Platforms and Partnerships Manager, Events & Experiences

Platforms And Partnerships Manager, Events & Experiences

The Platforms and Partnerships Manager is the project manager and business development driver for KQED's digital discovery hub for Bay Area events and experiences, and related initiatives. This role sits at the intersection of product strategy, audience engagement, and revenue generation, responsible for building and scaling digital tools and partnerships that connect audiences to the richness of Bay Area culture and community.

Under the supervision of the Associate Marketing Director, the Digital Platforms and Partnerships Manager coordinates ongoing cross-departmental operations and cultivates external partnerships, while ensuring mutual success. They will align key stakeholders across product, editorial, marketing, events and sponsorship teams to deliver a compelling and mission-aligned user experience for a key new digital product. Collaborating with internal stakeholders, the Manager will be responsible for day-to-day content, operational management, and new client partnership acquisition and renewal to drive revenue.

The ideal candidate brings expertise in product/program management, business development, partnerships marketing, or go-to-market strategy. They are passionate and knowledgeable about Bay Area happenings, places, and culture, and will advance KQED's mission by creating avenues for engagement in a shared sense of place.

The Bay Area Experience Hub (working title) will be KQED's digital front door for discovering things to do and exploring the treasures of the region we call home. Designed as a thoughtfully curated and easy-to-navigate resource, the hub integrates trusted editorial guides content –covering everything from outdoor adventures and neighborhood culture to nightlife, food, and the arts – KQED-produced live events and immersive experiential programming, and curated third-party listings into a single, intuitive platform. Serving as the anchor for KQED's region-wide "Experience the Bay" campaigns, the hub will activate audiences through participatory initiatives that encourage audiences to escape the scroll, connect IRL, and deepen community roots. The Manager will develop and maintain partnerships with an array of Bay Area businesses, vendors, non-profit organizations, and institutions to promote, facilitate and generate revenue through these campaigns.

As the key point of alignment between KQED's Events & Experiences strategy and its Unified Content Strategy, the Bay Area Experience Hub will help reinforce audience engagement across our products while driving additional earned revenue and mission impact.

KQED envisions a public media organization with a culture that centers on human dignity, equity, and belonging. This will enable us to better serve and reflect the Bay Area through diverse and inclusive storytelling.

We value the contributions of marginalized people in society — including Black, Indigenous, and all people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ people — and we believe that these communities must be centered in the work we do, and we strongly encourage members of these communities to apply.

KQED Code of Ethics

The mission that drives us:

KQED provide citizens of Northern California with a community-supported alternative to commercial media. We provide citizens with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions; convene community dialogue; bring the arts to everyone and engage audiences to share their stories. We help students and teachers thrive in 21st-century classrooms, and take people of all ages on journeys of exploration- exposing them to new people, places and ideas.

This role will work hybrid between working in KQED's newly renovated headquarters and working remotely.

Essential Functions:

• Serve as the product operations and business manager for platforms such as the Bay Area Experience Hub, executing the product roadmap, feature prioritization, day-to-day maintenance, and ongoing development in partnership with the Product, Editorial, and other relevant teams.
• Define and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for hub traffic, engagement, content performance, and monetization; report insights regularly to stakeholders.
• Coordinate cross-departmental operations across Editorial, Marketing, Events, and Sponsorship teams to ensure the hub reflects KQED's editorial standards and strategic priorities.
• Implement the curation strategy for third-party listings and featured partner content, maintaining quality standards and audience relevance.
• Coordinate go-to-market planning for new hub features, campaigns, and content launches in collaboration with the Events & Experiences Marketing team.
• Champion the user experience of platforms, conducting regular audits and working with design and product teams to optimize discoverability and navigation.
• Work with Associate Marketing Director to conduct market sizing, competitive analysis, and ideal customer profile definition for platforms.
• Collaborate with the newsroom and editorial team to identify opportunities for and establish curation standards for content on site.
• Work with the event marketing team to prepare effective promotions for the hub through multiple channels, encompassing earned, owned, and paid media.
• Ensure the hub serves as a meaningful touchpoint for KQED's mission — connecting Bay Area audiences to culture, community, and a shared sense of place.

Revenue and Business Development:

• Drive business development for the hub's monetized third-party listings and paid partnership opportunities, prospecting and pitching to aligned Bay Area businesses, venues, and cultural institutions.
• Manage the full partnership lifecycle from outreach and negotiation through contract execution, onboarding, and ongoing relationship management.
• Collaborate with the Sponsorship team to develop compelling partnership packages that generate incremental revenue while aligning with KQED's audience values.
• Work closely with Associate Marketing Director to source and manage partnerships for "Experience the Bay" campaigns and activations.
• Track and report on partnership pipeline, revenue performance, and renewal rates to support the department meeting or exceeding earned revenue targets.
• Identify and evaluate new partnership models, including co-branded content, experiential integrations, and peer-to-peer or cause-marketing activations.
• Build and maintain a wide network of potential third-party campaign contributors and listing sources.
• Represent KQED at community and industry events to build visibility and cultivate prospective partnerships across the Bay Area.

Knowledge/Experience Required:

• 4-5 years of experience in business development, digital marketing, or partnerships – ideally spanning more than one of these disciplines.
• Demonstrated success in end-to-end management or administration of, with end-to-end ownership, a digital platform or product (app, website, membership portal, ticketing system, etc.), including management of integrations, or content management systems.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to juggle multiple workstreams, priorities, and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Analytical mindset with experience defining, tracking, and reporting on KPIs and performance metrics.
• Comfort working in a matrixed organization with multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
• Familiarity with and genuine enthusiasm for Bay Area culture, events, food, arts, and community life.
• A deep affinity for and knowledge of KQED, and an appreciation for public media's mission.

Knowledge/Experience Desired:

• Experience working at or with media companies, cultural institutions, or mission-driven organizations.
• Familiarity with content management systems (CMS), SEO best practices, and digital audience engagement strategies.
• Knowledge of the Bay Area events and experiences landscape, including familiarity with key venues, cultural institutions, and community organizations.
• Passion for public media, journalism, and KQED's mission to inform, inspire, and engage the people of the Bay Area.

Credentials/Education Required: Bachelor's Degree required, Master's preferred.