Director, Event Sponsorships

Director, Event Sponsorships The Paley Center for Media is seeking a Director, Sponsorships to secure the corporate support that brings its events, programs, and initiatives to life. This hands-on sales role connects brands with opportunities across media, entertainment, sports, gaming, and culture, while growing corporate membership and building relationships that last beyond a single event. Reporting to the Vice President, Development, the Director leads sponsorship sales from prospecting and presentations through negotiation, closing, and partner engagement. The right candidate brings an entrepreneurial approach, a strong sales mindset, and the organization to turn promising conversations into revenue while delivering thoughtful, responsive service to sponsors and members. RESPONSIBILITIES The Director secures sponsorships and corporate members across Paley's full program portfolio: PaleyFest in New York and Los Angeles; PaleyFest Fall TV Previews; PaleyLive and other celebrity panel discussions; Paley Honors galas and luncheon; exhibits; Patron and President Circle and other member events; PaleyDialogues; Next Big Thing Series; the Paley International Council Summit; and PaleyImpact programs exploring media's influence on culture. Sponsorship Sales & Business Development • Research industries, sponsorship trends, categories, and companies to identify prospects for Paley events, programs, and initiatives. • Make a compelling case for Paley's mission and programs to attract and secure corporate sponsors, funders, and members. • Build and maintain relationships with senior brand decision makers and their advertising agencies, using existing connections and developing new prospects. • Secure and lead face-to-face meetings and presentations with key decision makers. • Pitch, negotiate, and close sponsorships, working with legal counsel through contract execution. • Meet sponsorship revenue targets within established deadlines. Proposals & Partner Experience • Partner with Development, Creative Services, and Marketing to create compelling sponsorship presentations, marketing materials, and new collateral for program support and corporate memberships. • Work with the Vice President, Development to deliver and manage sponsor and corporate member benefits with professionalism and excellent client service. • Grow corporate membership and maintain relationships throughout the year to support retention and renewals. • Create and deliver cultivation opportunities and events that deepen engagement and give sponsors and members a sense of pride in their connection to Paley. • Apply sound business and financial judgment to sponsorship models, controlling activation costs to maximize Paley's net contribution. Pipeline, Reporting & Sales Operations • Maintain a strong, active prospect pipeline and prepare weekly executive status reports for the Vice President, Development and CFO. • Work with IT to capture key data in Paley's CRM and use the system to improve sales efficiency and effectiveness. • Standardize processes, implement best practices, and create reusable templates to make the work more consistent and efficient. Industry Engagement & Organizational Support • Represent Paley at industry conferences and events to recruit new sponsors and corporate members. • Serve as a Paley Ambassador by sharing Paley's social media posts within your networks to expand reach and encourage community engagement. • Participate in other projects assigned by the Paley executive team. CORE COMPETENCIES Our successful employees are: • Highly organized, with the ability to meet deadlines and budgets while managing competing priorities and maintaining attention to detail. • Energetic, motivated, and results-driven, with a strong sales mindset. • Relationship builders who understand the value of trust and sustained engagement. • Accountable for their work and able to take ownership of multiple tasks at once. • Confident verbal communicators and strong business writers. • Positive, professional, and friendly, with excellent interpersonal, administrative, and managerial skills. • Resourceful and creative, with strong research and problem-solving skills. QUALIFICATIONS • 5+ years of event sales experience; sponsorship and development experience are a plus. • Proven success in prospecting, developing, and closing sales, including six- and seven-figure deals. • Established relationships with senior executives who have sponsorship decision-making authority, including chief marketing officers at national or regional brands and corporate social responsibility or philanthropy officers. • Ability to build strong peer relationships and make the most of introductions. • Understanding of event marketing, sponsorship sales, and the sponsorship activation process. • Comfort with technology, including an understanding of AI and current applications and systems. • Understanding of media and advertising buys, with the ability to explain the value of sponsorship compared with a pure media buy. • Strategic, action-oriented approach and the ability to create proposals that meet and exceed prospective corporate partners' needs. • Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and respond promptly and professionally to internal and external stakeholders, taking initiative while remaining receptive to direction. • Executive presence, discretion, and sound judgment, with a polished, personable approach and the ability to work well with colleagues at every level. • Excellent communication, listening, and business writing skills. • Strong time management and self-management skills, with comfort working in a fast-paced, energetic, entrepreneurial environment. • Strong technical proficiency; proficiency with Airtable and Microsoft Dynamics 365 is strongly preferred. • Ability to travel as needed and work weekends, early mornings, and evenings when necessary to support Paley events and programs. • Strong work ethic and a preference for working in person as part of a cohesive, collaborative, energetic office team. • Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university required. • Bilingual fluency in Spanish is a plus. Total Compensation Range: $150,000 + Performance Bonus RECRUITMENT AGENCIES: We accept applications directly from candidates and do not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate submissions from recruitment agencies, search firms or other third-party recruiters. Please do not contact hiring managers or employees regarding this opening.