Braun Board

Commercial Partnerships Manager

DC Thomson · Aberdeen, UK

Base
Not disclosed
OTE
Not disclosed
Quota attainment
Not disclosed
Posted
10d ago

Why it matters: OTE tells you what you could earn. Attainment tells you how realistic it is.

Ask: “What percentage of fully ramped reps hit quota last year?”

Still open · checked 1h agoon DC Thomson's careers page

The job

What you'd do
Build long-term deals with top executives and agencies across DC Thomson's brands, from energy to golf, based in Dundee, Aberdeen or Inverness.
Who you'd sell to
Clients and agencies, including C-suite leaders · MediaIn their words: “Building and sustaining senior-level client (including C-Suite level) and agency relationships that position DC Thomson as a strategic partner, not a supplier”
Where deals come from
Mostly you. Expect a lot of outbound: cold calls, emails and LinkedIn.

The Braun Read

Ask hard questions

Too much is left unsaid. Make them answer before you invest.

Pay
No pay listed at all.
Transparency
Shares 1 of 5: quota, attainment, deal size, territory, sales cycle.
Pipeline
Mostly self-sourced. Great if you like outbound, rough if you don't.
Time on market
Open 10 days.
Company hiring
3 sales roles open, hiring at a steady pace.

Based only on what the posting says. Lights are a starting point for your first call, not a final judgment.

Questions to ask on the first call

Built from what this posting leaves out. How they answer tells you as much as what they say.

  1. 1.

    What percentage of fully ramped reps hit quota last year?

    OTE is what you could earn. This is how likely you are to earn it.

  2. 2.

    What percentage of reps on the team have been here more than 18 months?

    Tenure shows whether people stay long enough to get paid.

  3. 3.

    Has the comp plan changed in the last 12 to 18 months? What changed?

    A plan that changes every year means the goalposts keep moving.

  4. 4.

    Who sits with reps and reviews calls each week?

    Coaching is often what's behind a good or bad attainment number.

  5. 5.

    What are the base and the OTE for this role?

    No point investing hours before you know the number.

  6. 6.

    Why is this role open? Did someone leave, or is it new?

    New headcount is growth. A replacement means someone left. Ask why.

› When the offer comes

Save these for later. They land better once they've said yes to you.

  1. 1.

    Can I see the full comp plan in writing, including clawbacks and accelerators?

    What's in writing is what gets paid. Read it before you sign.

  2. 2.

    Can I see the actual comp distribution for the team last year, not just the OTE?

    The spread shows what most reps really take home. OTE is just the target.

  3. 3.

    I'd be walking away from earned commission to join. Is there room for a sign-on bonus to help cover that?

    Leaving money behind is a fair reason to ask. The worst answer is no.

Josh's top five questions for any sales interview →

Going for your first AE role? Get the free interview kit → 24 questions, what good and bad answers sound like, and an offer comparison sheet.

Got an offer from DC Thomson? Not sure about it?Ask me. I read every message myself. · JoshAsk Josh
+ Add offer details (optional)

Goes straight to my inbox. I never share it with employers or recruiters.

Full posting
Job Title: Commercial Partnerships Manager Department: Commercial Growth Reporting to: Head of Commercial Growth Locations: Dundee, Aberdeen, Inverness, Scotland Ways of Working: Hybrid (3 days in the office per week) Travel: 20% (National and some International) Contract Type: Permanent DC Thomson are recruiting for a Commercial Partnerships Manager to join our Commercial Growth Team based in any one of our Dundee, Aberdeen, or Inverness offices. This is a newly created role due to the growth. The Commercial Partnerships Manager exists to deliver sustainable, high-value commercial growth through long-term strategic partnerships across DC Thomson’s portfolio in an increasingly competitive, fragmented and value-driven media market. This is an opportunity leverage your extended network to work across the whole DC Thomson brand portfolio from energy to golf to B2B and B2C. Operating within a portfolio business model, the Commercial Partnerships Manager is primarily externally focused and accountable for converting audience insight, brand strength and partner need into multi-year commercial outcomes. The successful candidate will design integrated partnership solutions, steward senior agency and client relationships, and ensure that commercial activity is aligned to strategic priorities, audience behaviour, and transformation goals in a tough external environment. Key responsibilities include: - Delivering agreed annual and multi-year partnership revenue targets, with a demonstrable shift toward higher-value, longer-term deals - Building and sustaining senior-level client (including C-Suite level) and agency relationships that position DC Thomson as a strategic partner, not a supplier - Maintaining a robust, transparent and accurately forecasted commercial pipeline, using CRM discipline to inform decision-making - Designing integrated partnership propositions that leverage portfolio assets and respond to evolving market and audience needs - Sharing insight, learning and best practice to strengthen commercial capability across the business Requirements Skills: - Excellent networking, client management and relationship management acumen - Manages complex, high-value sales cycles and strategic accounts; influences senior stakeholders and negotiates commercial outcomes - Builds and sustains trusted, outcome-focused relationships with senior internal and external stakeholders - Applies commercial judgement to optimise value, manage risk and deliver sustainable financial outcomes - Identifies, qualifies and develops new opportunities aligned to strategic objectives - Uses data and insight to inform commercial decisions, proposition design and performance tracking Experience: Essential - Demonstrable ability to sell effectively across a varied portfolio - Background within a portfolio or matrixed organisation - Previously designed integrated or non-standard commercial partnerships - Demonstrable ability to succeed in a fast-moving, competitive market with shifting audience behaviour Desirable - Background in a B2B industry - Established network within relevant industries Behaviours that will help this role succeed: Being More Curious - Actively seeks insight into partner needs, audience behaviour and market shifts to inform better commercial solutions Experiment with Purpose - Tests new partnership models and revenue approaches in a disciplined way, learning quickly and scaling what works Owning the Outcomes - Takes clear accountability for commercial performance, quality of delivery and relationship outcomes, not just activity Being More Collaborative - Works openly across brands, functions and portfolios to create integrated solutions and share best practice To apply for this role, please follow our online application process and submit a CV and cover letter. Closing date for applications: 5th November 2026 at 4pm
Apply →