Free Press Indiana seeks a senior account executive to build and lead an ambitious sponsorship business at a nonprofit media startup that successfully launched in Indianapolis and is planning expansion throughout Indiana.

We are on a mission to close statewide information gaps and strengthen communities with quality, nonpartisan journalism. We’re building a movement across the state to serve all Hoosiers with sustainable local news, and to strengthen our communities and people's connection to one another and the places they live. With more than $12 million raised so far and growing momentum in support for local news across Indiana, this position presents an opportunity for an experienced, entrepreneurial sales professional to launch and scale Free Press Indiana’s newsletter and online advertising strategies. We seek a motivated, connected and results-oriented account executive to represent our organization in developing meaningful partnerships with organizations interested in reaching our fast-growing and highly engaged audience of individuals who care deeply about their communities. This new business will generate revenue from advertising, sponsorship and underwriting.

The senior account executive reports to the chief development officer and will work closely with a development team responsible for philanthropic fundraising, audience development, and membership giving.  The successful candidate will also be responsible for leading our thinking of developing and packaging compelling products that are in line with our mission and editorial standards, with high potential and appeal to sponsors.

Our journalism and storytelling are building meaningful connections with the community, and our development team is responsible for enthusiastically building the case for investors to support this vital work. The successful candidate will be an affable, motivated team player who is a meticulously organized, creative free-thinker. We need someone who is excited by building scalable systems from scratch, is driven by data, and is unafraid to take risks toward accomplishing our ambitious goals.

Free Press Indiana is a statewide nonprofit launching local newsrooms to fill information gaps with original, community-based non-partisan reporting free to all to read. It works collaboratively with the Indiana news ecosystem to ensure every Hoosier has the local news and information they need.

In 2021, a steering committee of  journalism, community and business leaders worked with the American Journalism Project to conduct a comprehensive statewide research study that connected with more than 1,000 Hoosiers across 79 counties who said they needed more unbiased, fact-based information about their communities. Out of those findings, a coalition of organizations and local leaders partnered to launch Free Press Indiana.

The organization, governed by a local board that is representative of Indiana’s diverse communities, began by launching Mirror Indy in December 2023. Now in its second year, Mirror Indy has earned a reputation as a trusted source of community-centered news in Indianapolis. Thanks to its initial success, the newsroom team is already expanding, as its audience and reach continue to exceed goals. Mirror Indy has an innovative, community-focused structure and works directly with residents to report on and elevate voices and stories from their own communities in addition to providing much-needed accountability and service journalism across critical topics. It also houses Indy Documenters, a program that trains and pays residents to participate in documenting and taking notes at local government and other public meetings.

In addition, Free Press Indiana facilitated investments in journalism outlets around the state, and began collaborating with partners to amplify local journalism for all Hoosiers, especially underserved communities. Moving forward, the statewide news organization network will continue to be sustained by a combination of philanthropy, membership, individual giving and sponsorships.

• Evaluate our existing programs and audience to develop a strategy that demonstrates value to potential advertisers, sponsors, and underwriters.
• Work with our editorial, audience, and development teams to enhance our offerings and develop and maintain a compelling media kit that represents all Free Press Indiana and its newsrooms have to offer.
• Represent Free Press Indiana to the state’s business community; identify new sales opportunities and lead generation through meetings, calls and discovery.
• Develop, build and deliver custom presentations to show the ways our products and audience reach can meet the needs of clients and prospective customers.
• Oversee a small portfolio of existing accounts to strengthen current relationships, and identify new partnership opportunities.
• Engage prospects to introduce our products, build new relationships and educate the market on Free Press Indiana and Mirror Indy as an organization and advertising partner.
• Negotiate contracts and agreements that ensure mutual satisfaction and alignment with organizational goals (e.g., craft customized marketing, programs, and sponsorship offerings to meet client objectives. Collaborate with the development, editorial, audience teams, and other stakeholders, to ensure alignment of advertising programs with content offerings and other organizational strategies and goals.
• Take the leading role in constructing the processes and procedures to track sales, delivery and reach of product.
• Meet and exceed sales goals, tracking progress in our CRM software, and creating regular reports to measure performance.
• Study industry trends and emerging market demands and opportunities to maintain a competitive edge and develop a unique case for investment
• Represent the organization at community events to enhance brand visibility and generate new leads.

Who you are

• Exemplary communicator - Empathetic and persuasive in driving home our mission, values and priorities to peers, customers and external stakeholders. Able to interpret and convey thoughts easily to provide order and prioritization to projects at hand.
• Experienced - You have 5-7 years of sales experience directly engaging clients and prospecting new potential customers with a knowledge of advertising strategies and sales techniques, including digital marketing, email newsletter advertising, social media, and sponsorship partnerships, to drive advertising sales.
• Hustler - You are persistent and willing to invest the time, energy and focus toward building new processes and operations flows necessary to launch a new product line.
• Multitasker - Your flexibility to move from task to task almost seamlessly is a must as we are ever-changing and adapting to improve our workflows.
• Detail-oriented - Ability to organize, delegate and monitor projects with clear structure that also provides for flexibility for others to adapt and lead as well.
• Mission-oriented - You’re committed to our mission to advance democracy and improve the lives of all Hoosiers.
• Strategic leader - You thrive at understanding and navigating through complexity and setting clear strategy and prioritization. You love to see a complex problem and come up with a clear solution.
• Self-starter - You’re a decisive critical thinker who can prioritize. You are ready to experience startup life and are ready to work hard.
• You are passionate, positive and patient - You want yourself and your peers to achieve the biggest goals possible, and you foster a workplace where collective achievement is celebrated.
• Willingness to travel across Indiana as necessary.

• Salary: minimum $65,000, commensurate with experience including tiered bonus commission compensation.
• Benefits: Full health benefits, including employee’s medical premium covered 100%; paid leave including two weeks of closures during the year for all staff, generous personal time policy, and a 401K with a 4% match.
• Training: $2,000 stipend toward outside training and professional development opportunities.
• Hybrid role: Employee has the option to work remotely on Mondays and Fridays and is required to join the team in person at our Indianapolis office Tuesday-Thursday.

We’re committed to building an inclusive organization that represents the people and communities we serve. We encourage members of traditionally underrepresented communities to apply, including women, people of color, veterans, LGBTQ+ people and people with disabilities. Free Press Indiana is dedicated to equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. We encourage people of all races, colors, national origins, ancestries, creeds, religions, genders, ages, disabilities, veteran status, sexual orientations, and marital statuses to apply.

‍What to expect in the hiring process
We hope to fill this role as soon as possible. We will do our best to communicate with you about timing expectations throughout the process. Candidates who advance to later rounds of this process can expect multiple interviews, including with a panel of team members. Semifinalists will be asked to complete a short written assignment designed to help us understand your thinking and approach to the role. Applicants who advance to this stage will be offered an honorarium for their time as well as an optional prep session to ask any questions that will help put their best foot forward in this process. We aim to truly get to know you, to help you fully understand the role you’re applying for.