Partnerships & Business Development Manager

The Fortunate does not need someone to 'do sales.' We need someone to build relationships that create the right opportunities.
The Partnerships & Business Development Manager develops and maintains relationships with the people and organizations most likely to introduce The Fortunate to exceptional commissions.
That includes venues, hotels, private clubs, photographers, floral studios, caterers, corporate decision-makers, nonprofit organizations, hospitality professionals, and other trusted referral sources.
Dave will remain closely involved in important prospect conversations and closing significant commissions. Your job is to make sure there are more of the right conversations to have.
What you'll own. Venue relationships
Hotel and private-club relationships
Nonprofit and gala relationships
Partner outreach and follow-through
Referral-source tracking
Industry and networking events
Strategic introductions
Partnership opportunities
Coordination of relevant press and industry opportunities
Maintaining relationships after an introduction becomes business
What this isn't. The Fortunate's reputation should grow through excellent work and excellent relationships. This position owns the second half of that equation.
A social-media-manager position
Cold-call volume sales
Generic digital marketing
A commission-only sales job
Networking without measurable business development
What we're looking for. We are deliberately open about background. Strong candidates may come from luxury hospitality sales, hotels and resorts, private clubs, premium venues, high-end catering, experiential agencies, corporate events, relationship-driven professional services, wedding and event businesses, or another field where trust creates opportunity.
An existing network in Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago, luxury hospitality, private events, corporate events, or adjacent industries is valuable, but the ability to build the right network matters more than already knowing everyone.
Build high-trust relationships
Identify worthwhile opportunities
Communicate a premium service without sounding performative
Follow up consistently
Maintain a disciplined pipeline
Understand long sales cycles
Represent a brand well in person
Know when a relationship matters even if it does not create immediate revenue
Compensation. Base salary: $70,000–$85,000. We expect the initial offer to land around $75,000–$80,000 depending on network, relevant experience, and demonstrated business-development capability.
Commission: 5% of collected professional fees from eligible new commissions directly sourced by the employee. Commission is calculated on The Fortunate's collected professional fees, not a client's total event budget, pass-through purchases, taxes, reimbursements, or vendor spending.
Commission becomes payable after the applicable client payment has been collected. Existing clients, active opportunities, house-generated inquiries, and referrals already in the company's pipeline are not automatically employee-sourced business. Attribution is recorded when an opportunity enters the pipeline rather than decided after a commission closes.
Expected total cash compensation with successful performance is approximately $95,000–$115,000+, but incentive compensation is not guaranteed.
What the incentive plan rewards. This role is not intended to reward indiscriminate lead volume. A smaller number of well-qualified relationships and commissions that fit The Fortunate is more valuable than filling the pipeline with work the House should not accept.
Renewals, repeat clients, expansions, and shared-source opportunities follow written attribution rules in the compensation plan.
Medical insurance with 80% of the employee premium covered by The Fortunate
Dental and vision coverage available
15 days paid time off
8 paid company holidays
Paid company closure week after New Year's
One paid recovery day following qualifying event weekends
401(k) with 4% employer match after 90 days
Company-provided laptop and phone
Business mileage reimbursed at the current IRS business mileage rate
$65/day meal and incidental allowance for qualifying travel events
Approved lodging and transportation for required overnight business travel
Up to $2,000 annually for professional development, industry organizations, conferences, and relevant relationship-building education
Relationship-building expenses. Relationship development is part of the job. Employees should not be expected to personally finance it.
The Fortunate will establish an approved budget for legitimate business-development activity, including partner coffees and meals, venue visits, industry events, association participation, hosted partner gatherings, regional travel, conferences, and approved client or partner hospitality.
How success is measured. This position will not be evaluated solely on closed revenue.
Qualified opportunities created
Collected revenue from employee-sourced commissions
Quality and fit of opportunities
Venue and hospitality relationships developed
Corporate and nonprofit relationships developed
Pipeline quality and accuracy
Relationship retention
Contribution to the House's reputation in target markets
Success after one year. Be known by the venues and hospitality partners most relevant to our work
Build meaningful relationships with photographers, caterers, creative partners, and referral sources
Introduce opportunities that genuinely fit the House
Increase qualified referral business without weakening pricing or positioning
Become someone good partners are comfortable introducing to good clients
Growth. This is intentionally a Manager, not Director, position. The title reflects the current size of the organization rather than a limit on the role's potential.
A successful Partnerships & Business Development Manager who establishes a durable referral network, creates meaningful new revenue, and eventually requires additional people or resources beneath the function should have a credible path toward broader leadership of partnerships and growth.
Interested?
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