OPT Sales Director Jobs
Sales Director roles on OPT require employers who can sponsor H-1B visa or another long-term visa before your authorization expires. Most hiring companies in this space are mid-to-large enterprises with established HR teams and prior sponsorship experience. Your 12-month OPT window (or 24-month STEM extension if eligible) is enough time to prove ROI and build a sponsorship case.
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Summary:
The Assistant Athletic Director for Ticket Operations, Marketing & Sales is responsible for the strategic direction and daily management of all ticket sales, marketing, and revenue-generation initiatives for Alabama A&M University Athletics. This position leads game-day ticketing operations, season and group sales campaigns, corporate partnership activation support, and fan engagement strategy, while ensuring full compliance with NCAA, SWAC, and university regulations governing ticketing practices, complimentary admissions, and revenue reporting. This is a senior administrative role reporting directly to the Director of Athletics.
Examples of Duties
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Ticket Operations & Revenue Management
- Direct all aspects of box office and ticket office operations for football, basketball, and all applicable ticketed sporting events.
- Manage ticketing software/CRM platform, season ticket renewals, single-game sales, group sales, and premium/suite inventory.
- Develop and manage the department's annual ticket revenue budget; provide regular reporting to the Director of Athletics on sales performance against projections.
- Oversee will-call, gate operations, and game-day ticket-taking staff and student workers.
- Reconcile ticket revenue, manage refunds/exchanges, and maintain accurate sales records for audit purposes.
Marketing & Fan Engagement
- Design and execute integrated marketing campaigns to drive attendance, season ticket retention, and new fan acquisition across all sports.
- Oversee in-game entertainment, promotions, theme nights, and fan experience initiatives.
- Manage athletics department social media, digital marketing, and content strategy in coordination with University Marketing and Communications.
- Build and maintain strategic partnerships with local businesses, alumni chapters, and community organizations to increase attendance and brand visibility.
- Lead market research and fan/customer data analysis to inform pricing, promotions, and segmentation strategy.
Corporate Sales & Sponsorship Support
- Identify, cultivate, and help close corporate sponsorship and premium seating sales in coordination with the Director of Athletics and multimedia rights partner (where applicable).
- Assist in the creation of sales collateral, sponsorship proposals, and partner activation plans.
- Support fulfillment and servicing existing sponsorship agreements, ensuring contractual obligations are met.
Compliance
- Ensure all ticketing, complimentary admission, and pass-list practices comply with NCAA bylaws, SWAC regulations, and university policy.
- Maintain accurate complimentary/comp ticket logs for student-athletes, coaches, and staff, and submit required documentation to the Compliance Office.
- Serve as a liaison between the ticket office and the Athletics Compliance staff on rules education, monitoring, and reporting related to ticket distribution and sales.
- Assist with NCAA and SWAC required reporting (e.g., attendance figures, revenue/expense reporting for EADA and NCAA financial reports) as it relates to ticketing and marketing.
- Participate in ongoing NCAA rules education and complete all required compliance certifications.
Administrative / Assistant AD Duties
- Serve as a member of the Athletics Department senior administrative team, representing ticketing, marketing, sales, and compliance-adjacent functions in departmental strategic planning.
- Supervise assigned full-time staff, graduate assistants, interns, and gameday/event staff within ticketing and marketing.
- Represent the department at university, conferences, and community events as assigned.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Athletics.
Typical Qualifications
Minimum Position Requirements (including certifications, licenses, etc.):
- Bachelor's degree required; master’s degree preferred (Sport Management, Business, Marketing, or related field).
- Minimum of 3–5 years of progressively responsible experience in collegiate or professional athletics ticket operations, sales, or marketing.
- Working knowledge of NCAA rules and regulations, particularly as they relate to ticketing, complimentary admissions, and compliance reporting.
- Experience with ticketing/CRM platforms (e.g., Paciolan, Ticketmaster Archtics, ETIX, or similar).
- Demonstrated success in revenue generation, sales campaign management, and staff supervision.
- Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to work flexible hours including nights, weekends, and holidays for home athletic events.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience at an HBCU or SWAC/similar mid-major conference institution.
- Prior supervisory experience in a college athletics ticket office or marketing department.
- Familiarity with NCAA compliance software and financial/EADA reporting processes.
Supplemental Information
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Proficiency with the athletics ticketing system.
- Strong business operations skills.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Proficiency with computers and the internet, specifically Microsoft Excel and Word.
- Good organizational and time management skills.
- A professional demeanor.
- Ability to work effectively in a high-energy environment with people of other cultures and backgrounds.
- Ability to work some weekends and evenings.
- Ability to multitask and use critical thinking skills.
We offer a complete benefits package to full-time employees including health care, dental, vision, retirement, deferred compensation plans, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, short and long-term disability, holidays, vacation, and sick leave.
Description
Summary:
The Assistant Athletic Director for Ticket Operations, Marketing & Sales is responsible for the strategic direction and daily management of all ticket sales, marketing, and revenue-generation initiatives for Alabama A&M University Athletics. This position leads game-day ticketing operations, season and group sales campaigns, corporate partnership activation support, and fan engagement strategy, while ensuring full compliance with NCAA, SWAC, and university regulations governing ticketing practices, complimentary admissions, and revenue reporting. This is a senior administrative role reporting directly to the Director of Athletics.
Examples of Duties
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Ticket Operations & Revenue Management
- Direct all aspects of box office and ticket office operations for football, basketball, and all applicable ticketed sporting events.
- Manage ticketing software/CRM platform, season ticket renewals, single-game sales, group sales, and premium/suite inventory.
- Develop and manage the department's annual ticket revenue budget; provide regular reporting to the Director of Athletics on sales performance against projections.
- Oversee will-call, gate operations, and game-day ticket-taking staff and student workers.
- Reconcile ticket revenue, manage refunds/exchanges, and maintain accurate sales records for audit purposes.
Marketing & Fan Engagement
- Design and execute integrated marketing campaigns to drive attendance, season ticket retention, and new fan acquisition across all sports.
- Oversee in-game entertainment, promotions, theme nights, and fan experience initiatives.
- Manage athletics department social media, digital marketing, and content strategy in coordination with University Marketing and Communications.
- Build and maintain strategic partnerships with local businesses, alumni chapters, and community organizations to increase attendance and brand visibility.
- Lead market research and fan/customer data analysis to inform pricing, promotions, and segmentation strategy.
Corporate Sales & Sponsorship Support
- Identify, cultivate, and help close corporate sponsorship and premium seating sales in coordination with the Director of Athletics and multimedia rights partner (where applicable).
- Assist in the creation of sales collateral, sponsorship proposals, and partner activation plans.
- Support fulfillment and servicing existing sponsorship agreements, ensuring contractual obligations are met.
Compliance
- Ensure all ticketing, complimentary admission, and pass-list practices comply with NCAA bylaws, SWAC regulations, and university policy.
- Maintain accurate complimentary/comp ticket logs for student-athletes, coaches, and staff, and submit required documentation to the Compliance Office.
- Serve as a liaison between the ticket office and the Athletics Compliance staff on rules education, monitoring, and reporting related to ticket distribution and sales.
- Assist with NCAA and SWAC required reporting (e.g., attendance figures, revenue/expense reporting for EADA and NCAA financial reports) as it relates to ticketing and marketing.
- Participate in ongoing NCAA rules education and complete all required compliance certifications.
Administrative / Assistant AD Duties
- Serve as a member of the Athletics Department senior administrative team, representing ticketing, marketing, sales, and compliance-adjacent functions in departmental strategic planning.
- Supervise assigned full-time staff, graduate assistants, interns, and gameday/event staff within ticketing and marketing.
- Represent the department at university, conferences, and community events as assigned.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Athletics.
Typical Qualifications
Minimum Position Requirements (including certifications, licenses, etc.):
- Bachelor's degree required; master’s degree preferred (Sport Management, Business, Marketing, or related field).
- Minimum of 3–5 years of progressively responsible experience in collegiate or professional athletics ticket operations, sales, or marketing.
- Working knowledge of NCAA rules and regulations, particularly as they relate to ticketing, complimentary admissions, and compliance reporting.
- Experience with ticketing/CRM platforms (e.g., Paciolan, Ticketmaster Archtics, ETIX, or similar).
- Demonstrated success in revenue generation, sales campaign management, and staff supervision.
- Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to work flexible hours including nights, weekends, and holidays for home athletic events.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience at an HBCU or SWAC/similar mid-major conference institution.
- Prior supervisory experience in a college athletics ticket office or marketing department.
- Familiarity with NCAA compliance software and financial/EADA reporting processes.
Supplemental Information
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Proficiency with the athletics ticketing system.
- Strong business operations skills.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Excellent interpersonal skills.
- Proficiency with computers and the internet, specifically Microsoft Excel and Word.
- Good organizational and time management skills.
- A professional demeanor.
- Ability to work effectively in a high-energy environment with people of other cultures and backgrounds.
- Ability to work some weekends and evenings.
- Ability to multitask and use critical thinking skills.
We offer a complete benefits package to full-time employees including health care, dental, vision, retirement, deferred compensation plans, flexible spending accounts, life insurance, short and long-term disability, holidays, vacation, and sick leave.
See all 997+ OPT Sales Director Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Sales Director Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship in Sales Director
Target companies with a sponsorship track record
Search OFLC disclosure data to identify employers who have filed H-1B visa petitions for sales leadership roles before. A company that has sponsored similar titles is far more likely to do it again than one starting from scratch.
Lead with revenue impact, not visa needs
Sales Director candidates are evaluated on pipeline numbers, team performance, and closed revenue. Frame every conversation around business outcomes first. Employers who see clear ROI are much more willing to absorb sponsorship costs and complexity.
Start the sponsorship conversation early
Raise OPT status and long-term visa needs during the offer stage, not after. Waiting until onboarding creates legal and HR complications. Early transparency lets both sides plan for H-1B filing timelines and deadlines without pressure.
Understand your STEM extension eligibility
If your degree is in a STEM field, you may qualify for a 24-month OPT extension, giving employers more runway. Confirm your CIP code with your DSO before interviews so you can accurately communicate your authorization timeline to hiring teams.
Focus on mid-market and enterprise employers
Smaller startups often lack the HR infrastructure to manage visa sponsorship. Mid-market companies and enterprises typically have legal counsel and established immigration processes, making them more realistic sponsorship candidates for a Director-level hire.
Use Migrate Mate to filter for sponsoring employers
Migrate Mate surfaces Sales Director jobs at employers with verified sponsorship history, saving you from applying to companies that will not support your visa needs. It is built specifically for OPT students navigating this exact situation.
Sales Director OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Sales Director on OPT?
Yes. OPT authorizes you to work in any role directly related to your field of study, and business, marketing, and management degrees commonly support Sales Director positions. Your employer does not need to do anything special to hire you on OPT itself, but they will need to sponsor a long-term visa before your authorization expires.
Will employers sponsor a Sales Director role for H-1B?
Many do, particularly mid-to-large companies that already have immigration counsel on retainer. Sales Director is generally classifiable as a specialty occupation given the strategic, analytical, and managerial complexity of the role. Employers who see a strong revenue case for keeping you long-term are the most likely sponsors. Browse verified sponsoring employers on Migrate Mate to narrow your search.
How does the OPT timeline affect a Sales Director job search?
Standard OPT gives you 12 months. STEM OPT adds 24 more months if your degree qualifies. For a Director-level role, that window is often enough to demonstrate performance and build an internal case for sponsorship. Apply your STEM extension early through your DSO if eligible, as it requires lead time and must be filed before your current OPT expires.
Does a Sales Director role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B?
It depends on how the role is structured. A Sales Director position that requires a specific bachelor's degree or higher in business, marketing, finance, or a related field generally qualifies. Generic sales management roles without a specific degree requirement can face scrutiny. Working with an immigration attorney to craft the job description and petition correctly is important for this title.
What should I do if an employer says they don't sponsor visas?
Ask whether they have sponsored in the past or would consider it for the right candidate. Some employers say no by default but have not fully evaluated the process. If the answer remains firm, focus your energy elsewhere. Director-level roles command enough business value that many employers will engage if you make a clear case. Prioritize your applications toward companies with confirmed sponsorship history.