New

Client Partnerships Strategist

Crain Communications
retirement plan, remote work
United States, Illinois, Chicago
150 North Michigan Avenue (Show on map)
Apr 20, 2025
Description Automotive News, a growing and dynamic media brand owned by Crain Communications, is seeking a proactive and creative Client Partnership Strategist to develop and enhance strategic advertising solutions for our clients. This role combines strategy, storytelling, and execution-collaborating with sales leaders, editorial, events, marketing, and client services to deliver integrated, high-value solutions. You will lead the creation of compelling advertiser proposals, leveraging our unique editorial content, flagship events, and content marketing capabilities. Additionally, you will maintain core sales enablement materials, identify revenue opportunities, and elevate the narratives presented to clients. This position is ideal for someone who excels at the intersection of media, marketing, and business development, with aspirations to advance into a senior strategic role. This is a highly collaborative position on an integrated team-working side-by-side with an experienced, passionate, and diverse group of salespeople who bring deep expertise from across media, marketing and agency worlds. This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the growth of Automotive News by developing strategic partnerships and delivering creative solutions that meet our clients' needs. Key Responsibilities: Strategic Partnership: Collaborate with the Automotive News sales team to craft custom, integrated proposals for advertisers. Creative Ideation: Lead brainstorming sessions and guide cross-functional input for high-value client opportunities. Proposal Development: Write, structure, and build pitch decks and RFP responses that combine storytelling, visual clarity, and commercial insight. Solution Design: Translate advertiser goals (e.g., brand awareness, thought leadership, lead generation) into tailored solutions utilizing Automotive News' full portfolio, including events, content marketing, digital, social, newsletters, and print. Sales Collateral Management: Maintain and evolve core sales materials, such as the media kit, sales narratives, packaging tools, and product one-sheets. Resource Library Development: Build and manage a repository of case studies, exemplary pitches, and sales enablement resources. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with marketing, events, and editorial teams to shape go-to-market strategies and introduce new ideas. Campaign Support: Assist in campaign recaps, storytelling, and positioning for renewals and upsells. Cross-Brand Projects: Occasionally support Crain-wide or cross-brand initiatives related to automotive, mobility, or other relevant categories. Qualifications: Experience: 5+ years in media strategy, brand marketing, B2B sales support, or creative solutions within a publisher, agency, or brand environment. Communication Skills: Excellent writing and storytelling abilities, with a proven track record of developing sales decks and strategic presentations. Technical Proficiency: Strong PowerPoint skills, with an emphasis on structure and visual clarity. Digital Marketing Expertise: Familiarity with native advertising, branded content, lead-generation programs, or audience engagement strategies. Project Management: Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally and manage multiple fast-paced projects. Interpersonal Skills: Strong ability to collaborate effectively with sales teams and internal stakeholders. Initiative: A self-starter with a commercial mindset and a passion for solving client challenges. B2B Fluency: Experience working within a B2B media environment, including familiarity with advertising solutions such as digital campaigns, branded content, events, and sponsorships. Remote from a state listed below or Hybrid (3 days-onsite) for those within 50 miles of our New York, Chicago, Detroit, or Cleveland offices. Preferences: Knowledge of the automotive industry or adjacent verticals such as mobility, technology, retail, or energy. Experience responding to RFPs or participating in formal pitch processes. Strong visual sensibility; ability to organize complex ideas into compelling presentations. Comfortable interpreting performance metrics and using data to support strategic narratives. Familiarity with Salesforce or similar CRM platforms. Comfortable presenting proposals or participating in sales calls with clients and agency partners. Why Join Us: Be a strategic storyteller for one of the most respected brands in B2B journalism Work with experienced sales leaders and high-profile clients like Ford, Ally, Hyundai and Cox Automotive across a rapidly transforming industry Collaborate with a smart, creative, and supportive team Help shape new programs that span editorial, events, and content marketing This position is exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not eligible for overtime pay. Pay Transparency Disclosure: The estimated salary range for this position is $90,000 to $125,000. The final salary offering will take into accounta wide range of specific and relevant factors, including experience, accomplishments and location. The salary range provided should not be considered as a salary limit or cap. In addition to base salary, Crain also offers competitive benefits including retirement plan savings contributions and bonus opportunities based on individual and company performance. #marketing #LI-Hybrid #LI-LV1 #mid #full-time Brand Overview: Since 1925,Automotive Newshas been the go-to place for all the news that is happening among automotive retailers, suppliers and manufacturers. Whether it is breaking news sent to a phone, digital editions and web products delivered to a desktop, or stories in the award-winning print edition,Automotive Newscovers the news everywhere it happens around the world. Breaking news, data, daily newscasts, webinars, conferences and events are just some of the offerings.AutomotiveNews,Automotive News EuropeandAutomotive News Chinaare created locally and are backed by a global team of 50 editors and reporters, as well as a commitment to journalistic excellence. www.AutoNews.com @Automotive_News About Crain Communications: Crain Communications is a leading business news and information company with a portfolio of 24 media brands that provide indispensable coverage and data for professionals globally and across sectors, including advertising, automotive, finance, healthcare, staffing, and workforce solutions. Many of Crain's brands are the most influential media properties in the industries and communities they serve, including Ad Age, Automotive News, Pensions & Investments, Modern Healthcare, Staffing Industry Analysts, as well as Crain's regional business brands. For more than a century, our dedication to deep sector expertise and journalistic integrity has enabled us to provide trusted insights across all our platforms, empowering today's business leaders to make industry-shaping decisions. To learn more about Crain Communications, visit crain.com. Environmental Demands Where you work matters. The job posting will provide specific information on where and when your amazing work would be performed. Employee work location is determined by the needs of the specific team and may include on-site, hybrid or remote. Employee work location is subject to change. An "in-office" role would require the employee to come into the office most days with occasional flexibility to work remotely if tasks can be performed elsewhere and if the manager approves. A "remote" role would allow an employee to work from a home office that is in one of the states Crain does business in. We can only employ a remote / "work from home" employee if they reside in one of these states: AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, IL, MD, MA, MI, MN, NV, NY, NC, OH, OR, TN, TX, VA, WA, WI, and Washington, DC. A "hybrid" role would be a mix of in-office and remote work. There may be a specified schedule for coming into the office or it could be at the discretion of the employee with the manager's approval, subject to change. Employees who live within a reasonable commute distance from a Crain office are expected to work on-site 3 days per week. Many positions will also include work done in "the field." Depending on the role, this may include conducting in-person interviews, attending work-related events, meeting with sources or clients. Specifics will be noted in the job posting but are subject to change as a role evolves. Employees may be exposed to adverse environmental conditions, specifically during field work. Other typical job functions are performed under conditions such as those found in general office work. Travel to cover news stories/events, meetings with clients, and to our geographically separated offices may be required. It is the nature of many positions to experience non-standard working hours and be on-call when needed for responding to email, meeting with clients, attending work-related events, story development or breaking news. Most employees perform work Monday through Friday, although early-morning, evening or weekend shifts may be required. Work schedule and travel requirements are subject to change as a role and needs evolve over time. Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of many Crain jobs and are subject to change. Physical activities will include frequent in-person or virtual interactions. For most positions, it is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods, perform computer-related tasks, and create/maintain documents within filing systems. Must have close visual acuity to perform an activity, such as preparing and analyzing reports and information, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, or extensive reading. The typical physical requirements are light work-exerting up to 25lbs of force occasionally and/or up to 10lbs of force frequently and may include climbing, pushing, standing, hearing, walking, reaching, grasping, kneeling, stooping, and repetitive motion. Some positions will have additional physical requirements, including exerting up to 50lbs of force to move and/or carry equipment, supplies, files, or other materials as the role requires. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions and meet the environmental and physical demands of the role. Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)