Director, Corporate Partnerships & Sponsorships

The Paley Center for Media is the world’s leading 501 (c)(3) nonprofit cultural institution whose mission is to preserve our media history and to explore media’s powerful shaping influence on our culture.

The Paley Center for Media owns the iconic, New York Paley Museum where media, sports, gaming, tech, and entertainment come together, and during the year, produces unmatched programs for the public and industry. On the public side, programs celebrate the very best of television, digital content, and interactive entertainment. On the industry side, the Paley Center convenes the most influential business leaders to explore and debate the most critical issues and opportunities within the industry while also fostering a sense of community amongst peers. Through its respected Paley Impact series, programs educate and explore how media impacts culture and shapes public discourse on important societal issues.

At the heart of the Paley Center sits the Paley Archive, which represents the largest public collection of its kind and is often cited as a national treasure, with over 160,000 programs spanning more than 100 years. This collection also serves as an incredible resource for K-12 educators and students nationwide that are served through its respected education classes.

Previously known as The Museum of Television & Radio, the Paley Center was founded in 1975 by William S. Paley, a pioneering innovator in the industry. For more information, please visit paleycenter.org.

SCOPE

Reporting to the Vice President, Development, the Director, Corporate Partnerships & Sponsorships (Director) is a hands‑on, experienced, sponsorship sales professional responsible for securing sponsorships for all Paley events, programs and initiatives and is also responsible for securing corporate members. Programs include Festivals such as PaleyFest, the nation’s premiere television festival, which takes place each year in New York and Los Angeles, PaleyFest Fall TV Previews, PaleyLive series and other celebrity panel discussions, the annual Paley Honors galas and luncheon, Exhibits, Patron and President Circle and other member events, Industry programs such as PaleyDialogues, Next Big Thing Series, and the renowned Paley International Council Summit, and PaleyImpact series that showcase media’s powerful shaping influence on culture.

The Director is a high‑energy, entrepreneurial, results‑driven, highly organized and motivated seasoned sponsorship sales executive with outstanding writing and communication skills who is a self‑starter and can work well independently in a fast‑paced environment. The Director leverages AI‑powered analytics to identify and target potential corporate partners, optimizing outreach and engagement strategies.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Research and identify categories and companies to solicit for sponsorship of Paley events, programs and initiatives
• Communicate the Paley Center’s mission and programs with enthusiasm and make compelling cases for support to attract and secure corporate funders/sponsors and members
• Develop and create attractive sponsorship and marketing presentations and other new and innovative collateral for program support and corporate memberships in collaboration with Development, Creative Services, and Marketing teams
• Secure and lead face‑to‑face meetings and presentations with key decision makers by leveraging professional relationships and by identifying and cultivating new prospects
• Pitch, negotiate, and close sponsorships and work with legal counsel through contract execution
• Work with the Vice President, Development to ensure the implementation of sponsorship and corporate member benefits are delivered and managed with excellence, professionalism and best‑in‑class client service.
• Increase corporate membership and maintain relationships throughout the year to avoid attrition and ensure membership renewals
• Identify, create, and implement additional cultivation opportunities and events to increase engagement and instill a sense of pride amongst our sponsors and members
• Utilizes AI‑driven insights to tailor sponsorship proposals, ensuring alignment with corporate priorities and audience demographics
• Analyze industries and identify sponsorship trends
• Continuously develop and maintain strong relationships with top brand decision makers and their respective advertising agencies
• Maintain a deep active current pipeline of prospects and prepare weekly executive status report for the VP Development and CFO
• Meet sponsorship revenue targets within specified deadlines
• Work with IT team to capture and enter all key data into Paley’s CRM system and utilize CRM to maximize efficiencies and effectiveness
• Attend industry conferences and events to represent Paley and recruit new sponsors and corporate members
• Implement best practices, standardize processes and create templates to maximize efficiency and effectiveness
• Engage as a Paley Ambassador for social media initiatives by actively sharing Paley’s social media posts within one’s own networks, to amplify the organization’s reach and foster community engagement
• Participate in other projects as assigned by Paley executive team

CORE COMPETENCIES

Our successful employees meet the following criteria:

• Highly organized with proven ability to meet deadlines and budgets
• Outstanding leadership skills and ability to lead cross functional teams
• Ability to take ownership of all tasks and manage simultaneously
• Outstanding verbal communication and superior business writing skills
• Positive and professional demeanor with excellent interpersonal, administrative, and managerial skills
• Ability to handle and prioritize multiple tasks while maintaining attention to detail
• Resourcefulness, creativity, strong‑problem solving, and research skills

REQUIREMENTS

• 10+ years of senior‑level sponsorship and development experience
• Proven track record of success in prospecting, developing and closing sponsorships, including six and seven figure deals
• Solid relationships with senior executives (including chief marketing officers with national/regional brands and corporate social responsibility/philanthropy officers) that have sponsorship decision‑making authority
• Ability to develop strong peer level relationships and to maximize introductions
• Proven understanding of event marketing and sponsorship sales and the related sponsorship activation process
• Thorough understanding of media/advertising buys to communicate value of sponsorship vs. pure media as a marketing solution
• Strategic thinker, action and goal‑oriented, able to develop creative proposals that meet and exceed potential corporate partners’ needs
• Ability to multi‑task, prioritize, and immediately respond to internal and external key stakeholders in a professional and organized manner; is proactive while also having the ability to take direction
• An executive presence marked by discretion, good judgment, and a polished, personable demeanor with an ability to work well as a member of a team and with individuals at all levels throughout the organization
• Excellent communication, listening, and business writing skills
• Highly organized with very strong time management skills and functional self‑management; extremely comfortable in a fast‑paced, high‑energy, entrepreneurial environment
• Highly proficient and technically savvy; proficiency with Airtable, MicrosoftDynamics 365, is strongly preferred
• Ability to travel as necessary and to work as needed to support Paley events and programs
• Strong work ethic with desire and preference to work in‑person as part of a cohesive, collaborative, high‑energy, in‑the‑office work environment
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university required
• Bilingual fluency in Spanish a plus

Total compensation range: $100,000 - $300,000

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

The Paley Center for Media maintains a strong policy of equal opportunity in employment. It is our objective to recruit, hire, and retain the most qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation or identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic or status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. Our equal employment philosophy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, compensation, benefits, training, promotions, transfers, job benefits, and terminations.

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