Director, Player Branding & Ventures

At Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Partnership (MLSE), we are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that is representative of our community and where all employees feel they belong and can reach their full potential. We are Canada’s preeminent leader in delivering top quality sport and entertainment experiences and one of North America’s leading providers of exceptional fan experiences. We are the parent company of the National Hockey League’s Toronto Maple Leafs, the National Basketball Association’s Toronto Raptors, Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC, the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts and development teams with the Toronto Marlies (American Hockey League), Raptors 905 (NBA G League), Toronto FC II (MLS NEXT Pro League) and Raptors Uprising Gaming Club, the Toronto Raptors Esports franchise in the NBA 2K League.

MLSE owns and/or operates all the venues our teams play and train in, including Scotiabank Arena, BMO Field, Coca-Cola Coliseum, Ford Performance Centre, BMO Training Ground, and OVO Athletic Centre. We also provide fans in Toronto with incredible live music and entertainment events, as well as exceptional culinary experiences through our restaurants (e11even and RS) and clubs (Hot Stove Club, ScotiaClub and Platinum Club). Through MLSE Foundation, we have invested more than $45 million into Ontario communities since 2009 and with MLSE LaunchPad, we provide a place where youth facing barriers use sport to recognize and reach their potential.

We achieve all of this through our Common Purpose - to unite and empower our employees to create extraordinary moments for our fans and each other. Come be a part of the team.

Reporting to the Vice President, Brand & Commercial Strategy and working directly with the Toronto Raptors General Manager, the Director, Player Branding & Business Ventures, is responsible for the development, management and growth of the Toronto Raptors brand by integrating personal player personalities and brands while supporting their co-development in the Toronto Raptors local and international ecosystem. The Director will serve as the point guard for this Front Office & cross-functional business mandate aimed at changing the game when it comes to expressing and leveraging personal player personalities and interests inside of a team system and an overarching team brand.

Position: Full Time, 2-year Contract

• Execute an athlete + team branding system for the Toronto Raptors. Understand and leverage the unique contributions each athlete provides to the team informed by their existing personal brands, personal & philanthropic interests, family history, individual characteristics, playing goals, and post-sports career ambitions and integrate this to elevate the team brand.
• Elevate players in collaboration with Raptors Marketing, Commercial Strategy, Global Partnership and Culture teams – targeting brand growth, fan development, community impact + commercial opportunity.
• Facilitate sessions to understand and leverage player brands to establish and action core deliverables.
• Manage a roster of external agencies and specialists (in partnership with MLSE creative teams) to build player specific ideas, activations and campaigns that deliver on individual and team objectives.
• Become immersed in basketball, sports, technology, partnership, content, social media and culture influences that impact development of player and team brand.
• Manage development and deployment of deliverables in accordance with team, league and local rules and regulations.
• Actively collect and communicate best practices, news, and status - updating internal teams, player representation, outside agencies, and players directly.
• Liaise with player representation to support agent-led initiatives and collaborate on positioning and objectives.
• Ongoing collaboration with Raptors Front Office including team President, VP Basketball Operations, VP Culture & Inclusion, Director Wellness and Director Media Relations.
• Ongoing collaboration with MLSE business operations including Brand, PR, Creative, Content, Sport Partnership, Commercial Strategy, Global Partnerships teams.
• Position Toronto as a place where athletes come to optimize personal growth, community impact, wealth accumulation, and win championships.
• Operationalize a league-leading marketing system that uniquely develops team and personal brands side by side for individual and collective benefit.
• Elevate the team brand ecosystem to further reflect player voices/ IP – bringing value from the back to the front of the jersey.
• Develop the Raptors brand as a team where individual players can grow and develop, where players can express their identities and values, and where the unique experiences and interests of players are respected and nurtured as part of team growth. The Raptors are a mosaic of players who all have a role to play in forging the team’s identity.
• Position the Raptors as a team that aligns with and supports the goals and values of the modern day NBA player – next level cultural relevance where team identity is expressed through the unique voice and interests of each athlete.

Note: Before reviewing the qualifications listed below, we want you to know that we understand you may not meet all the qualifications described and have other relevant expertise and experience. We invite you to please share this with us in the "Message to the Hiring Manager" section of our online application.

• A leader with 7+ years of strategic marketing experience including time managing teams within creative, commercial, innovation, and performance-driven environments.
• Capable of establishing business plans and mobilizing cross-functional teams + agencies toward brand, community, and commercial outcomes.
• Experience working with high profile athletes, executives & agencies – able to manage expectations and circle of influence.
• Hyper-aware of cultural trends and deeply rooted in the basketball community.
• A thought leader able to think at 50,000 ft and quickly mobilize a team to dive into the details to make it real.
• Able to assess the impact of various media channels and optimize to achieve target results.
• Hyper analytical, comfortable using data to drive marketing recommendations and report impact.
• Performs well under pressure and never loses sight of the end goal.
• Quick on your feet, highly adaptive, and proactive.
• Proven leader of timely, effective, and on-budget executions.
• Ability to cultivate a team environment and drive alignment - seamless communication flow across all key stakeholders.
• Translate consistent themes identified in casual conversations into actionable initiatives relatable to the task at hand.
• Creative mind with a track record of putting new ideas into practice and delivering results.

Apply by: March 11th, 2024

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

At MLSE, we are committed to building an equitable, diverse and inclusive organization.

We are an equal opportunity employer and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, record of offences, marital status, family status or disability. MLSE will provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in the job application process. If you have difficulty using our online application system and you need an accommodation due to a disability, please email accommodations@mlse.com. Please note this email is only for accommodation requests. Resumes sent to this email address will not be considered.