Director of Business Development

Written By Karri Ellen Johnson

FairWhistle | Full-Time | Hybrid | Nashville, TN

About FairWhistle

FairWhistle is a sports-agnostic SaaS platform built to digitize the game-day experience. We help leagues, governing bodies, and associations capture officiating performance, sportsmanship data, and behavioral insights after every game — turning raw feedback into clean, actionable intelligence. Trusted by professional leagues and youth organizations alike, FairWhistle is on a mission to build healthier, safer, and more transparent sporting communities at every level. We are a profitable fast-growing, Nashville, TN-based company with a culture built on accountability, grit, and relentless execution. We hire people who want to win — and who make everyone around them better. 

We're growing fast and we need someone who can keep pace. If you're competitive by nature, love the hunt of a deal, and want your work to genuinely matter — this is your next move.

The Role

As Director of Business Development, you will own the full sales cycle — from prospecting and outreach to closing and onboarding handoff. You'll be the primary commercial voice of FairWhistle in the market as we build our go-to-market team, building relationships with league operators, state associations, governing bodies, and sports organizations across the country.

This is a high-impact, high-visibility role at a company in full growth mode. You'll work shoulder-to-shoulder with the founding team and have real influence over how we go to market, who we target, and how we scale. The right person keeps score — on themselves, their pipeline, and their results. And as FairWhistle scales, this role grows with it: you'll have the opportunity to help build a world-class go-to-market team around you.

What You'll Do

  • Own and drive new business development across youth, high school, college, and professional sports markets

  • Identify, qualify, and cultivate relationships with key decision-makers at leagues, governing bodies, and state associations

  • Represent FairWhistle at industry conferences, including NFHS, NASO, and other key sports administration events

  • Manage a full sales pipeline from first outreach through contract close leveraging the newest in AI tools and techniques. 

  • Develop tailored proposals and presentations that speak to each prospect's specific operational needs

  • Collaborate with the product and operations team to ensure a smooth handoff and strong client onboarding experience

  • Provide market feedback to inform product development and positioning

  • Track and report on pipeline activity, conversion rates, and revenue forecasts

What We're Looking For

Experience

  • 4+ years in sales, business development, or partnerships — ideally within sports, SaaS, or sports technology

  • Proven track record of closing deals and building long-term client relationships

  • Experience selling to governing bodies, associations, or multi-stakeholder organizations is a strong plus

  • Familiarity with the officiating, youth sports, or sports operations landscape is highly valued

Skills & Attributes

  • Fiercely competitive — you hate losing a deal, but you win with integrity and build relationships that last

  • Comfortable navigating complex organizations with multiple stakeholders and long decision cycles

  • Strong communicator — in writing, in person, and on a conference stage

  • You don't wait for a playbook — you build one, test it, improve it, and share what you learn with the team

  • Mission-driven and values-aligned — you genuinely care about the integrity of sport and the communities we serve, and that conviction shows in how you show up

  • Proficiency with CRM tools (HubSpot preferred) and sales tracking workflows

Compensation & Benefits

  • Competitive base salary commensurate with experience

  • Uncapped, performance-based commission — your results set your ceiling

  • Equity participation

  • Flexible, Hybrid Work Environment: Nashville, TN based. Expect team members to be in the office 2-3 days/week to support team culture and growth.

  • Travel budget for conferences and client meetings

  • A clear path to build and lead a world-class go-to-market team as FairWhistle scales — this is a ground-floor leadership opportunity

How to Apply

Send your resume and a brief note on why FairWhistle resonates with you to careers@fairwhistle.com. Tell us how you think about building relationships in sports and what drives you in this space. Skip the generic cover letter — we want to hear something real.

FairWhistle is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive team.

Karri Ellen Johnson