Head of Partnerships & Brand Sponsorships

Job description

Position Overview Contrarian Thinking is a media, advisory, and investment firm on a mission to take back Main Street. We don't just talk about business. We advise it, we invest in it, and we broadcast it to an audience that actually trusts us. Three businesses, one flywheel: Media: Contrarian Thinking and Codie Sanchez's podcasts, YouTube, newsletter, books, social, and live events, built to be the most trusted business media brand in the world. Advisory: Our communities, advisors, and curriculum help owners, buyers, and builders buy, scale, and sell businesses the smart way. Investment: We put our own capital to work, buying and backing Main Street businesses and helping them scale into enduring, profitable companies. Media earns the attention. Advisory earns the trust. Investment puts skin in the game. That combination is why brands want in, and it's the platform you'll be selling. We're looking for a Head of Partnerships & Sponsorships to own every dollar of brand, sponsorship, and partnership revenue across all Contrarian Thinking and Codie Sanchez media assets, and to build it into an 8-figure business. This role is responsible for building the sponsorship strategy and rate card, selling and closing category partners, running deals from first pitch through renewal, and building the team and systems to scale it. This role sits at the intersection of Media & Content, Events & Community, Marketing, and Finance. You'll work closely with content leads and producers, the events team, and leadership to make sure partnerships make the content better, not worse. We're past #ad reads and #sponsoredposts, and you are too. You'll sell story-driven, multi-touch partnerships that brands want to be part of and our audience actually trusts. You'll start as a player-coach: closing the first deals yourself, then hiring and leading the team as the department grows. What You'll Own Sponsorship & partnership strategy Define how we package and sell sponsorships across all Contrarian Thinking and Codie Sanchez media assets: podcast, YouTube, newsletter, social, live events, and community Build the packaging, rate card, inventory calendar, and brand-safety guardrails Own the plan and annual targets to build an 8-figure partnerships & sponsorships business Selling & closing Build and work a pipeline of category partners (e.g. finance, travel, auto, lifestyle, business tools) Pitch big-idea creative concepts to brand-side VPs, CMOs, and their agencies; negotiate and close Sell the team internally on ideas before they ever go to a brand Partner execution & renewal Shepherd deals from signed contract through campaign delivery, reporting, and renewal Protect creative integrity and our voice in review cycles without torching the relationship Report partnership ROI back to partners and to leadership Affiliate & community partnerships Vet and manage partners that offer real value to our Buyers and Builders communities Grow affiliate and referral programs that align with our mission Team, systems & data Build the CRM pipeline, contracts process, and dashboards (pipeline, booked vs. delivered revenue, partner ROI, renewal rate) Hire and lead the partnerships team as revenue grows Report weekly to the President on pipeline, booked revenue, and delivery What Success Looks Like First 90 days Full audit of current and past sponsors, inventory, and pricing across every property; recommendation on what to sell and at what price Rate card, pitch deck, and partnership one-pager approved by leadership A qualified pipeline of category prospects built in the CRM, with the first category deals closed or in contract Standing weekly rhythm with Content, Events, and Finance so inventory and delivery are never a surprise First year Build an 8-figure partnerships & sponsorships business across all Contrarian Thinking and Codie Sanchez media assets Multiple signed 7-figure category partnerships structured for multi-year renewal Partner-integrated content matches or outperforms non-sponsored content on retention and engagement Strong partner renewals and a repeatable process the next hire can run What We're Looking For 8-10+ years in brand partnerships, sponsorship sales, or business development at a creator-led media company, publisher, agency, or events business, including leading a sponsorship revenue function at scale A track record of personally closing 7-figure brand deals and owning 8-figure partnership revenue, ideally category partnerships rather than one-offs Existing relationships with brand-side marketing leaders and agencies Experience building a sponsorship function from scratch: packaging, pricing, process, and team Strong negotiator with a diplomatic spine; you can say "we won't do that" to a brand without drama Comfortable in data: CRM, platform analytics, and partner reporting Clear, concise writer of pitches and briefs Low ego, high standards, bias toward action What Makes You Stand Out Experience selling across podcast, YouTube, newsletter, and live events in one package You've hired and led a partnerships or sales team You use AI tools as a thinking multiplier for research, pitching, and reporting Interest in small business, acquisitions, and entrepreneurship Who You Are You're the person at the party who introduces two strangers and watches them hit it off Show me your results, not your intentions Winners want pressure; you like owning a number Better weird than boring; you bring ideas, not templates You do the dirty work and close the loop Why This Role Matters Most media companies treat brand partnerships as a tax on audience attention. We're building the opposite: partnerships that make the content better and fund more of it. This role turns our audience reach into a durable, diversified revenue line for the company. Location Austin, TX - Full time in office. Applicants must live within a 1-hour drive of Austin or be willing to relocate. Type of Employment Full-Time. Reports to the President. Crew Benefits 100% Company-paid health, dental, and vision for all full-time Crew Members with an option to add any dependents. Unlimited PTO Policy (with approval from your Direct Support) + 8 paid US holidays On-time direct deposit pay 2x/month Option to enroll in a 401(k) plan via Vestwell with competitive match options Learn expert deal-making and how to buy businesses with 100% free access to all of our courses and our flagship Contrarian Community How To Apply Include a resume plus a short Loom walking us through a brand partnership or sponsorship you closed that you're proud of: the creative idea, the deal structure, how it performed, and your role from pitch to renewal.