Senior Business Development Manager, Commerce

McClatchy Media is seeking an accomplished and driven Senior Business Development Manager to spearhead the Affiliate Commerce division's Business Development group. This is an exceptional opportunity for a dynamic professional eager to deliver innovative affiliate campaigns, cultivate impactful partnerships, and lead new strategic initiatives in a fast-evolving segment of the digital media industry.

As Senior Business Development Manager, you will hold comprehensive responsibility for all aspects of our paid affiliate marketing endeavors—including client relationship management, media planning and proposal strategy, campaign development, campaign execution, and post-campaign analysis. You will play an active, hands-on role in both proposing and closing campaigns with advertisers, agencies, and networks, as well as managing those campaigns with your group. You will inspire and manage a dedicated team, maximize paid exposure opportunities, and collaborate closely with colleagues across editorial and sales divisions. This position offers the chance to shape McClatchy’s paid affiliate strategy and drive measurable growth.

The anticipated base pay range for this position is between 100k and 125k annually. Individual base pay may vary within that range depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, relevant education, department equity, training, geography, and local wage and hours laws.  Variable Pay is available as well.

Key Responsibilities

• End-to-End Campaign Ownership and Sales:
  Exercise full responsibility for the end-to-end management of all affiliate marketing campaigns—from initial strategy, proposal development, negotiation, and closing through campaign execution, optimization, client communications, completion, post-campaign reporting, and proactive relationship management and follow-up to secure repeat advertisers.
• Relationship Management:
  Serve as the primary contact for clients, consistently demonstrating superior communication, relationship-building, and presentation skills.
• Negotiation and Closing for Inbound Leads:
  Lead commercial negotiations with prospective clients and partners with your team to develop compelling proposals and close deals that support McClatchy’s affiliate growth objectives.
• Dynamic Group Leadership and Mentorship:
  Lead a dedicated affiliate business development group within the commerce division. Supervise, motivate, and develop two business development professionals, fostering operational excellence and career advancement.
• Strategic Cross-Divisional Collaboration:
  Work closely with digital ad sales and editorial teams to deliver fully integrated, innovative affiliate marketing initiatives. Ensure alignment of objectives and best practices across all stakeholders.
• Ownership of Marketing Materials and Media Decks:
  Maintain, update (quarterly), and ensure the timely distribution of all affiliate marketing materials and media decks to advertisers, agencies, and network partners, ensuring McClatchy’s offering remains best-in-class.
• Organic Exposure Opportunity Coordination:
  Communicate organic opportunities—such as product tests, special sales, and promotional deals— to editorial teams, supporting enhanced relationship building through high-quality, organic, and paid integrations. Follow up with clients who have received organic exposure to explore paid opportunities. 
• Business Relationship Growth and Innovation:
  Nurture and expand strategic relationships with key brands, agencies, and affiliate partners. Proactively identify priority strategic partners and conduct quarterly check-ins to foster enhanced relationships for business opportunities and continually evolve McClatchy’s paid affiliate commerce programs.
• Campaign Accounting: 
• Coordinate with accounting, managing campaigns from start to finish, including payments, W-9s, credit forms, and IOs. Your team is also expected to assist accounting in identifying flat fee bonus payments when they are paid out through affiliate networks. 
• Industry Engagement:
  Stay abreast of affiliate and digital commerce trends. Travel to key industry events may be required to represent McClatchy, strengthen partnerships, and identify emerging opportunities.

Required Qualifications

• A minimum of five (5) years of professional experience, including at least three (3) years within the affiliate marketing sector (agency, network, publisher, or brand side).
• Proven track record in managing the full affiliate campaign lifecycle—proposals, financials, execution, optimization, and reporting—with measu