Director of Business Development and Special Program Operations, Combat U

California State University, Sacramento; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 46,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

California State University, Sacramento invites applicants for the role of Director of Business Development and Special Program Operations within Combat U. The role leads business operations, event planning, and external partnerships to drive revenue and visibility for the athletics program.

The position requires strategic oversight of budgets, marketing, sponsorships, and staff, with the goal of sustaining a high-visibility, self-supporting Combat U initiative aligned with the University’s

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university or equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible administrative experience.
• Progressively responsible experience in business operations, event operations, revenue generation, athletics administration, sport program administration, external relations, marketing, sponsorships, community engagement, or a related field.
• Experience managing and providing oversight of complex programs, events, or operations involving multiple stakeholders, competing deadlines, financial considerations, public-facing responsibilities, and external partners.
• Experience with budget management, fiscal planning, revenue and expense tracking, financial reporting, or resource allocation.
• Experience developing, managing, or supporting revenue-generating events, partnerships, sponsorships, community programs, clinics, camps, ticketed or registration-based activities, or external engagement activities.
• Experience supervising, directing, or providing work direction to staff, student assistants, casual workers, interns, volunteers, or event personnel.
• Knowledge of university procurement, fiscal, event, risk management, facility use, sponsorship, external partnership, or contract coordination processes.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative leadership and strategic oversight for business operations, revenue generation, event operations, external partnerships, marketing, communications, fan engagement, sponsorship fulfillment, and assigned initiatives.
• Manage and oversee the business and event infrastructure to support the program as self-sustaining and externally visible.
• Oversee budgets, event planning, sponsorship coordination, donor and hospitality support, marketing and communications alignment, and staffing for events.
• Collaborate with athletics leadership, coaches, campus partners, donors, sponsors, vendors, and external partners to ensure financially responsible operations.
• Supervise staff responsible for marketing, communications, and fan engagement and guide promotional strategy and event visibility.

Skills

Budget management

Revenue generation

Event operations

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Director of Business Development and Special Program Operations, Combat U

Apply now Job no: 563268
Work type: Management (MPP)
Location: Sacramento
Categories: MPP, Athletics, At-Will, Full Time, On-site (work in-person at business location)
Position Description

Working Title:Director of Business Development and Special Program Operations

Classification Title: Administrator I

Priority Application Date (Posting will remain open until filled): Thursday, November 12, 2026 @ 11:55 PM, PT

Hiring Preference
Not Applicable

Position Summary

Under the general direction of the Athletic Director, the Director of Business Development and Event Operations provides administrative leadership and strategic oversight for business operations, revenue generation, event operations, external partnerships, marketing, communications, fan engagement, sponsorship fulfillment, and assigned club sport or special program initiatives for Combat U and/or related Athletics priorities.

This position is responsible for managing and providing oversight of the business and event infrastructure necessary to support Combat U as a self-sustaining and externally visible program. This includes operational budget management, event budget development, revenue-generating event planning, sponsorship and partnership coordination, external event operations, donor and hospitality support, marketing and communications alignment, fan engagement strategy, event staffing, facility coordination, event compliance, and operational controls for on-campus and off-campus activities.

This position also manages and provides oversight of assigned club sport or special program operations, as directed by the Athletic Director or President. Responsibilities may include administrative operations, budget planning, event and competition logistics, facility scheduling, external partner coordination, revenue-generating opportunities, staffing support, and coordination with Athletics units and campus partners.

The incumbent supervises staff responsible for marketing, communications and fan engagement and provides direction for promotional strategy, event visibility, storytelling, attendance-building efforts, sponsorship recognition, partner visibility, and community engagement. The position works collaboratively with the Director of Combat Sports, Athletics leadership, coaches, campus departments, external partners, sponsors, donors, vendors, governing organizations, community stakeholders, and event staff to ensure programming is financially responsible, operationally sound, revenue-focused, and aligned with University and Athletics priorities.

FLSA:Exempt (Not eligible for overtime compensation)

Anticipated Hiring Range:$4,135.00 per month -$11,667.00 per month

CSU Classification Salary Range: $4,135.00 per month -$12,888.00 per month

Salary placement will be determined based on relevant qualifications and professional experience.

Work Hours:Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 5 PM with frequent need to work hours outside of these to meet operational needs.

Department Information

Combat U is an emerging initiative within Sacramento State Athletics designed to develop a sustainable, high-visibility combat sports program that supports the educational mission of the University, creates meaningful opportunities for student-athletes and participants, and strengthens the University’s connection with the broader community.

RequiredQualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university or equivalent combination of education and progressively responsible administrative experience.

Experience:

• Progressively responsible experience in business operations, event operations, revenue generation, athletics administration, sport program administration, external relations, marketing, sponsorships, community engagement, or a related field.
• Experience managing and providing oversight of complex programs, events, or operations involving multiple stakeholders, competing deadlines, financial considerations, public-facing responsibilities, and external partners.
• Experience with budget management, fiscal planning, revenue and expense tracking, financial reporting, or resource allocation.
• Experience developing, managing, or supporting revenue-generating events, partnerships, sponsorships, community programs, clinics, camps, ticketed or registration-based activities, or external engagement activities.
• Experience supervising, directing, or providing work direction to staff, student assistants, casual workers, interns, volunteers, or event personnel.
• Experience coordinating events, programs, or activities involving internal departments, external partners, vendors, sponsors, community organizations, or other stakeholders.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated ability to manage and provide oversight of administrative operations, business workflows, event operations, staffing plans, budgets, revenue projections, and program resources.
• Ability to develop, implement, and evaluate revenue-generating events and partnership opportunities, including on-campus and off-campus event activities.
• Ability to manage budgets for operations and events, including revenue projections, expense tracking, budget reconciliation, event settlements, and financial reporting.
• Ability to work collaboratively with Athletics leadership, the Director of Combat Sports, coaches, staff, campus partners, external organizations, donors, sponsors, vendors, community partners, and students.
• Strong organizational, analytical, communication, problem-solving, project management, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment, discretion, and sound decision-making in a complex, public-facing, and fast-paced environment.
• Ability to interpret, apply, and communicate University policies, procedures, business practices, event requirements, risk management expectations, procurement processes, and compliance-related processes.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, anticipate operational needs, and resolve issues that may affect program operations, revenue, events, partner relationships, or University reputation.
• Ability to support a welcoming and inclusive environment for students, staff, partners, community members, and program participants.

Work Schedule Requirements:

• Ability to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and non-traditional hours based on event, program, operational, and community engagement needs.
• Ability to travel to on-campus and off-campus locations, event sites, partner facilities, and community engagement activities as needed.

Condition of Employment

• Ability to pass background check

PreferredQualifications

• Master’s degree in sport management, business administration, public administration, higher education administration, marketing, communications, recreation administration, kinesiology, or a related field.
• Experience working in collegiate athletics, club sports, campus recreation, combat sports, event operations, business development, revenue generation, or a university-based program environment.
• Experience managing business operations, revenue-generating events, sponsorship fulfillment, external partnerships, donor engagement, or community-based programming.
• Experience managing or providing oversight of marketing, communications, fan engagement, brand visibility, social media strategy, promotional campaigns, or event storytelling.
• Experience developing and implementing event budgets, revenue projections, sponsorship packages, partnership deliverables, post-event financial reports, or event settlement processes.
• Experience managing events involving ticketing, registration, vendors, facility coordination, staffing, hospitality, sponsorship activation, public-facing communication, or external partner coordination.
• Experience with club sport, emerging sport, or special initiative program administration such as Rugby or other similar sport program operations.
• Experience supervising full-time staff, temporary staff, casual workers, student assistants, interns, volunteers, or event staff.
• Knowledge of University procurement, fiscal, event, risk management, facility use, sponsorship, external partnership, or contract coordination processes.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain productive relationships with campus departments, donors, sponsors, vendors, external partners, community organizations, youth-serving organizations, and sport-related organizations.

Documents Needed to Apply

• Resume

Failure to upload these documents may result in disqualification.

Sacramento State is located in the heart of California’s capital city, five miles from State Capitol.

The lush, 300-acre park-like campus is situated along the American River, close to numerous bike trails and other recreational areas. Sacramento, also known as the "Farm-to-Fork Capital," is one of the most ethnically diverse and livable cities in the country, with a population of half of a million.

“As California's capital university, Sacramento State transforms lives by preparing all students to lead, serve, and succeed. We are committed to our designations as a Hispanic Serving Institution, an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution, and a Black Serving Institution, and to intentionally serving students reflective of these designations and all students who have been historically underserved in education.”

As evidenced by the values embedded in our Hornet Honor Code , Sacramento State is committed to creating an inclusive environment where all faculty, staff, students, and guests are welcome and valued. Our commitment is more than simply ensuring that our campus is free from bias and discrimination, but is one devoted to celebrating many diverse identities, life experiences, and perspectives that enrich our community, teaching and learning.

To learn more about why you should join the Hornet Family, please visit the Why Sac State? page.

Equal Employment Opportunity
California State University, Sacramento is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and has a strong institutional commitment to the principle of diversity in all areas. We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, genetic information, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, or disability. Sacramento State hires only those individuals who are lawfully authorized to accept employment in the United States.

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act, the current Annual Security Report (ASR) is available for viewing at https://www.csus.edu/clery.

The ASR contains the current security and safety-related policy statements, emergency preparedness and evacuation information, crime prevention and sexual assault prevention information, and drug and alcohol prevention programming. The ASR also contains statistics ofCleryAct crimes for Sacramento State for the last three (3) calendar years. Paper copies are available upon request by emailing the Clery Director at [e-mail] .

Under the Clery Act, this position may be designated as a Campus Security Authority (CSA) depending upon the role on campus and/or job duties. If this position is identified by the Director of Clery Compliance as a CSA position, you will be notified via email and will be assigned the appropriate training in CSU Learn.

Education Code 89521 Requirements

Applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.

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