Sponsorships Manager

Location: Remote

Reports to: Chief Executive Officer

Type: Full-time

Salary Range: $60,000 - $70,000 base, depending on location and experience, with aggressive commission structure.

Civic News Company is leading a civic revival.

We were founded to address one of the most consequential market failures of our time: the collapse of local news. Since 2008, nearly two-thirds of U.S. newsroom jobs have disappeared, leaving communities without trusted reporting on education, elections, and public health. Our mission is simple and urgent: to help people understand how America works so they can make it work better.

Through Chalkbeat (education), Votebeat (elections), and Healthbeat (public health), we operate a national network of local news bureaus that combine deep local expertise with centralized national infrastructure. 

THE OPPORTUNITY

Civic News is seeking a Sponsorships Manager, a self-motivated sales professional driven by education and equity and dedicated to building and sustaining long-lasting relationships with existing and prospective clients.

The key responsibilities for this role include:

• Consult with clients and sell sponsorship products across Chalkbeat other Civic News Company verticals.

• Design and execute sponsorship operations, understand the details and be able to execute at all levels so that nothing falls through the cracks.

• Prospect for new opportunities, using events, marketing, and research tools to create a robust pipeline of qualified prospects.

• Successfully manage a pipeline of existing sponsors, driving toward customer success and satisfaction. 

• Take on special projects related to upgrade operations and strategy for Civic News sponsorship work.

  • Work with the Technology team to maintain and optimize tools that support the sponsorship business. 

  • Work closely with the Salesforce Administrator to maintain high quality data.

• Partner with Finance and Strategy teams to set pricing, forecast revenue.

• Collaborate with Editorial and Audience teams to align sponsorship opportunities with content and long-term programming. 

• Develop ad and sponsorships for focused editorial products.

• Willingness to attend sales meetings, trade shows, and training workshops as required.

• Strong persuasive communication skills to clearly articulate the benefits of advertising products and services.

What background and skills do you have? (We know not all strong candidates will have all the skills we list. That’s OK. What else do you bring to the table? Please tell us!):  The person we seek:

• Bachelor or associate’s degree in Advertising, Communications, or a related field.

• 4 - 8 years of experience in solution-based selling with proven success in advertising sales.

• An understanding of and enthusiasm for independent journalism and its role in a healthy democracy. 

• Proven experience cultivating and closing sponsorship deals, ideally generating $400K+ in annual revenue.

• Proficiency and comfort working with ad ops tools and systems that support sponsorship sales and reporting (e.g., in Google Workspace and Salesforce, etc.).

• Strong understanding of marketing principles, advertising techniques, and media formats.

• Excellent organizational, analytical, communication, negotiation, and consultative sales skills.

• Demonstrated ability to deliver exceptional customer service and build long-lasting client relationships.

• Ability to clearly articulate the value and benefits of advertising products and services.

• Organized self-starter, detail oriented, can bring projects from conception to completion. Skilled at working across teams and asking for help when needed.  

Bonus points if you’ve got:

• Experience selling sponsorships in or adjacent to journalism.

• Interest in nonprofit and local journalism.

• Experience in the education sector and familiarity with its sponsorship landscape.

• Familiarity with marketing, audience engagement, or event sponsorships.

Civic News Values, here’s how that shows up in our work together:

• We work as one team.
   Rebuilding local news requires collaboration. We actively nurture a harmonious environment of dignity, respect, and professionalism. We assume good intent, support one another’s growth, and have a team-oriented approach to solving  problems together.

• We pursue truth with intellectual honesty.
   Our work demands rigor. We seek facts, challenge assumptions, and engage thoughtfully with perspectives different from our own. We follow the evidence wherever it leads.

• We practice inclusive journalism.
   Strong civic life depends on representation and trust. We commit to antiracism, equity, and inclusive practices. We build meaningful relationships with the communities we serve and reflect their realities in our reporting.

• We earn trust every day.
   We develop subject-matter expertise. We operate transparently. We take responsibility for our work and keep learning so our journalism remains credible, relevant, and strong.

This full-time, remote-eligible position may be based anywhere in the continental United States. Civic News Company already has a presence: Chicago, Colorado, Indianapolis, Newark, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Texas, Michigan, Tennessee, New York City, and Washington, D.C. 

The salary range is $60,000 - $70,000 base with aggressive commission structure.  Final base salary will be determined based on level of experience and geographic location, with a generous benefits package, including:

• Medical, vision, and dental insurance

• Time off that truly supports rest, including 20 days of PTO, a paid one-week recess, 5 sick days, 3 floating holidays, and 12 paid holidays in 2026

• Retirement support through a 401(k) with a 4% employer match that is immediately vested

• 100% paid parental leave: 18 weeks fully paid, plus a 2-week part-time return-to-work ramp-up

• Flexible Spending Plan for eligible medical or childcare expenses

• Annual professional development stipend

• Employer-provided life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage

• Monthly reimbursement for cell phone and internet expenses

Civic News Company recognizes a staff bargaining unit, Civic News Company, affiliated with the Writers Guild of America, East, a labor union representing thousands of members who write content for news and online media, motion pictures, and television. This position is not included in the Civic News Company bargaining unit.

Physical Requirements of the Job

This role is primarily sedentary and involves extended periods of sitting and regular use of standard office equipment, including computers and phones, for up to 8 hours per day. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. 

Civic News Company Commitment

Civic News Company is committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization. We believe restoring civic trust requires a plurality of voices, backgrounds, and experiences. Civic News Company is committed to equal employment opportunities and welcomes applicants and employees from diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to races, colors, national origins, ancestries, creeds, religions, genders, ages, disabilities, veteran status, sexual orientations, and marital statuses. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply and contribute to our shared vision.

Civic News Company participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, Civic News Company is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before Civic News Company can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Civic News Company can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.