Sponsorship & Business Development Officer

Sponsorship & Business Development Officer

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The Sponsorship & Business Development Officer is a senior leader responsible for driving revenue and strategic partnerships across the Tampa Bay Times and its affiliates events, philanthropic initiatives, news platforms and product offerings. This role combines high-level relationship building, strategic marketing and sponsorship development to grow organizational impact and financial sustainability.

Key Responsibilities:

• Develop and lead a comprehensive sponsorship strategy across events, news content, philanthropy programs, and organizational products.
• Identify, cultivate, and secure revenue-generating partnerships with corporations, foundations, and high-value stakeholders.
• Set annual sponsorship and event revenue goals, ensuring all teams are aligned to achieve them.
• Create compelling sponsorship packages and value propositions tailored to diverse audiences and platforms.
• Work closely with creative services to develop high-impact sponsorship proposals, pitch decks and presentation materials that effectively communicate value and align with brand standards.
• Negotiate and close sponsorship agreements, often with C-suite and executive-level leaders.

Business Development

• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of prospective sponsors and strategic partners.
• Lead high-level prospecting, relationship management, and long-term partnership development.
• Collaborate with internal teams to identify cross-departmental opportunities for sponsorship integration.
• Represent the organization externally at industry events, meetings and speaking opportunities.
• Work closely with events, philanthropy, editorial/news, and marketing teams to align sponsorship deliverables and organizational priorities.
• Ensure sponsorship activations are fully integrated across content, events and philanthropic initiatives.
• Provide strategic input on new revenue opportunities across media, programs and digital platforms.

Event & Marketing Oversight

• Approve major event concepts, marketing plans, and sponsorship fulfillment strategies.
• Provide guidance to ensure sponsor expectations and brand standards are delivered seamlessly.
• Supervise the Event Production & Marketing Manager, overseeing planning, workflow, performance and cross-team alignment.

Strategic Leadership & Analysis

• Monitor market trends, competitor offerings, and emerging opportunities within media, philanthropy and events industries.
• Prepare regular revenue reports, forecasting, and strategic recommendations for senior leadership.
• Ensure all sponsorship initiatives reflect the organization’s mission, values and strategic priorities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, communications, or related field (master’s preferred).
• 7+ years of experience in sponsorship sales, strategic partnerships, business development, or related fields.
• Proven success by closing high-value partnerships with C-suite executives.
• Strong strategic marketing background with expertise in brand positioning and audience engagement.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Experience working across events, media/news platforms, and/or philanthropy is highly desirable.
• Leadership experience managing staff and cross-functional teams.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.

Key Attributes

• Strategic thinker with strong business acumen
• Exceptional relationship builder and communicator
• Revenue-driven with a partnership-focused mindset
• Collaborative leader who can integrate work across multiple departments
• Innovative, adaptable, and proactive