Sponsorships Manager, Conferences and Events

We are seeking an Sponsorship Manager to join the Foundation and its Conferences and Events team in its mission of benefitting, supporting, and enhancing the California Community Colleges—the largest and most diverse system of higher education in the nation.

The Conferences and Events team provides comprehensive event planning and logistical support for in-person, virtual, and hybrid events. The team supports a wide range of convenings, meetings, conferences, and special events that advance engagement and systemwide priorities.

What You’ll Do

The Sponsorships Manager leads the strategy, cultivation, and management of corporate sponsorships for a diverse portfolio of conferences, conventions, and special events. This role owns the full sponsorship lifecycle—from prospecting and sponsorship proposal development through contract execution, sponsor activation, onsite fulfillment, post-event reporting, renewal, and long-term relationship management. Success in this role comes from building strong sponsor relationships, delivering exceptional event experiences, and ensuring sponsors receive measurable value from their investment.

This is not a traditional donor relations, grant writing, or fundraising position. Instead, this role is focused on developing and managing corporate event sponsorships that support conferences and events while creating long-term strategic partnerships.

The ideal candidate is an experienced sponsorship or partnership professional who thrives in a fast-paced conference and events environment. You're equally comfortable building relationships with corporate sponsors, developing compelling sponsorship proposals, coordinating onsite sponsor activations, and ensuring every sponsorship commitment is delivered flawlessly. You understand what makes sponsors successful at conferences and conventions and enjoy balancing relationship management with the operational details required to execute exceptional event experiences.

• Cultivate, manage, and grow sponsor relationships across a portfolio of conferences, conventions, and special events, serving as the primary point of contact throughout the sponsorship lifecycle.
• Develop customized sponsorship proposals and packages that align sponsor objectives with event goals and organizational priorities.
• Manage the full sponsorship lifecycle, including prospecting, negotiations, contracting, sponsor communications, onsite activation, fulfillment, post-event reporting, and renewal.
• Oversee sponsor and exhibitor fulfillment by coordinating branding, activations, exhibit logistics, speaking opportunities, recognition, and other contractual benefits while ensuring an exceptional sponsor experience.
• Maintain and manage the sponsorship pipeline, tracking prospective sponsors, active opportunities, renewals, and long-term relationship development across multiple annual events.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure sponsorship deliverables are executed successfully while continuously improving sponsorship processes, templates, timelines, and workflows.
• Identify opportunities to expand sponsor relationships beyond individual events by facilitating introductions to other FoundationCCC teams when appropriate.
• Lead the development, documentation, and continuous improvement of sponsorship processes, templates, timelines, and workflows to create clear structure, consistent execution, and shared accountability across events.

Attributes for Success

• 3–5+ years of experience managing corporate sponsorships for conferences, conventions, trade shows, association events, or large-scale events, including sponsor relationship management, sponsor fulfillment, activation, and exhibitor services.
• Demonstrated experience managing sponsors throughout the entire sponsorship lifecycle—from prospecting and proposal development through event execution, post-event reporting, and renewals.
• Experience developing sponsorship prospectuses, exhibitor programs, sponsorship packages, or conference partnership programs strongly preferred.
• Experience coordinating multiple sponsors and exhibitors simultaneously while delivering exceptional client service.
• Experience using Salesforce or another CRM to manage sponsor relationships and sponsorship pipelines.
• Experience working within or supporting educational institutions or nonprofit organizations is strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding of sponsorship value, audience engagement strategies, sponsor stewardship, and current trends in event sponsorship.
• Strong client management skills, including the ability to serve as a trusted point of contact, understand client priorities, manage expectations, navigate competing needs, and maintain strong relationships with sponsors, clients, and internal partners.
• Proven skills in relationship management, negotiation, sales, client service, and sponsor communications.
• We’re recruiting for mission-driven, passionate, equity-minded individuals with a strong desire to impact and change people’s lives for the better
• Our work holds great weight and responsibility, and the opportunity to impact the lives of millions
• Innovation, creativity, collaboration, and entrepreneurship are encouraged as employees work to achieve organizational goals
• FoundationCCC blends the impact of a non-profit, the culture of an entrepreneurial start-up, and the scale of a state agency
• Team members are hired for their expertise in niche areas across our areas of impact and higher education overall, and for their knowledge of business, philanthropy, technology, communications, and more
• We have a commitment to professional development and an emphasis on shared leadership, to ensure growth for employees and the organization overall

What we Offer

FoundationCCC is fully committed to a “remote-first” philosophy, and recruits and hires talent across the state in fully remote positions, where virtual work is possible. Our headquarters are located in Downtown Sacramento, just blocks from California’s State Capitol.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation, generous PTO, holidays
• Medical, dental, and vision plans, Flexible Spending Accounts, and Health Savings Accounts (HSA), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and Wellness offerings
• CalPERS retirement program and optional 403(b) and 457 Retirement plans
• Tuition reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness certified employer

If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected].