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Director of Brand Partnerships
New York City or Los Angeles · Full-Time
ABOUT CANOPY
Canopy is a next-generation NIL platform connecting elite Olympic sport athletes, universities, and brands to unlock new revenue at the intersection of sport, culture, and the creator economy. We partner with universities to build sustainable, program-wide NIL infrastructure — turning teams and the athletes within them into brandable, household names.
We work with brands across CPG, fashion, beauty, wellness, and fintech to create meaningful, high-
converting partnerships with a new generation of athlete creators. We’re building something special, and we’re looking for people who want to be part of it from the ground floor.
THE ROLE
As Director of Brand Partnerships, you will own Canopy’s brand-facing business — building, managing, and growing relationships with brands and agencies across our core verticals.
You will come in with your own book of business and the ambition to scale it within a high-growth, culture-forward platform.
You will be the primary bridge between the brands we work with and our internal team of talent managers and athlete support staff — ensuring every deal is not just closed, but executed with excellence.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
– Drive inbound and outbound brand partnership opportunities across CPG, fashion, beauty,
wellness, and fintech verticals
– Leverage your existing network of brand contacts and agency relationships to open doors and close
deals from day one
– Structure and negotiate NIL partnership agreements in collaboration with Canopy leadership
– Serve as the day-to-day liaison between brand partners, agencies, and Canopy’s talent
management and athlete support teams
– Develop pitch materials, one-sheets, and campaign concepts that translate Canopy’s athlete roster
into compelling brand narratives
– Manage and grow a portfolio of active partnerships, ensuring campaign execution meets or
exceeds brand expectations
– Identify emerging brand opportunities at the intersection of sport, fashion, and the creator economy
– Represent Canopy at industry events, activations, and brand meetings
– Collaborate cross-functionally with university relations and talent teams to align brand opportunities
with athlete strengths and program goals
WHO YOU ARE
– 5+ years of experience in brand partnerships, sponsorships, talent/influencer marketing, or working
directly at a brand in a partnership or marketing capacity
– You have a real rolodex — existing relationships with decision-makers at brands and/or agencies in
CPG, fashion, beauty, wellness, or fintech
– Genuine passion for the intersection of sport, fashion, and the creator economy — you follow the
culture, not just the business
– Highly organized and deal-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple active partnerships
simultaneously
– Strong communicator and natural relationship-builder — brands trust you, athletes respect you, and
your team relies on you
– Comfortable in an early-stage environment where things move fast and your role will evolve
– Collaborative by default — you understand that the best deals come from strong internal alignment,
not siloed sales motions
NICE TO HAVE
– Prior experience in NIL, athlete marketing, or college sports sponsorships
– Established agency relationships (PR, creative, media buying)
– Experience building or scaling a brand partnerships function from scratch
– Existing contacts in women’s sports, Olympic sports, or emerging sport categories
– Experience in college athletics as a former collegiate or professional athlete
– Interest, background and/or experience in fashion and/or beauty
LOCATION
This role is based in New York City or Los Angeles.
In-person presence is important — we’re building relationships and culture, and that requires showing up.
WHY CANOPY
We are at a rare moment in sports and culture. NIL is reshaping how athletes build brands, how
universities generate revenue, and how consumer brands reach audiences that actually care. Canopy is positioned at the center of all of it.
If you want to build something, not just manage it — and you want to do it alongside people who move
fast, think big, and take the work seriously — we’d love to talk.
To apply or learn more: hello@canopytalent.com
