Senior Sales Manager, Ecommerce

Reports to: Head of Retail Media Solutions

About us

The Independent is an online news publisher that was established in 1986 as a national newspaper independent of party political affiliations or proprietorial influence. In 2016, The Independent became a fully digital publisher, moving away from print in pursuit of sustainability, and to safeguard its values and journalism for the future.

The Independent has always thrived through innovation and change. It was the first British newspaper to add a Saturday magazine; the first to give photography the same prestige as a news copy; the first to challenge the Westminster lobby system of closed briefings; the first broadsheet to move to the more compact ‘tabloid’ format; the first to launch a concise quality compact paper; and the first – and only – major newspaper to pull off a successful transformation to fully digital publishing.

Through The Independent, Independent TV, eCommerce, indy100, subscriptions and other ‘reader revenues’, The Independent plans to continue the work of many decades, bringing much-needed independent journalism to over 100 million unique global visitors a month, make its voice ever louder and more insistent the world over.

We have an international editorial team with our main offices in London and New York.

The role

We are seeking a highly motivated and results-oriented Senior Sales Manager to join our dynamic team. In this role, you will be responsible for driving revenue growth by acquiring and managing affiliate and agency partnerships. Your primary focus will be on pitching and closing deals for sponsored content activations, affiliate campaigns, and other commercial opportunities across our suite of brands. In addition, you will line manage and coach a business development executive, who supports the sales team to achieve its goals. You will have a proven track record of exceeding sales targets and building strong client relationships within the affiliate and media industry.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

• We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. As a growing and global brand, we must have a workforce that’s more representative of our readers, viewers, clients and partners, and a workplace that creates a sense of belonging for everyone
• We are committed to hiring and developing a diverse workforce regardless of background, and we support our people to thrive in their careers here.

The Independent is an equal opportunities employer, if you require any reasonable adjustments to complete your application, please do not hesitate to advise us accordingly.

The team

The Ecommerce team is one of the fastest-growing in our company and is composed of Editorial, Audience and Commercial divisions. The latter, where this role sits, is made up of commercial specialists tasked with driving revenue growth through affiliate and ecommerce partnerships across our premium media brands: The Independent, The Standard, BuzzFeed UK and HuffPost UK. We leverage our strong editorial voice and audience reach to generate revenue through affiliate marketing, sponsored content, and strategic partnerships with leading brands and agencies. Our goal is to grow our ecommerce business by acquiring new clients, expanding existing relationships, and securing long-term, high-value partnerships.

Key responsibilities and accountabilities

• Identify and pursue new business opportunities: Proactively seek out and develop relationships with potential affiliate partners, agencies, and brands. This includes identifying key decision-makers, conducting market research, and developing targeted sales strategies.
• Lead sales pitches and negotiations: Develop compelling presentations and proposals to showcase the value proposition of our commercial offerings. Negotiate and close deals that meet or exceed revenue targets and achieve profitable outcomes.
• Manage client relationships: Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders at affiliate networks, agencies and client direct. Proactively address client needs, resolve issues, and ensure client satisfaction.
• Achieve and exceed sales targets: Consistently meet and exceed individual and team sales targets. Track progress against key metrics and identify areas for improvement.
• Line management: Managing and developing the business development executive to ensure they hit their KPIs and deliver positive outcomes for the Sales Managers.
• Market research and analysis: Stay abreast of industry trends, competitor activity, and emerging opportunities in the affiliate and ecommerce space. Analyse market data to identify new revenue streams and optimise sales strategies.
• Represent the company at industry events: Attend and participate in industry conferences, networking events, and trade shows to build brand awareness and generate new business leads.
• Collaborate with internal teams: Work closely with editorial, product, and marketing teams to ensure successful campaign execution and deliver exceptional client experiences.

Essential skills and experience

• Proven experience in advertising sales, with a strong focus on digital media and affiliate marketing.
• Track record of exceeding sales targets and managing a book of business.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate higher CPAs, CPCs, and CPLs that drive win-win outcomes for both the company and its partners.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to analyse data and identify key insights.
• Ability to build and maintain strong client relationships.
• Self-motivated, results-oriented, and able to work independently as well as part of a team.
• Experience using CRM and sales management tools, including pipeline management.

Desirable

• Experience working with or for premium media brands.
• Knowledge of affiliate marketing platforms and tracking technologies.
• Experience with sponsored content creation and execution.

Our values - you will deliver across al our values

Inclusive: We champion diversity in our teams and in our reporting. Working as a team, we put transparency and effective communication at the heart of everything we do.

Innovative: From the very beginning, The Independent has been breaking the mould. We take risks and are always looking to try new ideas in pursuit of excellence.

Independent: Nobody tells us what to think; we make up our own minds and aren’t afraid to do things differently. Like our readers, we value honesty and integrity above outside influences.