Head of Brand Partnerships

Career Guide
Leads the strategy and execution of brand partnership revenue, building pipelines, negotiating high-value deals, and managing key accounts. Oversees a team to package offerings, close partnerships, and measure performance against growth targets.

Key Responsibilities

  • Set partnership strategy and revenue targets
  • Build and manage enterprise deal pipeline
  • Negotiate and close multi-channel sponsorships
  • Develop pricing, packaging, and go-to-market collateral
  • Oversee contract terms, compliance, and renewals
  • Lead account management and partner success
  • Forecast revenue and report on performance
  • Manage and coach partnerships/sales team

Career Progression

Can Lead To
VP, Brand Partnerships
Head of Business Development
Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)
Transition Opportunities
Enterprise Sales Director
Head of Sponsorships
Head of Influencer Marketing
Strategic Alliances Director

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills
Structuring complex, multi-year sponsorshipsPricing and valuing partnership assets across channelsMedia/creator ecosystem fluency and measurementExecutive-level negotiation and objection handlingForecasting accuracy and pipeline rigor in CRM
Development SuggestionsComplete IAB DMSC and build a portfolio of 2–3 mock partnership packages with pricing, KPI frameworks, and contracts; then use a CRM (e.g., Salesforce trial) to model a pipeline and produce a forecast and QBR deck.

Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range
Entry Level$110,000 - $150,000
Mid Level$150,000 - $210,000
Senior Level$210,000 - $300,000
Growth Trend
growing

Companies Hiring

Major Employers
TikTokSnap Inc.Condé Nast
Industry Sectors
Advertising & MarketingMedia & EntertainmentTechnology (Social/Platforms)Consumer Goods & Retail

Recommended Next Steps

1
Earn the IAB Digital Media Sales Certification (DMSC) and apply concepts by drafting sample proposals and insertion orders.
2
Join industry groups (IAB, ANA) and set 5–10 informational interviews with partnership leaders at media, creator, or retail media firms.
3
Build a KPI toolkit: learn brand lift, ROAS, and MMM/MTA basics; create a dashboard mockup in Looker Studio or Tableau using sample data.