Director, Business Development

Global Sports Jobs Limited; Vancouver; Hybrid; CAD 161,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

3 weeks vacation per year to start

10 days per year of sick time

Top-up to EI/QPIP benefits for new aa

Extended health/dental/vision coverage

Life insurance

Disability insurance

Retirement plan for regular full‑time

Bonus eligibility

Job summary

EA SPORTS is seeking a Director of Business Development in Vancouver to lead partnerships that extend franchises beyond the core game experience. You will drive strategic initiatives, collaborate with EA Ventures, and manage relationships with leagues, clubs, and technology partners.

The role anchors on translating Beyond Game priorities into commercially viable opportunities, coordinating with multiple internal teams, and guiding partnerships from identification to governance.

Qualifications

• 7–10+ years in BD, partnerships and product development in gaming, sports, media, or tech.
• Proven experience negotiating complex strategic partnerships.
• Strong understanding of the global sports product ecosystem and digital media.
• Experience working across matrixed organisations and influencing senior stakeholders without direct authority.
• Ability to build commercial partnerships and execute cross‑functional initiatives.
• Excellent financial modelling.
• Exceptional cross‑functional leadership, business and commercial acumen.

Responsibilities

• Partner with EA Ventures to support EA's Beyond Game strategy within the EA SPORTS portfolio.
• Identify strategic partnership opportunities that extend EA SPORTS franchises into new fan experiences, platforms, and business models.
• Execute partnerships that support commercial strategies and business cases for new initiatives that align with franchise, corporate, and partner objectives.
• Evaluate emerging opportunities across sports media, creator ecosystems, AI, digital platforms, connected experiences, and other adjacent markets.
• Manage partnerships from opportunity identification through execution, launch, and ongoing governance.
• Work collaboratively across the EA SPORTS Business Development organisation to identify opportunities within the existing partner ecosystem, including leagues, clubs, federations, athletes, data and technology partners, and commercial rights holders.
• Ensure Beyond Game initiatives complement and strengthen existing strategic partnerships while creating incremental value for EA and its partners.
• Coordinate with franchise Business Development leads to align priorities, partnership approaches, and go-to-market strategies.
• Cultivate relationships with established and emerging partners across sports, media, technology, entertainment, and fan engagement.
• Expand EA SPORTS' external innovation ecosystem by identifying companies and capabilities that support long‑term franchise growth.
• Collaborate with EA Ventures and Corporate Development to assess strategic investment, incubation, or partnership opportunities where appropriate.
• Partner with EA Ventures, EA SPORTS Business Development, Franchise Leadership, Studios and Product Management, Brand & Marketing, Legal, Finance, Corporate Development, and external strategic partners to align priorities, evaluate opportunities, and bring new experiences to market.
• Monitor market trends across sports, media, entertainment, technology, and interactive experiences.
• Assess competitive activity and emerging partnership models.
• Develop strategic recommendations that position EA SPORTS at the forefront of fan engagement beyond gameplay.

Skills

Business development

Strategic partnerships

Product development

Financial modelling

Cross-functional leadership

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Job description

About the Role

The Director, Business Development serves as the EA SPORTS business development lead for strategic initiatives that extend franchises beyond the core game experience. Reporting to the VP, Business Development, this role works in close partnership with EA Ventures to identify, evaluate, structure, and execute partnership opportunities across digital media, emerging data and technologies, platforms, and connected experiences. The role operates at the intersection of strategy and execution, translating enterprise-level Beyond Game priorities into commercially viable opportunities for EA SPORTS, and collaborates with the broader EA SPORTS Business Development organisation to leverage existing partner relationships while identifying new ecosystem partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with EA Ventures to support EA's Beyond Game strategy within the EA SPORTS portfolio.
• Identify strategic partnership opportunities that extend EA SPORTS franchises into new fan experiences, platforms, and business models.
• Execute partnerships that support commercial strategies and business cases for new initiatives that align with franchise, corporate, and partner objectives.
• Evaluate emerging opportunities across sports media, creator ecosystems, AI, digital platforms, connected experiences, and other adjacent markets.
• Manage partnerships from opportunity identification through execution, launch, and ongoing governance.
• Work collaboratively across the EA SPORTS Business Development organisation to identify opportunities within the existing partner ecosystem, including leagues, clubs, federations, athletes, data and technology partners, and commercial rights holders.
• Ensure Beyond Game initiatives complement and strengthen existing strategic partnerships while creating incremental value for EA and its partners.
• Coordinate with franchise Business Development leads to align priorities, partnership approaches, and go-to-market strategies.
• Cultivate relationships with established and emerging partners across sports, media, technology, entertainment, and fan engagement.
• Expand EA SPORTS' external innovation ecosystem by identifying companies and capabilities that support long‑term franchise growth.
• Collaborate with EA Ventures and Corporate Development to assess strategic investment, incubation, or partnership opportunities where appropriate.
• Partner with EA Ventures, EA SPORTS Business Development, Franchise Leadership, Studios and Product Management, Brand & Marketing, Legal, Finance, Corporate Development, and external strategic partners to align priorities, evaluate opportunities, and bring new experiences to market.
• Monitor market trends across sports, media, entertainment, technology, and interactive experiences.
• Assess competitive activity and emerging partnership models.
• Develop strategic recommendations that position EA SPORTS at the forefront of fan engagement beyond gameplay.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• 7–10+ years in Business Development, Strategic Partnerships and Product Development within gaming, sports, media, or technology.
• Proven experience developing and negotiating complex strategic partnerships.
• Strong understanding of the global sports product ecosystem and digital media landscape.
• Experience working across matrixed organisations and influencing senior stakeholders without direct authority.
• Ability to build commercial partnerships and execute cross‑functional initiatives.
• Excellent financial modelling.
• Exceptional cross‑functional leadership, business and commercial acumen, and the ability to align multiple internal and external stakeholders.

Workplace

• Hybrid role – 3 days per week in Vancouver office

Salary

• British Columbia (depending on location e.g. Vancouver vs. Victoria): $160,700 - $224,700 CAD

Benefits & Perks

• 3 weeks vacation per year to start
• 10 days per year of sick time
• Paid top‑up to EI/QPIP benefits up to 100% of base salary when welcoming a new child (12 weeks maternity, 4 weeks parental/adoption leave)
• Extended health/dental/vision coverage
• Life insurance
• Disability insurance
• Retirement plan for regular full‑time employees
• Certain roles may also be eligible for bonus and other incentive programs