Partnerships & Business Development Lead

We are looking for a Partnerships & Business Development Lead to help expand Ancient Well’s external reach and convert aligned relationships into real opportunities, partnerships, and revenue. About Ancient Well Ancient Well is a cinematic studio building story-driven work across film, development, audience experiences, and cultural programming. We are building a company that uses cinema, cultural experiences, and thoughtful worldbuilding to grow meaningful audiences and partnerships over time. Role summary This is a part-time contract role for a highly organized, proactive operator who can help build and manage Ancient Well’s partnerships pipeline. The right person is strong at outreach, follow-through, relationship management, and identifying opportunities that align with our mission and direction. This is not a vague networking role. This person will help generate and advance concrete opportunities across commissioned work, sponsorship, event support, and strategic collaborations. They will be responsible for helping Ancient Well build a more consistent revenue pipeline and stronger external ecosystem. How this role fits into the organization This role is a key part of Ancient Well’s next stage of growth. As the company expands its work across original projects, events, and public-facing programming, we need someone who can help build the external relationships that make that growth possible. This person will work closely with the founder and support the business side of the studio by helping turn interest, alignment, and visibility into concrete opportunities. They will help ensure that revenue generation and partnership development do not rely solely on the founder’s direct capacity. Key responsibilities Build and manage a live pipeline of aligned organizations, institutions, brands, nonprofits, venues, and collaborators Identify prospective partners for commissioned projects, sponsorships, and strategic collaborations Lead outreach and follow-up with prospective partners Support proposal development and partnership materials Help secure event underwriting, in‑kind support, venue partners, and co-host relationships Maintain clear tracking of leads, meetings, proposals, and next steps Provide regular reporting on pipeline activity, opportunities, and progress toward revenue goals What success looks like in this role A clear and active partnership pipeline is established and consistently maintained Outreach is moving forward regularly with strong follow-through New meetings, opportunities, and proposals are being generated each month Ancient Well begins building stronger relationships with aligned institutions, partners, and collaborators The studio has more revenue-related momentum through commissioned work, sponsorship conversations, and strategic partnerships The founder is no longer carrying all partnership development alone Has experience in partnerships, business development, sponsorship, revenue-generating collaborations, or external relations Is an excellent communicator and relationship builder Can work independently and create structure Is highly organized and strong at follow-through Is excited by film, culture, storytelling, and creative ecosystems Can operate in a lean, growing studio environment Details Part-time contract Hybrid, based in Oxon Hill, Maryland Available for in-person work as needed, likely once per week Approx. 8–12 hours per week Initial 3-month term Compensation: $2,500–$3,500/month depending on experience and scope How to apply Please send a short note of interest, resume or bio, and examples of relevant partnerships, sponsorship, business development, or revenue-generating work you’ve led. #J-18808-Ljbffr