Senior Vice President, Sales & Partnerships

EBONY Media•Louisville, KY

13d•Hybrid

About The Position

Since 1945, EBONY has celebrated and chronicled Black excellence and leadership worldwide. In January 2021, the iconic brand was relaunched under new ownership as EBONY Media Group, a diversified multi-platform media company. This is an exciting chapter for the beloved brand, and we are looking for talented, enthusiastic candidates to join our close-knit, highly collaborative team. Were calling all innovators and creators who want to be part of the legacy by helping shape EBONYs future! Role Summary The SVP, Sales & Partnerships reports to the CEO and is responsible for driving all revenue across sponsorships, partnerships, events, digital content programs, and branded initiatives. This leader owns the sales strategy, manages the full sales pipeline, develops and grows a high-performing sales team, and carries an individual revenue quota. As the companys top sales role, they set the tone, lead the team, open doors, and ensure EBONY consistently meets or exceeds its revenue goals. This dynamic and results driven sales leader thrives in a lean, entrepreneurial environment and brings deep cultural fluency, commercial instincts, and the ability to articulate EBONYs value with authenticity. They demonstrate a proven track record of cultivating high-performing teams and establishing strategic partnerships that enhance market presence.

Requirements

10+ years in sales, business development, sponsorship, or brand partnerships
Proven hunter with a consistent record of generating net-new revenue and expanding into new categories.
Demonstrated success closing large-scale six- and seven-figure deals.
Experience selling across a range of activation sizes from premium flagship events to targeted, smaller engagements.
Experience building sales infrastructure, CRM discipline, and operational systems.
Leadership experience building and scaling a sales team.
Player coach leads from the front and closes deals personally.
Strong negotiator with high executive presence
Entrepreneurial, resourceful, and able to thrive in a lean, fast-paced environment.
Exceptional pipeline management and CRM discipline
Collaborative communicator with the ability to influence and align internal teams.
Driven, accountable, and revenue obsessed.
Comfortable in a small company where agility matters
High integrity, strong follow through, and mission alignment
Confident enough to lead but humble enough to roll up their sleeves.

Responsibilities

Own all annual revenue targets across partnerships, sponsorships, experiential activations, and digital programs.
Carry and deliver on individual revenue quota in addition to team targets.
Build a scalable outbound strategy that generates new opportunities across priority verticals.
Continue to develop sales systems: pricing architectures, packaging frameworks, and operational processes
Personally lead high level sales conversations with CMOs, Heads of Sponsorships, and brand budget owners
Build, manage, and develop a high performing sales team
Establish weekly KPIs, pipeline reviews, forecasting rigor, and deal inspection.
Build direct senior-level brand relationships and expand EBONYs footprint in categories such as Beauty, CPG, Spirits, Auto, Retail, Tech, and Financial Services.
Develop compelling, custom multi-channel partnership programs rooted in EBONYs cultural authority.
Develop revenue packages for both large scale events and smaller activations.
Strategically identify and pursue new categories and brand opportunities to expand market reach and drive revenue growth.
Develop and present customized partnership proposals that align with client objectives and deliver compelling value propositions.
Strengthening and retain existing accounts through exceptional client service, persuasive storytelling, and innovative solutions that deepen relationships and enhance loyalty.
Partner with Experiential, Social, Editorial, and Studios teams to deliver sponsored ready programs.
Collaborating with People Ops & Culture on performance planning, and team development.
Work with Finance to maintain accurate forecasting and revenue reporting.