Business Development Director

Invisible Ventures • Sarasota, FL

22h

About The Position

Sarasota Magazine is hiring a Business Development Director to help grow revenue across print, digital, events, sponsorships, branded content, partnership content, Content Studio, special sections, guides, and annual advertising programs. The Business Development Director is responsible for building relationships with businesses, organizations, nonprofits, institutions, civic partners, and market leaders who want to reach, influence, and engage Sarasota Magazine’s audience. The right candidate understands that Sarasota Magazine is more than a magazine. It is a trusted global media brand with print authority, digital reach, subscriber loyalty, event presence, community credibility, and storytelling capability. This role requires someone who can prospect, listen, package opportunities, present clearly, close business, maintain relationships, and help clients see Sarasota Magazine as a long-term strategic partner. A Business Development Director will help move Sarasota Magazine beyond transactional ad sales and into higher-value partnerships that support client growth and strengthen the magazine’s business model.

Requirements

• Proven sales, business development, advertising, sponsorship, media, agency, or partnership experience
• Strong relationship-building skills
• Ability to prospect and generate new business
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to present clearly and confidently
• Ability to understand client goals and translate them into media or content opportunities
• Comfort selling across print, digital, events, sponsorships, and content
• Strong follow-through
• Comfort using CRM systems, sales trackers, spreadsheets, and proposal documents
• Ability to work across departments
• Ability to manage multiple prospects, clients, deadlines, and proposals at once
• High level of professionalism and discretion

Nice To Haves

• Experience in media sales, magazine sales, digital advertising, event sponsorships, branded content, agency services, nonprofit partnerships, luxury categories, or local business development
• Existing relationships in Sarasota, Manatee, or the broader Gulf Coast region
• Experience selling to business owners, marketing directors, nonprofit leaders, developers, real estate professionals, healthcare organizations, cultural institutions, or civic leaders
• Familiarity with print and digital media products
• Familiarity with content marketing or branded storytelling
• Familiarity with event sponsorships and community partnerships

Responsibilities

• Generating new and recurring revenue across Sarasota Magazine’s product lines, including print advertising, digital advertising, website advertising, newsletter sponsorships, social and digital promotion packages, event sponsorships, branded content, partnership content, Content Studio packages, sponsored guides, special sections, custom publications, annual advertising agreements, category ownership packages, and integrated print, digital, event, and content programs.
• Actively identifying, pursuing, and developing new business opportunities by building prospect lists, researching potential advertisers, making outbound calls, scheduling meetings, attending community events, developing referral relationships, identifying growth categories, creating new opportunities from existing relationships, and bringing new advertisers into Sarasota Magazine.
• Managing client relationships before, during, and after the sale by understanding client goals, recommending appropriate products, maintaining communication, preparing for meetings, tracking follow-up, coordinating with Revenue Operations, ensuring expectations are documented, identifying renewal and upsell opportunities, and helping clients understand the value of Sarasota Magazine.
• Developing clear, compelling proposals with the Publisher and Revenue Operations by matching client goals with Sarasota Magazine products, recommending packages, shaping annual partnership opportunities, developing category-specific pitches, supporting custom proposals, and ensuring proposals are realistic, profitable, and operationally deliverable.
• Selling Sarasota Magazine’s new content-based revenue products, including partnership content and branded content, by identifying suitable clients, explaining value, and working with Revenue Operations and Content Operations to ensure scope, pricing, deliverables, deadlines, approvals, and labeling are properly documented.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed