Sales Manager, Brand Partnerships

Responsibilities

• Build sponsorships revenue number, and the pipeline, forecast, and pacing behind it
• Sell directly to senior brand and agency decision-makers, leading the largest and most strategic deals from prospecting through close
• Contribute to building the sales infrastructure a new business needs: territory and account coverage, pricing and packaging discipline, CRM hygiene, and a deal process that holds up as volume grows
• Translate Substack's story into a pitch that lands with CMOs and media planners, working with creative strategy to shape proposals that feel native to the platform
• Work closely with publishers and their teams to make sure sold campaigns are ones they actually want to run
• Bring market signal back into the company, shaping product, pricing, and positioning based on what you hear in rooms with buyers
• Represent Substack at industry events and in key agency relationships, opening doors for the whole team

Requirements

• 10+ years in media or advertising sales, with meaningful time selling premium, direct-sold sponsorships at a publisher, platform, or media company
• A track record of closing seven-figure deals with brands and holding company agencies, and relationships you can activate from day one
• Comfort operating without a playbook: you've sold something new to market before, or built a sales function inside an early-stage business
• Fluency in how brands buy creator and content-led media, including measurement expectations, agency dynamics, and where budgets are moving
• Strong instincts for pricing and packaging, and the discipline to protect them under pressure to close
• Exceptional communication skills; you can pitch a CMO, coach a team member, and help build products that land in market
• Genuine belief in independent publishing and what Substack is building; bonus if you're a Substack reader or writer yourself

Compensation

Substack’s compensation package includes a market-competitive salary, equity for all full-time roles, and exceptional benefits. Our cash compensation salary range for this role is $180,000 - $250,000. Multiple factors, including candidate experience and expertise, determine final offer amounts and may vary from the amounts listed above.