Director, Business Development (WNBA Sirens)

Sports Careers; Cleveland (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The Cleveland Sirens, Cleveland's WNBA franchise launching in 2028, seeks a Director of Business Development to build the new membership sales strategy from the ground up. This leader will own lead generation, prospecting and closing, growing the season ticket base and driving revenue in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.

Reporting to the VP of Ticket Sales & Service, the role requires strategic thinking, strong sales leadership and the ability to close business while shaping the

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, sports management, sales or a related field.
• 6–8 years of relevant sales experience, including 3+ years leading a sales team; experience in season ticket membership sales in sports or entertainment strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success building and hitting aggressive new-business revenue targets.
• Experience hiring, developing and retaining a team.

Responsibilities

• Own the annual new-business membership revenue plan, and be accountable for hitting and exceeding it.
• Lead, coach and develop the Business Development team of Account Executives through regular one-on-ones, team meetings and performance reviews.
• Design and run the prospecting, lead generation and closing process for new season ticket memberships, including outbound calling campaigns, referral programs and Early Bird-style initiatives.
• Set the strategy for gameday and in-arena selling initiatives and prospect events aimed at converting leads into new members, and own the ROI analysis for each.
• Build and continuously improve the new membership sales process — prospecting, RSVP tours, online inquiries — and ensure the team documents activity accurately in Salesforce.
• Partner with Business Intelligence and Consumer Marketing to generate and qualify new membership leads, drive traffic to clevelandsirens.com, and grow online sales.
• Design and lead ongoing sales training and onboarding for new team members on the Business Development team.
• Manage the department's budget, staffing plan and hiring, and build the team structure needed to scale new membership sales from launch through the Sirens' first full season.
• Hand off new members to the Membership Development team smoothly, and partner with that team and Premium Sales & Service to align pricing, inventory and the overall Guest experience.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the Vice President, Ticket Sales & Service.

Skills

Sales leadership

New-business development

Season ticket sales

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, sports management, sales or a related field

Job description

About The Cleveland Sirens

The Cleveland Sirens are Cleveland's WNBA franchise, the league's 16th, set to tip off in 2028 at Rocket Arena. Introduced to the world on August 4, 2026, the Siren brand was co-authored with the community over a 13-month process that engaged tens of thousands of people across Northeast Ohio. The name draws on Lake Erie, the region's defining natural asset, and the Siren herself is sharp, fearless and unapologetic, power, and a symbol of something greater than herself.

This is a build-from-zero opportunity. The Sirens have already banked 12,000 season ticket membership initial payments and run over 40 community events reaching more than 3,500 girls across the region, but the marketing organization, fan base and inaugural-season plan are still being built. You can be part of how Cleveland and the WNBA come to know this team.

Job Summary

The Director, Business Development leads the Cleveland Sirens' new business membership sales strategy and the team responsible for it. This is a builder's role: the Sirens take the court for the first time in 2028, and this leader will grow the season ticket membership base from the ground up, turning early community momentum into a full book of new members.

Reporting to the Vice President, Ticket Sales & Service, this leader owns new membership acquisition end to end — lead generation, prospecting and closing — and carries the annual new-business membership revenue plan. They are equally comfortable building a strategic plan and getting on the phone or in the room to close business themselves.

The successful candidate is a strategic thinker and a proven sales leader who thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment and is energized by the challenge of building a new membership base from scratch.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Own the annual new-business membership revenue plan, and be accountable for hitting and exceeding it.
• Lead, coach and develop the Business Development team of Account Executives through regular one-on-ones, team meetings and performance reviews.
• Design and run the prospecting, lead generation and closing process for new season ticket memberships, including outbound calling campaigns, referral programs and Early Bird-style initiatives.
• Set the strategy for gameday and in-arena selling initiatives and prospect events aimed at converting leads into new members, and own the ROI analysis for each.
• Build and continuously improve the new membership sales process — prospecting, RSVP tours, online inquiries — and ensure the team documents activity accurately in Salesforce.
• Partner with Business Intelligence and Consumer Marketing to generate and qualify new membership leads, drive traffic to clevelandsirens.com, and grow online sales.
• Design and lead ongoing sales training and onboarding for new team members on the Business Development team.
• Manage the department's budget, staffing plan and hiring, and build the team structure needed to scale new membership sales from launch through the Sirens' first full season.
• Hand off new members to the Membership Development team smoothly, and partner with that team and Premium Sales & Service to align pricing, inventory and the overall Guest experience.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the Vice President, Ticket Sales & Service.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, sports management, sales or a related field.
• 6–8 years of relevant sales experience, including 3+ years leading a sales team; experience in season ticket membership sales in sports or entertainment strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success building and hitting aggressive new-business revenue targets.
• Experience hiring, developing and retain