Partnerships and Events Manager

About

The Partnerships and Events Manager is a key contributor responsible for identifying, securing, and delivering event sponsorships and strategic partnerships that support IEEE‑USA's mission and revenue goals. This role blends business development, account management, communications/marketing functions and light event‑planning responsibilities. The manager reports to the Deputy Managing Director & Director of Communications and works directly with external sponsors, internal stakeholders, and event staff.

Key Responsibilities

• Partnership Development & Sales (Primary Focus)

  • Research, identify, and cultivate prospective sponsors and partners across industry, academia, and government.
  • Develop and manage a pipeline of sponsorship opportunities for conferences, webinars, workshops, and special initiatives.
  • Produce compelling presentations and collateral material to attract potential customers.
  • Conduct outreach, discovery calls, presentations, and negotiations to secure sponsorship commitments.
  • Craft customized partnership packages aligned with sponsor objectives and IEEE‑USA program goals.
  • Maintain strong relationships with existing sponsors to drive renewals and upsell opportunities.
  • Possess excellent communication, interpersonal, and customer service/problem‑solving skills; work under pressure on multiple projects simultaneously.

• Sponsor Fulfillment & Account Management

  • Serve as the primary point of contact for sponsor onboarding, communications, and deliverables.
  • Ensure accurate and timely execution of sponsor benefits such as branding, speaking opportunities, exhibit presence, lead‑generation tools, digital recognition, or other entitlements.
  • Work cross‑functionally with marketing, event operations, and program teams to coordinate and track fulfillment.
  • Monitor partnership performance and provide post‑event reporting to sponsors.

• Event Support & Program Collaboration

  • Support event logistics for sponsored activities, including coordination of speakers, exhibitor needs, onsite brand placement, and VIP engagements.
  • Collaborate with internal teams to integrate sponsors into existing events and programs.
  • Participate in post‑event debriefs to evaluate sponsorship value and identify future improvements.

• Reporting & Analytics

  • Maintain accurate sponsorship pipelines in the CRM and update opportunity stages, notes, and key activity history.
  • Produce regular sales reports, including forecasts, revenue pacing, and pipeline health assessments.
  • Track sales performance against targets and identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
  • Provide internal stakeholders with visibility into upcoming sponsor commitments, deliverable deadlines, and financial projections.
  • Develop standardized reporting dashboards or summaries to support strategic planning and leadership decision‑making.

• Strategy, Planning & Administration

  • Contribute to annual revenue planning, forecasting, and goal setting for partnership programs.
  • Help evolve IEEE‑USA’s sponsorship assets, pricing, sales collateral, and value propositions.
  • Track sales activity (pipeline and forecasts), sponsor data, and fulfillment using CRM and project‑management tools.
  • Stay informed on industry trends in events, association partnerships, and sponsor expectations.

• Communications & Marketing

  • Demonstrate strong communications skills and ability to create/edit copy and deliver strong presentations.
  • Create/edit graphics, collateral material, or videos for presentations or social media platforms using Canva, Photoshop, Cap Cut, or Premiere.
  • Work with the team to deploy campaigns and monitor results to support event and marketing efforts.
  • Experience creating, editing, and maintaining web and social media content; basic content‑management skill via WordPress is a plus.
  • Manage relationships with IEEE volunteers and assist with committee work.
  • Help drive innovation and creative discovery that leads to increases in members, revenue, or both.

Travel Information

• 25% Domestic travel for IEEE‑USA events, meetings, and sponsor engagements.
• Evening or weekend hours may occasionally be required.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, communications, or a related field, or equivalent experience.

Work Experience

• 2–4 years of experience in sales, partnerships, business development, or event management with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proven success in selling intangibles/services, with strong relationship‑building and negotiation skills.
• Ability to understand customer needs and translate them into actionable opportunities.
• Strong project management and organizational skills; comfortable managing multiple priorities.
• Experience working with cross‑functional teams; resourceful and hands‑on when needed.
• Familiarity with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software and basic event‑management platforms is a plus.
• Familiarity with Content Management Systems (CMS – WordPress) and basic graphic editing/design (e.g., Canva, Photoshop, Cap Cut) is a plus.

Skills and Requirements

• 4–7 years of experience in sales, partnerships, business development, or event management, with proven success in selling intangibles/services.
• Strong project management and organizational skills; comfortable managing multiple priorities.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to work under pressure on multiple projects simultaneously.
• Ability to create/edit copy and deliver strong presentations/pitches to prospects.
• Experience working with cross‑functional teams; resourceful and hands‑on when needed.
• Software: Familiarity with CRM and basic event‑management platforms; familiarity with CMS (WordPress) and basic graphic editing/design (Canva, Photoshop, Cap Cut) is a plus.
• Knowledge of engineering industries, associations, or technical audiences is beneficial.

Other Requirements

• Individuals currently serving on an IEEE board or committee are not eligible to apply (as defined in IEEE Policies).
• This position is not budgeted for employer‑sponsored immigration support; it excludes persons in F (CPT and OPT), J, H, L, or O status.
• For information on work demands and conditions, consult the reference document, ADA Requirements. This position is classified under Category II – Mobile Positions.
• All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

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Disclaimer: This job description is proprietary to IEEE. It outlines the general nature and key features performed by various positions that share the same job classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties and qualifications required of all employees assigned to the job. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or re‑assign duties to this job at any time due to reasonable accommodations or other business reasons.