Commercial Partnerships Manager

DC Thomson; Inverness; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

DC Thomson is seeking a Commercial Partnerships Manager to drive growth through long-term partnerships across our brand portfolio. This hybrid role sits in the Commercial Growth team and reports to the Head of Commercial Growth.

You will design integrated partnership solutions, steward senior clients and agencies, and ensure activity aligns with strategic priorities and audience needs. Travel up to 20% with offices in Dundee, Aberdeen or Inverness.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to sell across a varied portfolio.
• Experience building senior-level client and agency relationships.
• Ability to forecast and manage a robust pipeline.

Responsibilities

• Deliver annual and multi-year partnership revenue targets.
• Build and sustain senior-level client and agency relationships.
• Maintain a robust, forecasted commercial pipeline using CRM discipline.
• Design integrated partnership propositions leveraging portfolio assets.
• Share insight and best practice to strengthen commercial capability across the business.

Skills

Networking

Client management

Relationship management

Strategic partnerships

Sales experience

Commercial judgement

Data-driven decisions

Job description

Job Title: Commercial Partnerships Manager

Department: Commercial Growth

Reporting to: Head of Commercial Growth

Locations: Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Scotland

Ways of Working: Hybrid (3 days in the office per week)

Travel: 20% (National and some International)

Contract Type: Permanent

DC Thomson are recruiting for a Commercial Partnerships Manager to join our Commercial Growth Team based in any one of our Dundee, Aberdeen, or Inverness offices. This is a newly created role due to the growth.

The Commercial Partnerships Manager exists to deliver sustainable, high-value commercial growth through long-term strategic partnerships across DC Thomson's portfolio in an increasingly competitive, fragmented and value-driven media market. This is an opportunity leverage your extended network to work across the whole DC Thomson brand portfolio from energy to golf to B2B and B2C.

Operating within a portfolio business model, the Commercial Partnerships Manager is primarily externally focused and accountable for converting audience insight, brand strength and partner need into multi-year commercial outcomes.

The successful candidate will design integrated partnership solutions, steward senior agency and client relationships, and ensure that commercial activity is aligned to strategic priorities, audience behaviour, and transformation goals in a tough external environment.

Key responsibilities include:

• Delivering agreed annual and multi-year partnership revenue targets, with a demonstrable shift toward higher-value, longer-term deals
• Building and sustaining senior-level client (including C-Suite level) and agency relationships that position DC Thomson as a strategic partner, not a supplier
• Maintaining a robust, transparent and accurately forecasted commercial pipeline, using CRM discipline to inform decision-making
• Designing integrated partnership propositions that leverage portfolio assets and respond to evolving market and audience needs
• Sharing insight, learning and best practice to strengthen commercial capability across the business

Skills:

• Excellent networking, client management and relationship management acumen
• Manages complex, high-value sales cycles and strategic accounts; influences senior stakeholders and negotiates commercial outcomes
• Builds and sustains trusted, outcome-focused relationships with senior internal and external stakeholders
• Applies commercial judgement to optimise value, manage risk and deliver sustainable financial outcomes
• Identifies, qualifies and develops new opportunities aligned to strategic objectives
• Uses data and insight to inform commercial decisions, proposition design and performance tracking

Experience:

• Essential Demonstrable ability to sell effectively across a varied portfolio
• Background within a portfolio or matrixed organisation
• Previously designed integrated or non-standard commercial partnerships
• Demonstrable ability to succeed in a fast-moving, competitive market with shifting audience behaviour

Desirable:

• Background in a B2B industry
• Established network within relevant industries

Behaviours that will help this role succeed:

• Being More Curious – Actively seeks insight into partner needs, audience behaviour and market shifts to inform better commercial solutions
• Experiment with Purpose – Tests new partnership models and revenue approaches in a disciplined way, learning quickly and scaling what works
• Owning the Outcomes – Takes clear accountability for commercial performance, quality of delivery and relationship outcomes, not just activity
• Being More Collaborative – Works openly across brands, functions and portfolios to create integrated solutions and share best practice

Closing date for applications: 5th November 2026 at 4pm