Executive Director, Events & Partnerships

Location: Washington, DC (On-Site), with travel to events Reports To: Head of Business & Growth Manages: Events Manager Employment Type: Full-Time Compensation: $155,000 - $175,000 Work Authorization: Must be authorized to work in the U.S. About AL-MONITOR AL-MONITOR (AL-MONITOR.com) is an award-winning media service founded in 2012 by entrepreneur and philanthropist Jamal Daniel. Its mission is to foster a deeper understanding of the Middle East through world-class reporting and analysis from and about the region. In just its second year, AL-MONITOR received the prestigious International Press Institute's Free Media Pioneer Award, becoming the only American media outlet exclusively covering the Middle East to earn this distinction. AL-MONITOR is widely read by U.S., international, and Middle East decision-makers at the highest levels, as well as by media, thought leaders, experts, and students. Its audience includes institutions such as the White House, Harvard University, NATO, the World Bank, and foreign and defense ministries around the world. With a multilingual platform that includes Mandarin Chinese, AL-MONITOR reaches a global audience seeking trusted, in-depth coverage of the region. The Role The Executive Director, Events & Partnerships leads AL-MONITOR's events and partnerships function. Reporting to the Head of Business & Growth and working closely with senior leadership and advisors, you own the partner and sponsor pipeline, the events P&L, and the revenue and brand KPIs, turning AL-MONITOR's convening power into sponsorship revenue, brand reach, and audience growth. Sponsorship and partnership revenue is the heart of this role: you actively seek out new sponsors, build better and more durable recurring revenue, and balance sponsor-funded events against the mission and editorial events that are not sponsor-driven. You set the strategy, structure, and brief for every event and own the outcome, then hand the Events Manager a clear plan to execute against. You bring an established Middle East network and a background in media or media events, partner with Editorial to program and stage our journalists, and build partner relationships that recur through membership and sponsor-consortium models. This is a hands-on leadership role with the opportunity to own the full arc, from KPI and strategy creation through execution. On event days you are the senior lead: you work the room, manage relationships, keep the program on track, and make the real-time calls, while remaining accountable for flawless delivery, led directly and through your team. What You’ll Do Own the events and partnerships function, the partner and sponsor pipeline, the P&L, and the KPIs, and report pipeline, revenue, and results to leadership on a regular cadence Own and grow sponsorship and partnership revenue against an annual target: actively prospect and win net-new sponsors, not only converting inbound and warm relationships, and build repeatable, multi-year agreements Continuously find new and better ways to drive recurring revenue, including multi-year sponsorships, membership, and sponsor-consortium models Define sponsorship packages, pricing, and value propositions, and negotiate and close agreements with legal team Cultivate a senior Middle East and sponsor network, and convert the relationships that leadership and advisors open into revenue and events Own AL-MONITOR's event portfolio end to end: a flagship annual convening in New York around UNGA week, fireside chats, roundtables, sponsored convenings, media workshops, and a growing webinar program Balance the portfolio between sponsor-funded, revenue-generating events and mission or editorial events that are not sponsor-driven, so the calendar delivers both revenue and brand value and every event brings in the revenue it should Set the strategy, structure, and brief for each event, including its goals, budget, and milestones, and give the Events Manager a clear plan to execute against Own event production and on-site delivery end to end, delivered primarily through the Events Manager and hands-on when needed: venues and vendors, catering, staging, AV, photography, invitations, the day-of run of show, and speaker readiness. On site you are the senior lead, working the room, managing relationships, keeping the program on track, and making the real-time calls, while remaining accountable for flawless delivery Partner with Editorial to secure journalists as speakers, shape thought-leadership programming, and build the media and partnership decks that position our talent; identify gaps in speaker or interview readiness and arrange coaching or the right resources Own audience growth from events, partnering with Marketing to capture new audiences and convert attendees into subscribers Support AL-MONITOR's education and community initiatives, including potential nonprofit programming, as an extension of partnerships Set the annual events calendar and portfolio strategy across owned, sponsored, and virtual formats Build and lead the events team, including the Events Manager and Events Intern, and set the standard for production and delivery Represent AL-MONITOR with senior officials, sponsors, and institutional partners Own the events KPIs: total sponsorship revenue, sponsors secured, partnership and group revenue, brand impressions and reach, and press and media mentions Maintain and update curated sponsor and invitation lists What You Need to Succeed 10+ years in events, partnerships, sponsorship sales, or business development, including team leadership An established Middle East network and a track record of securing sponsorships and partnerships A background in media or media events (publisher, broadcaster, think tank, or convening organization) A proven record generating sponsorship revenue, closing six-figure deals, and owning a P&L against revenue targets A hunter's instinct for revenue: you seek out new sponsors, build the pipeline, and create recurring revenue rather than waiting for it to come to you Hands-on event-production experience: able to plan and run an event end to end on your own, including venue and vendor sourcing, catering, staging and AV, photography, invitations, speaker preparation, and day-of coordination Strong executive communication, and the ability to report pipeline and performance clearly to leadership Working knowledge of thought leadership and how interviews and speaking work, enough to prepare and position speakers and close gaps in speaker readiness Excellent relationship-building with senior external stakeholders, and willingness to travel Authorization to work in the United States Willingness to travel as needed. Collaborative leadership style and steady temperament under pressure and deadlines. Nice to Have Experience building or running a membership, institute, or sponsor consortium Nonprofit or education-program experience Familiarity with HubSpot or a CRM for partner and sponsorship pipeline tracking Deep interest in policy, foreign affairs, or journalism How Success Is Measured Success in this role is measured on four fronts. Revenue: sponsorship and partnership revenue against target, sponsors secured and the share that recur through multi-year agreements, and partnership and group revenue. Reach: the brand impressions, reach, and press and media mentions the events generate. Growth and innovation: new partnership models, new event formats, and new opportunities identified and turned into revenue, steadily expanding what the events and partnerships function can be. Leadership and delivery: a flagship slate delivered flawlessly, a strong and growing partner pipeline, a balanced portfolio of sponsor-funded and mission events, a capable events team built and developed behind it, and a positive, collaborative presence across the wider leadership team. What We Can Offer You Join AL-MONITOR for meaningful work on a respected, award-winning publication, based in our Washington, DC office. We offer competitive compensation and a benefits package designed to support you and your family. Enjoy comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage (dental and vision fully employer-paid), with HSA savings available. Prioritize your well-being with generous paid time off that grows with tenure, and 11 paid holidays. Build financial security with fully-paid life insurance and short-term disability. Additional Information AL-MONITOR is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, genetic information, protected Veteran status, or other factors protected by law. #J-18808-Ljbffr AL-MONITOR