Director of Community & Corporate Partnerships

Responsibilities

• Identify, approach and secure sponsorship opportunities from corporations and other partners to support philanthropic fundraising, product and content monetization, new initiatives, and special events.
• Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with existing and prospective sponsors and funders to secure revenue-generating partnerships, ensuring ongoing engagement and satisfaction.
• Set and manage annual sponsorship, grant, NIE and event revenue goals, ensuring cross-functional teams are aligned to achieve them.
• Collaborate closely with events, philanthropy, news, and marketing teams to identify cross-departmental opportunities and align sponsorship packages and partnership deliverables with organizational priorities.
• Plan and execute event marketing strategies for corporate, philanthropic, and special events and campaigns, ensuring alignment with sponsor objectives and organizational goals.
• Monitor and report on sponsorship performance metrics, providing actionable insights and recommendations to senior management.
• Provide strategic leadership and input on new and innovative revenue opportunities, including new products, services, and partnerships.
• Represent the organization externally at industry events, meetings and speaking opportunities.
• Oversee and support a dedicated events team, ensuring excellence in execution, promotions, partner experience, and community engagement.
• Support the growth and sustainability of the Newspaper in Education program as well as organizational grant funding.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Communications, or a related field.
• 7+ years of experience in sponsorship sales, strategic partnerships, business development, or related fields.
• Proven experience in sponsorship acquisition, business development or marketing within the media or events industry.
• Strong understanding of the media industry, particularly daily newspapers, and their advertising dynamics.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience working with community and philanthropic events.
• Familiarity with event marketing and corporate event management.
• Established network within the media and corporate sectors.
• Advanced skills in CRM software and marketing analytics tools.
• Additional certifications in fundraising or nonprofit management.