Director, Commercial Partnerships | Irvine, CA

BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT, INC; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 154,000 - 286,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in the gaming industry seeks a Director, Commercial Partnerships to drive global partnerships that enhance revenue and engagement. The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in business development, focusing on structuring high-value deals and integrating them with company objectives. You will lead strategic initiatives and foster relationships with key partners, ensuring alignment across various teams. Join us to be part of a dynamic environment where innovation thrives.

Benefits

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with Company match

Paid holidays and vacation

Mental health & wellbeing programs

Free and discounted games

Qualifications

• Minimum 12 years in business development, preferably in gaming or entertainment.
• Proven record of closing high-value deals.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Lead execution of commercial partnerships to drive revenue growth.
• Manage the full partnership lifecycle from sourcing to closing.
• Track and report on partnership performance metrics.

Skills

Negotiation

Strategic Thinking

Relationship Management

Financial Acumen

Market Insights

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, or related field

MBA or advanced degree

Tools

Data Analytics Tools

CRM Platforms

Market Intelligence Software

Job description

Team Name:

Business Development & Licensing

Job Title:

Director, Commercial Partnerships | Irvine, CA

Requisition ID:

R025525

Job Description:

JOB SUMMARY

The Director, Commercial Partnerships will lead the global execution of high-impact commercial partnerships that drive revenue, engagement, and brand reach. This role owns the full partnership lifecycle, sourcing, structuring, negotiating, and scaling complex deals, while ensuring integration and alignment with development, product, marketing, and company priorities. A trusted relationship builder and strategic operator, this leader brings deep industry knowledge, strong commercial instincts, and a proven ability to unlock mutual value through innovative collaborations.

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE

• Develop and execute global commercial partnerships to drive revenue growth, engagement, and audience reach via IP licensing (inbound and outbound), game development and ancillary technologies, linear media, content distribution and other platform partnerships, brand partnerships, and other cross-franchise initiatives.
• Lead end-to-end partnership lifecycle: identify, source, negotiate, structure, and close complex, high-value deals.
• Own the portfolio of commercial partnerships, ensuring alignment with game teams, product roadmaps, and company objectives.
• Partner closely with development, product, marketing, legal, finance, and other internal teams to integrate partnerships seamlessly, ensure feasibility, and maximize mutual success.
• Serve as primary senior relationship manager for key partners, fostering trust, resolving issues, and identifying expansion opportunities.
• Define, track, and report on key partnership performance metrics to key internal stakeholders.
• Leverage market insights and competitive intelligence to identify gaps and areas for new opportunities.
• Stay on top of industry trends, competitive landscapes, and emerging technologies.
• Maintain strong industry networks across all forms of media and entertainment to stay ahead of market developments and leverage emerging opportunities.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Experience

• Minimum 12 years of business development experience in a similar role. Experience in the video game, entertainment, or technology industries preferred.
• Proven track record of negotiating and closing complex, high-value deals with global brands, platforms, agencies, and IP holders.
• Demonstrated success driving revenue growth and building partnership portfolios that align with long-term company strategy.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and collaborating with globally distributed teams across product, legal, marketing, finance, and development.
• Expertise in managing partner relationships through the full lifecycle—from initial outreach to operational integration and expansion.
• Strong financial acumen with experience forecasting and managing budgets tied to commercial outcomes.

Knowledge & Skills

• High School diploma or equivalent required. Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Economics, or a related field; MBA or advanced degree strongly preferred.
• Deep understanding of the gaming, entertainment, or tech ecosystems, including monetization models, audience trends, and competitive dynamics.
• Strategic thinker with a data-driven approach; able to translate insights into actionable business opportunities.
• Outstanding communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence at all levels of an organization.
• Demonstrated ability to lead in a matrixed, fast-paced environment while maintaining a high bar for execution and collaboration.
• Strong organizational skills with a proactive, solution-oriented mindset and a passion for innovation.

EXTRA POINTS

• Familiarity with data analytics tools, CRM platforms, and market intelligence software.
• Strong understanding of go-to-market strategies, pricing models, and revenue optimization techniques.
• High level of gaming knowledge and/or skill.
• Passion for Blizzard’s line of products and services.

Your Platform

Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, and StarCraft, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre-defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

Our World

Activision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Overwatch, Diablo, Candy Crush and Bubble Witch. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to [e-mail]. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $154,100.00 - $285,084.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.