Sales Account Executive

Representing WBEZLive What You Love.

If you love independent journalism and are looking for the opportunity to bring your expertise in pursuing sales opportunities , advertising agencies, and directly with clients to the radio station you listen to every day, we need to talk!

Your Success Representing WBEZ For Sponsorship Will Be Measured By Your Ability To

• Sales Performance - Source and close new sponsors and increase revenue from existing accounts
• Sponsor Management – Work account list and develop new business to continuously execute sales activity to grow revenue by participating in sales-related activities, including customer sales visits and Zoom calls.
• Proposal Development - Deliver professional presentations and solution-based proposals to all clients and prospects that include co-op, negotiated fee schedule, period for completion, and other related requirements.
• Natural talent - Build and maintain positive relationships with advertising agencies, sponsors, and colleagues.
• Love for all things process – Track and manage your activity by documenting activity in our CRM

What A Typical Day Might Look Like

You’ll spend your day hunting for new business, meeting with business leaders, agencies, and engaging with and managing existing accounts while you propose and sell sponsorship schedules, programs, and events to build and maintain relationships, achieve / exceed sales goals and serve as a media consultant to your clients.

You’ll develop and grow your account list by prospecting and engaging with new clients, using your familiarity with local market media and competitor dynamics to distinguish WBEZ as a key marketing resource. You’ll collaborate with team members, including a Business Development Specialist who’ll help you craft compelling proposals, and you’ll go to market with best-in-class materials supported by audience analytics to provide sponsors with proof of performance.

And at the end of the day, you’ll rest assured knowing your sponsor’s messages aired without issue and that your effort fuels independent media in and around the Chicago region.

Who You'll Work With

We’re creative thinkers and doers who love to collaborate and share ideas - and we’ll be eager to learn from you. We care deeply about how we work together and rely on our employee-inspired values to shape our working community. You’ll be proud to work in an environment where everyone feels their voice is heard and that they belong.

The Chicago Sales Team is led by Lindsay Strauss, the Director of Sponsorship Sales for WBEZ, who is dedicated to ensuring we meet our brand promise to achieve revenue goals. You will also collaborate closely with other members of the Market Enginuity team and the amazing folks at WBEZ will support you.

You Have What It Takes If You 

• Have experience in outside B2B sales, account development, new business development and agency management, along with knowledge of sales and marketing principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling
• Are skilled and motivated to close new business by implementing marketing strategy and tactics, and honed sales techniques
• Don't cut corners; your confidence comes from being prepared
• Have strong interpersonal and communication skills, and a history developing trusted relationships
• Possess a keen understanding of digital media, and prior success selling integrated programs including on-air, digital, and events. Experience in cause marketing strategy and execution are a definite plus!
• Hold a broad-based business acumen with marketing knowledge across multiple key categories
• Have a strong understanding of the Chicago market including decision makers, local events, and key accounts
• Possess a valid driver’s license

Why You’ll Love Working HereHybrid Work

As we plan our return to hybrid office-based work, we’re taking this opportunity to reinvent what that looks like. As a result, the job will hub-from home, in-office two days a week and sometimes days in-between for those important one-off meetings. You’ll divide your time between the office (once we can) for meetings, team one-on-ones, and collaboration, and the rest of your time we want you out there networking, you’ll use your discretion to complete paperwork or calls from the comfort of your home office, too.

Time Away From Work

At Enginuity, you’re actually encouraged to take your vacation! We understand how important it is to feel refreshed and re-energized and back it up by starting you off with great paid-time-off perks including 20 PTO days your first year in addition to 10 national holidays we observe, a floating holiday you can take any time, and a Community Impact Day to give back.

Peace Of Mind Comes With Great Benefits

We know that you do your best work when essentials are taken care of, so we do it for you.

We’ve got you covered with several healthcare plans to choose from, a personal health savings accounts the company generously contributes to, dental, and vision insurance. And if you choose, even Fido can have his own pet care plan to cover vet costs! In addition, Enginuity also pays the entire premium for short- and long-term disability and life insurance.

Bring Your Whole Self To Work. Each Day. Everyday.

As leaders in mission-driven media, we seek talent as unique as the audiences we help our clients reach. That’s why we are committed to a culture of inclusion where individuals from every walk of life feel respected, are treated fairly, provided work-life harmony and an opportunity to excel. Our mindful objectives include curating a diverse workplace where we invite authenticity, encourage curiosity, and treasure collaboration.

So, bring yourself to Market Enginuity – your skills, experiences, ideas – where your whole self is welcome.

Learn More About Us and WBEZ

Market Enginuity fuels mission-driven, educational, and inspiring independent media to benefit stations, producers, sponsors, and audiences. 

For over two decades we’ve been building the largest team in the country that specializes in corporate sponsorship sales. The passion is still personal and carried by more than 140 people ingrained in the communities where we live and work, and the stations we support with our contributions. Market Enginuity attracts the best people who together create the standard of excellence for corporate support in public media across the country.

You can learn more about us on our website: https://marketenginuity.com/about-us/

Established in 1943 as an extension service of the Chicago Board of Education, WBEZ become one of the first charter member stations of National Public Radio in 1970 and added Vocalo on 91.1 FM, celebrating Chicago urban alternative music in 2007. Rebranded as Chicago Public Media (CPM) in 2010, CPM is Chicago’s NPR news station, one of the largest and most respected public media stations in the country.

Check out the WBEZ on 91.5 FM. Learn more at https://www.wbez.org/

Salary: $60-65k Base plus unlimited upside in incentive and bonuses