[Hiring] Director of Business Development, Strategic Media Partnerships @QuinStreet

Job Category

Director of Business Development, Strategic Media Partnerships

We are seeking a high-caliber Director of Business Development to originate, structure, and close large-scale media and distribution partnerships with enterprise brands, digital platforms, publishers, and performance-marketing leaders. This role is built for a senior sales and partnerships leader who excels at navigating complex organizations, leading high-value commercial negotiations, and turning strategic relationships into long-term revenue engines.

You will own the strategy and execution of enterprise-level deals from initial engagement through close and expansion, working directly with executive stakeholders internally and externally. This role plays a critical part in shaping our go-to-market motion, partner ecosystem, and revenue growth trajectory.

Responsibilities

Strategic Partner Development & Pipeline Leadership

• Define and execute a strategic pipeline focused on enterprise and high-value media partnerships across brands, platforms, publishers, and embedded/checkout environments.

• Originate and lead complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles, including executive-level prospecting, solution positioning, and long-term relationship development.

• Own end-to-end pipeline governance, forecasting, and deal prioritization, ensuring alignment with revenue targets and broader company objectives.

• Serve as a senior external representative at industry conferences, executive forums, and partner events to source and cultivate strategic opportunities.

Deal Leadership & Commercial Execution

• Lead high-stakes commercial negotiations, including pricing models, deal structures, performance frameworks, and contractual terms.

• Develop compelling, data-driven value propositions tailored to partner objectives, acquisition strategies, and scale requirements.

• Drive deals from concept to close and through launch, ensuring operational readiness, performance alignment, and long-term scalability.

• Identify expansion opportunities within existing partnerships and proactively drive upsell, cross-sell, and renewal strategies.

Cross-Functional & Executive Collaboration

• Partner closely with Product, Engineering, Analytics, Operations, Legal/Compliance, and Marketing to design scalable integration models and performance-driven acquisition solutions.

• Translate partner needs into internal priorities, influencing roadmap decisions and go-to-market strategies.

• Act as a senior internal voice for partner strategy, market insights, and competitive dynamics.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in business development, strategic partnerships, enterprise sales, or media sales, with increasing scope and deal complexity.

• Demonstrated success closing large, enterprise-grade media or distribution deals with long sales cycles (6–12+ months) and multi-year impact.

• Deep experience in digital media, performance marketing, embedded partnerships, affiliate/lead generation, or insurtech/fintech ecosystems.

• Proven ability to engage and influence VP- and C-suite stakeholders, both internally and externally.

• Strong executive presence with exceptional negotiation, storytelling, and presentation skills.

• Highly analytical and metrics-driven, with the ability to assess partner performance, ROI, and funnel economics.

• Strategic, self-directed leader comfortable operating in fast-moving environments with multiple high-value deals in flight.

• Advanced proficiency in CRM and pipeline management (e.g., Salesforce), forecasting, and deal governance.

• Experience with insurance or financial-services acquisition models is a strong plus (or the ability to ramp quickly).