal opportunity employer and enthusiastically encourages people from all backgrounds and experiences to apply. The Athletic will consider all applicants without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.
Click here to review our Applicant Privacy Notice, which describes how and when The Athletic Media Company collects, uses, and shares certain personal information of job applicants and prospective employees.
Beware of fraudulent job recruiting schemes! Our recruiters use [email protected] exclusively. We do not conduct interviews via text or instant message and we do not ask candidates to download software, to purchase equipment through us, or to provide sensitive personally identifiable information, such as bank accounts or social security numbers. If you have been contacted by someone claiming to be a recruiter with The Athletic but operating from a different email address about a job offer, please report it as potential job fraud to the law enforcement and to [email protected].
