Sports Development Manager

Position Overview:

Be part of a winning start-up culture, as Orange County ventures into a new era with sports & events!

The Manager of Sports Development will advance the overall goals of Orange County Sports Commission (OCSC) by positioning, selling, and servicing the county and partners as the premier sports events’ destination globally.

Responsibilities including, business development and selling Orange County as a premier destination to host sporting events, resulting in increased hotel occupancy, destination visitors, media exposure and economic impact. In addition, understand the strategic needs of clients, offering solutions and securing business opportunities for OCSC partners. Understand the needs and dynamics of partners.

Under the direction of the Executive Director, responsibilities will include but will not be limited to:

• Oversee and manage partners, accounts, and territories in Orange County, outside of hotels or venues in Anaheim & Garden Grove. This may include but not limited to Costa Mesa, Mission Viejo, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana.
• Responsible for developing sales plans to create awareness of OC destinations, aggressively pursue all sporting events and exceed goals based on assigned accounts.
• Responsible for prospecting new business in the sports market. Develops and fosters relationships with sports event organizers/planners to create new business and sustain existing business.
• Nurture relationships with appropriate partners and community members to effectively represent and sell Orange County as a destination for sports. Serve as a liaison between hotel/sports venue personnel and event planners.
• In-conjunction with the Chairperson, lead the newly formed Young Professionals Board, helping plan/schedule reoccurring meetings, programming and fundraising events.
• Meet or exceed established sales goals, while maintaining a high level of client satisfaction. Responsible for timely and accurate input of data to the CRM system (Dynamics 365).
• Identify, track and recruit venues and facilities in OC that could be potential hosts of future events and would like to develop a partnership with OCSC.
• Represents organization at national, state, and local meetings and tradeshows related to sales, sports and the hospitality industry to increase business opportunities.
• Responsible for producing monthly reports, participation in conference calls, review of leads and bookings as assigned by supervisor. Management of assigned budgets and submission of expense reports accurately and timely.
• Assist OCSC owned and operated events, such as the Sports Speaker Series, Pickles & Paddles, and OC Sports Business Connect, providing support leading up to or the day of.
• In-conjunction with other OCSC staff, help with any on-site support for major booked events.

Qualifications

A. Education

: 4-year college degree or equivalent.

B. Experience

: 2 years sports management/tourism/ sales experience.

Minimum of 5 years of sports management, sales or operations experience.

Supervisory experience preferred.

Abilities: Ability to perform multiple tasks and simultaneous projects with a high level of professionalism.

Computer knowledge (software programs – Office 365, Canva, CRM platform, OneDrive), knowledge of key markets, and related industry associations and trade shows and meetings.

Travel: Must be able to travel up to 30%-50% of the year based on demand.

Some evenings and weekends are required.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities 

· A technical background in sports tourism industry, including experience from grassroots to high performance sports.

· Strong knowledge of effective sales strategies and processes; self-motivated and results oriented.

· Extensive knowledge of the hospitality industry and its importance to the local economy; ability to understand the role of OCSC in the community and move the image of the organization forward.

· Outstanding leadership skills: ability to manage and mentor staff through motivation, encouragement, and critical feedback.

· Diplomatic skills in problem analysis and problem resolution.

· Strong knowledge of general business principles and practices; strong understanding of budget development and budget management.

· Ability to think strategically and make decisions and recommendations that are in line with the organization’s strategic objectives.

· Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively as a team member at all levels of the organization.

· Ability to exercise initiative, judgment, diplomacy and maintain confidentiality in a wide variety of internal and public situations.

· Strong organizational and time management skills; ability to handle multiple tasks and projects simultaneously.

· Outstanding oral and written communication skills including grammar, spelling and general written correspondence skills.

OCSC is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Pay and Benefits

• Pay range $75,000 - $85,000 based on experience, with ability to make additional 15% in annual bonus based on goals.
• Benefits package includes medical, dental, life, sick pay, holiday pay, and vacation.
• Ability to work hybrid or remote, employee must resides in Southern California.