The Observer
Partnerships Manager
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The Observer, London
Hybrid - 1 day a WFH
Who are we?
The Observer’s promise is in the name. The Observer bears witness; the best of journalism being curious minds at work. It loves the arts and ideas, both for their own sake and because they can change lives. It’s proudly progressive, but has no party allegiance. It’s open to different arguments and its editorial independence is non-negotiable. We are building a new Observer across print, audio and digital. We’re here to build journalism that lasts.
About the role
We work with partners to deliver thoughtful, high-quality commercial programmes that meet the editorial standards of The Observer and support long-term relationships.
Reporting into the Director of Global Partnerships, the Partnerships Manager supports the day-to-day delivery of commercial partnerships once they are sold, ensuring work is well run, delivered to a high standard and clients are happy.
This is a hands-on delivery role, working closely with our clients as well as editorial, creative, and production teams, and supporting senior leads by preparing materials, managing detail, and keeping programmes on track.
Our partnerships span multi-channel branded content campaigns, events, B2B thought leadership and white-labelled content across a broad range of topics including business, tech, food and fashion.
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Core Accountabilities
Support the successful delivery of partnerships across the portfolio ensuring materials are well prepared, deadlines are met, and above all clients are happy
Partnership Delivery & Programme Management
- Support the day-to-day running of partnerships from brief through to delivery and reporting
- Pro-actively coordinate delivery activity across teams, maintaining momentum, flagging risks or blockers early and escalating where needed
- Support post-programme reporting and contribute to improving templates and processes
Editorial & Content Support
- Research, draft, edit, and sense-check written materials including briefs, proposals, content outlines, invitations, readouts and reports
- Support the delivery of events or live programmes, including logistics, branding, guest lists, and follow-up outputs
- Brief editors, freelancers, and contributors clearly, ensuring they understand the partnership context and objectives
Client & Stakeholder Support
- Act as a day to day point of contact for our valued partners during delivery, supporting clear communication and follow-up
- Prepare materials for client meetings, reviews, and check-ins, ensuring senior leads are well briefed
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Skills & Experience
- Around 5 years' experience delivering high-quality partnerships, branded content or editorial-led projects in a media, publishing or creative environment
- Strong writing and editing skills, working to high editorial standards
- Comfortable working across multiple internal teams with different priorities
- Confident and charming with senior external partners and stakeholders
- Calm, practical, and reliable under pressure
Benefits
- 30 days holiday + bank holidays
- Private healthcare
- Group income protection & life assurance
- Pension
- Cycle to Work scheme
- Interest-free season ticket loan
- Free snacks and drinks in the newsroom
- Hybrid working (London newsroom + 1 day remote flexibility)
Our Process
We aim to run our interview process at pace and with clarity at every stage, recognising how challenging it can be to balance alongside other commitments or interviews. The number of stages will vary depending on the nature and level of the role, but we see this as a two-way process and hope you’ll enjoy the opportunity to meet a range of potential future colleagues.
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