Director, Financial Services Partnerships & Business Development

Fanatics Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Fanatics Inc. in New York is seeking a Director of Financial Services Partnerships & Business Development. This senior role involves leading high-impact partnerships across financial services and loyalty, focusing on creating value through strategic collaborations.

The ideal candidate will possess 8–12 years of experience in business development and demonstrate a strong understanding of the financial services landscape. Responsibilities include driving negotiations, developing partnership strategies, and contributing to Fanatics' growth trajectory.

This pivotal role shapes the future of Fanatics and enhances fan experiences through strategic partnerships.

Qualifications

• 8–12 years of experience in business development and strategic partnerships.
• Demonstrated track record of leading and closing high-value partnerships.
• Strong understanding of consumer financial services landscape.

Responsibilities

• Drive business development lifecycle for financial services and loyalty partnerships.
• Lead partner-facing conversations and presentations.
• Build and manage a robust pipeline of prospective partners.

Skills

Business development

Strategic partnerships

Financial services

Loyalty programs

Negotiation

Analytical acumen

Communication

Job description

Director, Financial Services Partnerships & Business Development

New York, NY, United States

About Us

Fanatics is building a leading global digital sports platform. We ignite the passions of global sports fans and maximize the presence and reach for our hundreds of sports partners globally by offering products and services across Fanatics Commerce, Fanatics Collectibles, and Fanatics Betting & Gaming, allowing sports fans to Buy, Collect, and Bet. Through the Fanatics platform, sports fans can buy licensed fan gear, jerseys, lifestyle and streetwear products, headwear, and hardgoods; collect physical and digital trading cards, sports memorabilia, and other digital assets; and bet as the company builds its Sportsbook and iGaming platform. Fanatics has an established database of over 100 million global sports fans; a global partner network with approximately 900 sports properties, including major national and international professional sports leagues, players associations, teams, colleges, college conferences and retail partners, 2,500 athletes and celebrities, and 200 exclusive athletes; and over 2,000 retail locations, including its Lids retail stores. Our more than 22,000 employees are committed to relentlessly enhancing the fan experience and delighting sports fans globally.

Role

Fanatics Financial Services is at the center of Fanatics' ambition to build the world's leading digital sports platform. The Director, Financial Services Partnerships & Business Development will be a senior, externally-facing deal leader responsible for driving high-impact partnerships across financial services and loyalty.

This individual will own a pipeline of prospective partnerships, leading conversations with senior executives at target companies, structuring deals, and driving them through to launch. They will bring a sharp commercial instinct, deep knowledge of the financial services and loyalty landscapes, and the credibility and hunger to be a primary driver of new partnership value for Fanatics.

The Director, Financial Services Partnerships & Business Development reports directly to the VP of Enterprise Business Development and works closely with leaders across Loyalty, Commerce, Betting & Gaming, Legal, Finance, and Product.

What You'll Do

• Drive the full business development lifecycle for financial services and loyalty partnerships from prospecting and outreach through term sheet, negotiation, and close
• Lead partner-facing conversations and presentations, representing Fanatics' value proposition with authority and conviction at the senior executive level
• Build and manage a robust pipeline of prospective partners across financial services and loyalty, including travel, dining, entertainment, retail, and other categories that create compelling value for Fanatics fans
• Structure deal economics, partnership frameworks, and value exchange models in collaboration with Finance, Legal, and Product
• Drive negotiation of key commercial terms and contract provisions, coordinating with Legal and the VP as needed
• Support partner relationships post-close, ensuring strong ongoing engagement and partnership performance
• Contribute to and help shape Fanatics' financial services and loyalty partnership strategy in collaboration with the VP of Enterprise Business Development
• Identify white space opportunities across the financial services and loyalty landscapes where Fanatics' 130M+ user base, sports assets, and platform create differentiated value for partners
• Develop a loyalty partnership roadmap focused on bringing incremental value to members through experiential benefits, everyday earning opportunities, and exclusive fan-first offers
• Monitor competitive dynamics, emerging trends in consumer financial services and loyalty, and the broader digital sports ecosystem to inform deal prioritization and positioning
• Cross-Functional Execution
  • Partner with Loyalty, Product, Marketing, and Finance to shape partnership structures that are commercially attractive and operationally executable
  • Develop compelling pitch materials, financial models, and business cases to support partner conversations and secure internal alignment
  • Coordinate with Legal and Compliance on deal structuring, regulatory considerations, and contract execution
  • Serve as a senior point of contact for strategic partners post-close, ensuring strong relationships and partnership performance

What We're Looking For

• Experience
  • 8–12 years of experience in business development, strategic partnerships, or management consulting, with meaningful exposure to financial services, loyalty, or consumer platforms
  • Demonstrated track record of leading and closing complex, high-value partnerships, including managing partner relationships and negotiations at the senior executive level
  • Strong understanding of the consumer financial services landscape and how partnerships can create value for both companies and end customers
  • Experience with loyalty program partnerships including an understanding of earn/burn mechanics, member value proposition design, and coalition-style or co‑brand partnerships
  • Prior experience in a sports, entertainment, e‑commerce, or consumer platform environment is a plus
• Skills & Attributes
  • A natural deal leader that is comfortable owning partner conversations end-to-end and driving towards close with urgency and commercial discipline
  • Strong financial and analytical acumen; ability to build and communicate ROI‑driven business cases with clarity
  • Excellent communication and storytelling skills. Capable of distilling complex deal structures into crisp, compelling narratives for both partners and internal stakeholders
  • Highly organized and execution-oriented; able to manage multiple complex deal processes simultaneously in a fast-moving environment
  • Entrepreneurial mindset with a bias for action; comfortable with ambiguity and skilled at driving alignment across decentralized organizations
  • Collaborative and humble, with the interpersonal credibility to build trust across functions and levels
  • A genuine passion for sports and belief in Fanatics' mission to relentlessly enhance the fan experience

Why This Role Matters

Financial services and loyalty partnerships are two of the highest‑leverage growth vectors for Fanatics. This Director will be one of the primary drivers of new strategic partnerships on the team, operating with the autonomy and ambition of a senior deal leader and backed by the brand power of a category‑defining sports platform, as well as relationships with 130M+ fans, leagues, teams, and athletes. The partnerships you close will directly shape the fan experience and the future of Fanatics.

The salary range represents base pay only and does not include short‑term or long‑term incentive compensation. When determining base pay as part of a final compensation package, we consider several factors such as location, experience, qualifications, and training.

As set forth in Fanatics Inc.’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.