About Chicago Public Media
Chicago Public Media is one of the nation’s largest local nonprofit news organizations. Home to WBEZ 91.5FM, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Vocalo. Chicago Public Media reaches more than 3.3 million people weekly across broadcast, print, and digital platforms. As a mission-driven organization, we aspire to be the most trusted news source Chicagoans turn to for understanding the people, events, and ideas shaping our community.
Chicago Public Media is a 100% community-funded newsroom powered by nearly 97,000 members whose support makes our journalism possible. This sustained community investment helped drive nationally recognized work in 2025, including 29 awards from esteemed organizations, including the Public Media Journalists Association, the Edward R. Murrow Awards, and the National Association of Black Journalists.
We believe independent journalism is essential to a healthy democracy and that access to objective, fact-based news is a right for every citizen. We serve the public interest by creating diverse content that informs and enriches our community, supported by a dedicated staff of approximately 250 professionals.
For more information, please see the Chicago Public Media Annual Report.
Position Summary
We are seeking an entrepreneurial Senior Vice President, Sales and Sponsorship to join Chicago Public Media. This role is ideal for someone who thrives on creating new revenue opportunities, enjoys working across teams, and isn’t afraid to challenge the status quo of our current media sales systems. We want you to help us evolve our sponsorship and advertising businesses that are truly for the public of Chicago.
The Senior Vice President, Sales and Sponsorship will develop and execute a comprehensive advertising and sponsorship strategy that manages campaigns across multiple channels and platforms. This position will build a collaborative structure that leverages CPM’s talent and opportunity in Chicago’s vast corporate and community spaces.
This role will:
- Be aggressive and innovative in driving revenue in the digital advertising space that includes custom content, programmatic, streaming, newsletters, social and podcasts.
- Determine how to merge our radio, newspaper and digital sales teams, as well as advertising operations.
- Analyze market trends, set budgets, measure campaign performance to drive brand awareness and sales initiatives that have a big impact.
- Create seamless workflows and liaising between media agencies and account teams.
- Build out new sales channels as we innovate, including hyperlocal sales models, monetization of archives, and more.
- Partner with our Product team to optimize programmatic advertising, with a clear understanding that this revenue line comes second to membership.
- Work closely with executive leadership to manage the go-to-market narrative with key stakeholders.
The role requires an analytical thinker who uses quantitative and qualitative data to develop strategies. The ideal candidate will have that competitive gene to help us build and grow a team of winners to exponentially grow revenue in new and innovative areas.
Qualifications
- Proven experience in sales leadership within the media industry, with a preference for candidates who have experience in digital, public radio or newspapers.
- Demonstrated ability to close sales and strategically improve sales processes.
- Exceptional ability in managing and developing sales talent, with a track record of motivating teams to exceed their targets.
- Strategic thinker with excellent negotiation and relationship management skills.
Education
Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Communication, or related field. Advanced degree preferred.
Compensation
The expected pay range for this position is $170,000 to $220,000 per ANNUM.
Chicago Public Media provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the organization reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographical location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.
Working at Chicago Public Media
At Chicago Public Media, we care deeply about our employees as we know attracting, developing, and growing talent is key to our success and enhancing our impact.
Our culture is one where collaboration, diversity of ideas, and innovation are encouraged. We value colleagues who will enhance our culture by bringing new ideas, divergent experiences, and talents to our dynamic workplace.
At Chicago Public Media we believe dedication to a great workplace includes supporting our employees and their families. As a result, we provide a broad and generous benefits package for employees at hire and in the years to come.
Our benefits include a competitive salary and benefits package which includes medical, dental, vision, vacation, holidays, life insurance, disability coverage, retirement savings, and a commuter benefits plan.
Chicago Public Media is an Equal Opportunity Employer and we actively seek and welcome people from all backgrounds, orientations, and life experiences to join our team.
The essential functions described above are not all-inclusive and are not intended to create any contractual or other legal commitment. Chicago Public Media may change the content or format of this job at any time in its sole and exclusive discretion without notice.
Skills Required
- Proven experience in sales leadership within the media industry
- Experience in digital, public radio, or newspapers
- Demonstrated ability to close sales and improve sales processes strategically
- Exceptional ability to manage and develop sales talent
- Strategic thinker with strong negotiation and relationship management skills
- Analytical thinker using quantitative and qualitative data to develop strategies
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Communication, or related field
- Advanced degree
What We Do
We are Chicago’s NPR news station, one of the largest and most respected public media stations in the country. Our mission is at the heart of WBEZ Chicago. We fulfill our mission at WBEZ by serving as a cornerstone of the public conversation; as a central pillar of our civic community; and by reasserting ourselves as the heart of innovation within public media. We amplify the public conversation by telling the stories that matter; stories that provoke thought, entertain, capture emotion and inspire action. We are a trusted source of news and information in the Chicago region. People turn to WBEZ for our high-quality, fact-based journalism; engaging, entertaining programs on 91.5FM; original podcasts; and digital content
