Specialist, Sponsorship Development & Corporate Partnerships

Foundation for California Community Colleges; California; Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 73,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote-first

PTO & holidays

Medical, dental, vision

HSAs & FSAs

EAP & Wellness

CalPERS retirement

Education reimbursement

Job summary

FoundationCCC seeks a proactive Specialist, Sponsorship Development & Corporate Partnerships to expand sponsorship opportunities across statewide conferences and events in California. The role is remote within California, with ~25% travel for in-person events, and requires strong relationship-building and CRM proficiency.

You will lead outbound prospecting, develop customized sponsorship proposals, manage pipelines in Salesforce, and collaborate with internal teams to meet revenue goals and

Qualifications

• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in sales, business development, sponsorship development, corporate partnerships, or a related field.
• Strong understanding of sponsorship development, prospect identification, relationship cultivation, and strategies for advancing partnership opportunities.
• Demonstrated experience in outbound prospecting, lead generation, relationship development, and consistent follow-up to advance sponsorship or business development opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Identify and pursue new corporate sponsorship opportunities for statewide conferences, summits, events, and initiatives supporting California's community colleges.
• Drive sponsorship sales through proactive prospecting, outbound outreach, lead generation, and consistent follow-up to secure new sponsorship commitments and generate revenue.
• Build and maintain relationships with prospective and existing corporate sponsors, identifying opportunities to expand engagement and develop long-term partnerships.
• Manage sponsorship leads generated through independent outreach, client referrals, internal teams, and existing corporate relationships.
• Lead discovery conversations with prospective sponsors to understand their business objectives, marketing priorities, and opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships.
• Develop and present customized sponsorship packages, proposals, and creative event engagement opportunities that connect corporate partners with relevant audiences.
• Communicate the value of sponsorship opportunities, address prospective sponsor questions, and advance sales conversations toward securing commitments.
• Independently manage assigned sponsorship opportunities throughout the sales pipeline, from initial prospecting and qualification through securing commitments and coordinating appropriate handoffs.
• Utilize Salesforce to manage sponsorship pipelines, track outreach activities, monitor prospective revenue, and maintain accurate records of sponsor communications and follow-up.
• Collaborate with the Partnership Engagement Manager, event teams, and internal stakeholders to identify new business opportunities, strengthen corporate relationships, and support sponsorship revenue goals.

Skills

Sponsorship sales

Prospect identification

Relationship building

CRM systems

Sales pipeline management

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Specialist, Sponsorship Development & Corporate Partnerships Remote within California, Must reside in California, Approximately 25% travel for in-person events

The Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC) is seeking a proactive, relationship-oriented Specialist, Sponsorship Development & Corporate Partnerships to help expand sponsorship opportunities across statewide conferences, summits, and events that support California's community colleges. Working within a collaborative and nimble team, this position helps cultivate meaningful partnerships that advance student success, innovation, workforce development, and educational opportunities.

What You'll Do

• Identify and pursue new corporate sponsorship opportunities for statewide conferences, summits, events, and initiatives supporting California's community colleges.
• Drive sponsorship sales through proactive prospecting, outbound outreach, lead generation, and consistent follow-up to secure new sponsorship commitments and generate revenue.
• Build and maintain relationships with prospective and existing corporate sponsors, identifying opportunities to expand engagement and develop long-term partnerships.
• Manage sponsorship leads generated through independent outreach, client referrals, internal teams, and existing corporate relationships.
• Lead discovery conversations with prospective sponsors to understand their business objectives, marketing priorities, and opportunities for mutually beneficial partnerships.
• Develop and present customized sponsorship packages, proposals, and creative event engagement opportunities that connect corporate partners with relevant audiences.
• Communicate the value of sponsorship opportunities, address prospective sponsor questions, and advance sales conversations toward securing commitments.
• Independently manage assigned sponsorship opportunities throughout the sales pipeline, from initial prospecting and qualification through securing commitments and coordinating appropriate handoffs.
• Utilize Salesforce to manage sponsorship pipelines, track outreach activities, monitor prospective revenue, and maintain accurate records of sponsor communications and follow-up.
• Collaborate with the Partnership Engagement Manager, event teams, and internal stakeholders to identify new business opportunities, strengthen corporate relationships, and support sponsorship revenue goals.

Attributes for Success

• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in sales, business development, sponsorship development, corporate partnerships, or a related field.
• Strong understanding of sponsorship development, prospect identification, relationship cultivation, and strategies for advancing partnership opportunities.
• Demonstrated experience in outbound prospecting, lead generation, relationship development, and consistent follow-up to advance sponsorship or business development opportunities.
• Experience managing prospective client or sponsor relationships, advancing opportunities through the sales pipeline, and contributing to revenue goals.
• Demonstrated proficiency using CRM systems to manage sales pipelines, document prospect communications, track outreach activities, and monitor opportunities; direct Salesforce experience strongly preferred.
• 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 [e-mail].

Budgeted Annual Salary Pay Range: $70,304.00 - $73,000.00 Final salary and rates are based on education, experience, skills relevant to the role, and internal equity.

The Foundation for California Community Colleges is the official nonprofit partner to the California Community Colleges, the largest and most diverse system of higher education in the nation. Our work reaches all 116 California Community Colleges across 73 districts and is designed to help improve the student experience and expand pathways to economic and social mobility across California.

More specifically, we exist to benefit:Students: We believe in ensuring students from all backgrounds succeed in reaching their goals and improving their lives and their communities;Community Colleges: We believe in lifting up the California Community College system as the greatest gateway to a better future;Communities: We believe in the power of community colleges to help their communities thrive.

Our projects and services seek to be at the forefront of innovation and excellence in higher education across five areas of impact: student success, workforce development, equity, community impact, and system support. To date, we've delivered hundreds of millions in grants, support, and cost savings to colleges and students to make this possible, with 85 cents of every dollar raised directly allocated to programs and services.

We're proud of our role in helping Californians build a better future for themselves and their families, but we know there's more to be done. Join us. Learn more about working at the Foundation > Read the Foundation's Double Impact Strategic Plan > Location The Foundation's main headquarters are based in Sacramento, California, though we offer remote opportunities throughout the entire state. We aim to hire a workforce reflective of the California communities we serve.