Led by one of the most successful and innovative owners in motorsports, Chip Ganassi Racing has won 22 championships dating back to 1990. In addition, 2016 saw the team pick up their first-ever victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Overall, Ganassi has won six of the seven most iconic races in the world of auto racing with wins in the Indianapolis 500 (5 times), Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Rolex 24 At Daytona (8), and the 12 Hours of Sebring (2).
On the business side, CGR had one of the longest-running relationships in motorsports history with Target and currently can claim partnerships with PNC Bank, Parkland, DHL, and Honda, among many others. Today, Ganassi teams include three cars in the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and two in INDY NXT by Firestone. Ganassi boasts a state-of-the-art racing facility in Indianapolis, and a corporate office in Pittsburgh.
Chip Ganassi Racing seeks a driven Business Development leader to originate, shape, and close multi-year partnership deals. You’ll own a vertical portfolio, run a disciplined sales process from insight → intro → solution → negotiation → signature, and partner with Marketing/Partnerships to deliver measurable brand and business outcomes for sponsors.
As a Business Development Manager, your key responsibilities include:
New Business & Pipeline Development
- Build and manage a pipeline of prospective partners across key industries (tech/AI, fintech, CPG, auto/EV, beverages, logistics, luxury, health, and more).
- Lead executive-level meetings, identify client needs, and craft solutions that align with brand objectives.
- Develop compelling proposals and ROI models that connect partner goals (awareness, B2B, retail lift, data capture, hospitality) to CGR’s assets (on-car branding, digital content, IP, and event experiences).
Deal Strategy & Closing
- Design partnership packages, pricing tiers, and measurement frameworks.
- Lead contract negotiations and manage redlines through to signature.
- Partner with Legal and Finance to ensure compliance, clear payment structures, and risk management.
Cross-Functional & Stakeholder Leadership
- Collaborate with Marketing, Partnerships, Content, Hospitality, and Race Operations to build activation and delivery plans.
- Develop KPI dashboards and reporting frameworks to measure sponsorship performance and ROI.
- Create executive briefings and deliver persuasive presentations to internal and external C-suite stakeholders.
Market Intelligence
- Stay ahead of industry trends, sponsorship benchmarks, and competitor activity.
- Monitor trigger events (funding, leadership changes, new product launches, M&A) to identify partnership opportunities.
- Prospect through targeted outreach, events, and CGR race-week platforms.
To be successful in this role, you’ll need:
- 3–6 years of experience in partnerships, sponsorships, enterprise sales, or business development (sports, media, or agency background preferred).
- Proven success managing complex deals ($250K–$3M+) with multiple stakeholders.
- Strong executive communication, negotiation, and storytelling skills.
- Strategic thinker with both analytical rigor and creative instinct.
- High emotional intelligence, leadership presence, and the ability to thrive in fast-paced, event-driven environments.
- Experience with CRM (Pipedrive), LinkedIn Sales Navigator, SponsorUnited, Google Workspace, Canva is preferred but not required.
We invest in our team members through a competitive benefits package, including:
- Health, dental, and vision
- Health Savings Account contributions
- 401K plan with company match
- Company paid life and disability insurance
- Paid time off and holidays
- Wellness programs
- Access to our state-of-the-art Human Performance Center
