Associate Director, Client Partnerships (Local Advocacy & Public Affairs)

The big picture: Axios is a media company dedicated to providing trustworthy, award-winning news content in an audience-first format. We are hiring an Associate Director, Client Partnerships to join our growing Public Affairs advertising team, with a dedicated focus on expanding Axios' state and local advocacy business. This role will report to the Head of Public Affairs, Client Partnerships. 

Why it matters: As policy decisions increasingly play out in state capitols and at the ballot box, organizations need effective ways to reach influential audiences in local markets. In this role, you will drive new revenue by building partnerships with advocacy organizations, political and public affairs agencies, trade associations, coalitions, and other policy-driven entities seeking to influence the conversations shaping state and local communities.

You will play a key role in expanding Axios' presence in the state and local advocacy advertising market, leveraging Axios Local and our broader portfolio of advertising, custom content, and event solutions.

Go Deeper: Ideal candidates will bring an entrepreneurial spirit, a strong hunting mentality, and a passion for Axios' mission. This is a high-energy, business development-focused role requiring an understanding of state and local politics, the advocacy advertising landscape, and the ability to translate client priorities into creative, effective media partnerships.

In this role you'll:

• Drive new business: Identify, prospect, and secure new advertising partnerships with organizations investing in state-level public affairs, issue advocacy, ballot initiatives, and legislative campaigns.
• Build strategic relationships: Develop and maintain relationships with political and public affairs agencies, trade associations, advocacy organizations, corporate government affairs teams, coalitions, and other stakeholders managing state and local advocacy budgets.
• Own the state and local opportunity: Identify priority markets, legislative calendars, ballot initiatives, and emerging policy issues that create opportunities for Axios advertising partnerships.
• Develop integrated solutions: Work with clients and agencies to build strategic advertising programs leveraging Axios Local newsletters, digital advertising, custom content, and experiential opportunities to reach influential audiences.
• Grow Axios' market presence: Represent Axios at industry events, conferences, and networking opportunities to establish the company as a valuable partner for state and local advocacy campaigns.
• Manage the full sales cycle: Lead prospecting, discovery, proposals, negotiations, and closing, while developing long-term relationships that create repeat business.
• Collaborate across teams: Partner with Axios Local, integrated marketing, advertising operations, and other internal stakeholders to develop and execute successful client campaigns.
• Deliver against revenue goals: Build and maintain a strong sales pipeline, identify opportunities for growth, and consistently achieve individual revenue targets.

Worthy of your time: Ideal candidates will embody an entrepreneurial spirit and a growth mindset, with a proven ability to build relationships and generate new revenue. This position requires the following:

• 5+ years of experience in advertising sales, digital media, campaigns, political advertising, public affairs, or agency business development at the state level. 
• Existing relationships with state-level political and public affairs agencies, advocacy organizations, trade associations, or other entities investing in state and local issue campaigns.
• Strong understanding of the state legislative landscape, ballot initiative campaigns, and the dynamics of state and local advocacy advertising.
• Proven experience in outbound sales, new business development, and managing the full sales cycle.
• Experience developing multi-market advertising campaigns or selling local and regional media.
• Familiarity with digital advertising, media planning, audience targeting, and integrated marketing solutions.
• Ability to identify business opportunities around legislative sessions, elections, ballot measures, and other policy-driven moments.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Willingness to travel to priority markets and attend relevant industry events.
• Track record of successfully meeting or exceeding revenue targets.

Starting salary for this role is in the range of $66,000 - $87,000 and is dependent on numerous factors, including but not limited to location, work experience, and skills. This range does not include other compensation and benefits. Axios' compensation philosophy takes into account cost of labor differentials across the country. Because this is a remote-optional job posting, this salary range takes into account all possible locations within the United States, but candidates will only be eligible for the salary range for their location.

Note that the total compensation offered for this role includes incremental variable compensation based on sales territory, which is contingent upon the successful achievement of predetermined sales targets.

Axios is committed to embracing artificial intelligence as a core part of how we work. All team members are expected to actively develop AI literacy and use AI tools to enhance their productivity, creativity, and efficiency. We invest in ongoing learning to ensure every employee is equipped to responsibly and effectively integrate AI into their daily workflows.

What Axios brings to the table besides salary:

• 401(k) with employer match
• Robust PPO and High Deductible health insurance options on the Blue Cross Blue Shield network
• Employer Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution for the high deductible health plan option
• Dental and vision coverage
• Primary caregiver 12-week paid leave
• Generous vacation policy, plus holidays
• One mental health day per quarter
• Annual learning and development stipend
• $100 monthly work-from-home stipend
• Tele-mental health services through Headspace
• OneMedical membership, including tele-health services
• Personal health advocacy resources through HealthAdvocate 
• Inclusive fertility, hormonal health and family forming benefits through Carrot Fertility
• Access to the Axios Employee Support Fund, which was created to allow employees to request financial support when facing financial hardship or emergencies 
• Increased work flexibility for parents and caretakers 
• Virtual company-sponsored social events
• A strong and positive work environment
• A commitment to an open, inclusive, and diverse work culture

 Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Axios is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, age, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. Axios makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time.