Associate Director, Sponsorship Sales

Job Title: Associate Director, Sponsorship Sales Location: Toronto, ON - Hybrid Office (1-2 days per week of in‑office collaboration) Salary: $80,000-$90,000 annual base salary + commission structure Application Deadline: January 5, 2026 Starting Date: February 2, 2026 Employment Type: Full Time, Permanent Reports to: Sr. Director, Partnerships About Elevate Elevate unites world‑class innovators to catalyze transformation in the Canadian tech ecosystem. Through year‑round programs and events, Elevate places a spotlight on Canadian innovation, facilitates global connections with startups and investors, and inspires Canadians to embrace innovation and collaboration. Elevate looks to bring together founders, investors and ecosystem leaders to help shape the future of the Canadian innovation economy. An experienced sponsorship sales professional who thrives in outbound sales environments and is ready to own meaningful revenue responsibility and strategic growth segments. As Associate Director, Sponsorship Sales, you will play a critical role in growing Elevate’s sponsorship revenue by owning a portfolio of renewal and growth accounts while securing net new key accounts across Elevate’s flagship events and innovation programs. You are a confident, consultative seller who understands how to navigate complex buying decisions, build executive relationships, and craft tailored sponsorship solutions that deliver long‑term value. You are equally comfortable closing deals, leading new market opportunities, and collaborating closely with internal teams to deliver exceptional partner experiences. This role is ideal for someone who: Has deep experience selling event sponsorships or strategic corporate partnerships Is energized by outbound prospecting and strategic account development Brings a track record of success in key account ownership, driving retention, growth and long‑term engagement Brings structure, momentum, and commercial thinking to emerging products and markets Is collaborative, adaptable, and a team player Main Responsibilities Drive Net‑New Sponsorship Revenue & Key Account Acquisition Proactively identify, cultivate and secure sponsorships to meaningfully contribute to organizational revenue goals across multiple core initiatives such as Elevate Festival, Elevate Innovation programming, and CIX Build, qualify, and maintain a strong sales pipeline to meet individual revenue targets, specifically focused on expanding Elevate’s mid‑tier key accounts segment Lead the sales cycle end‑to‑end for new partners — outreach, pitch, proposal creation, contract development/negotiation, and close Develop and lead executive‑level relationships across corporate, agency, ecosystem, and institutional partners Maintain cross‑functional alignment and transparency throughout the sales cycle to protect and strengthen Elevate’s partner satisfaction results Lead a Strategic Renewal & Growth Portfolio Own renewals and retention for a defined portfolio of named accounts Identify and convert account expansion opportunities, leveraging cross‑sell, upsell, and multi‑property engagement to grow a mid‑tier portfolio of high‑value accounts Partner closely with Partner Success to ensure renewals are well‑positioned, proactive, and value‑driven Strengthen long‑term relationships at the account and executive level to support revenue stability and multi‑year engagement Dedicated focus on pipeline development and revenue generation for Elevate Innovation, our suite of always‑on corporate innovation offerings Support the development of new, scalable sponsorship offerings and strategies aligned to evolving market demand (i.e. engagement of emerging target sectors, identifying growth markets) Help bring new products to market by testing pricing, positioning, and value propositions with prospects Contribute to Sponsorship Collateral, Product Development & Sales Strategy Develop custom proposals, sponsorship packages, and pitch decks tailored to unique partner objectives Ensure proposals are strategic, and aligned with internal pricing, benefits and value frameworks for each Elevate property Contribute to product development and sales strategy as an expert in your market, providing prospect insights, objections, and learnings Identify and collaborate with the Sr. Director of Partnerships on bespoke concept development for high‑value opportunities Experience What You Bring Post‑secondary degree in Sales, Business, Marketing/Communications, Event Management, or equivalent experience 5‑7 years of experience in sponsorship sales, strategic partnerships, business development, or related roles, preferably in events, technology or corporate innovation sectors Proven success in outbound prospecting, net new pipeline development, and closing complex corporate sponsorships or strategic partnerships Experience and proven accountability for the renewal and growth of an existing high‑value portfolio Strong executive presence with experience building relationships with senior decision‑makers (senior executive to C‑suite) Excellent presentation, storytelling, and proposal development skills Advanced ability to build and design professional pitch decks (Google Slides & Google Suite preferred) Strong organizational and project management skills in a deadline‑driven environment Self‑starter who can operate independently and prioritize effectively A highly collaborative team player with a natural ability to build strong relationships and trust in a cross‑functional environment Thrives in busy work environments. Executes a high level of positivity and professionalism in the office and onsite during events. Must be willing to work some non‑structured hours as we approach event weeks. Nice to Have Experience in or adjacent to the technology, innovation, or startup ecosystem Exposure to innovation programs, accelerators, or corporate innovation initiatives Familiarity with CRM tools (HubSpot preferred) Experience supporting government, institutional, or public‑sector partnerships *If you meet some, but not all of these requirements, we still encourage you to apply What We Offer Paid Time Off: 10‑15 days of vacation 5 days for sick and mental health days A paid day off on the week of your birthday Team‑wide winter closure in‑between Christmas and New Years Health benefits (after 3 months probation) that have a zero‑dollar deductible and include vision, prescriptions, dental, and paramedical. Professional Development Budget of $250 annually to utilize for courses, books, events, conferences, and any other tools that will help support team members in their career growth. Opportunity to meet and collaborate with some of the biggest names in tech, while collaborating with a team through socials, numerous events, and workshops. Candidates applying for this position must be available to work locally in Toronto. Elevate is unable to support visa applications or immigration support requests. Interview Process While this is not all‑encompassing for every role at Elevate, we try to follow a process similar to this and all candidates will be notified at every stage who they’ll be meeting with. Step 1: A phone call with one of our team members. In this call, we will cover the basics of the role and our organization, and discuss a high‑level overview of your past experiences, goals, and interest in this role. Step 2: A video call or an in‑person interview with the hiring manager and a team member or supervisor. In this call, we will be digging deeper into your experience relevant to the role and also provide an opportunity for you to ask more questions and learn about our team. Some roles may require additional components involving portfolio walkthroughs, technical reviews, and opportunities for candidates to share more around their creative process. We will always let candidates know ahead of time if this is something you can expect for the role you’re applying for. Step 3: An in‑person meet‑up in our downtown Toronto Office with the role’s Hiring Manager and/or Supervisor, our CEO and a team member. This is an opportunity to introduce you to the space, talk more about how you’d like to add to our current organizational culture, embody our values, and provide another opportunity for connection. Step 4: Offer. ** We also aim to complete our recruitment process in around 4 weeks, but it is role and job‑level dependent. Accommodations and Accessibility Elevate strives to provide accommodations during the recruitment process should candidates request support. Should you require any accommodation, please indicate this on your application and we will try our best to work with you to meet your accessibility needs. For any questions, suggestions or required documents regarding accessibility in a different format, please contact us at accommodations@elevate.ca. Elevate is committed to a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace in which everyone is welcomed, valued, and supported. Please advise of any accommodation measures that would enable you to be interviewed in a fair and equitable manner. If you are a member of an equity deserving community we encourage you to self‑identify in your application. Information received in relation to identity or accommodation will be kept confidential. At Elevate, we are committed to building an environment where everyone feels included, valued, and heard. Diversity, inclusion, and belonging are an important part of our everyday working culture. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities, people from gender and sexually diverse communities and/or people with intersectional identities. Elevate was founded on land that is the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples from across Turtle Island. We acknowledge that we are all treaty people and accept our responsibility to honour all our relations. To recognize the land is an expression of gratitude and appreciation to those whose territory we reside on and a way of honouring the Indigenous people who have been living and working on the land from time immemorial. Land acknowledgements do not exist in a past tense or historical context: colonialism is current and ongoing, and we need to centre reconciliation in our actions and our work. We encourage our team, partners, and clients to learn about the lands in which they live and to work towards reconciliation. #J-18808-Ljbffr