Manager, Media Partnerships

About SmartNews 

SmartNews is a leading global information and news discovery company dedicated to delivering quality information to the people who need it. Thanks to our unique machine-learning technology and relationships with more than 3,000 global publisher partners, we provide news that matters to millions of users.

Founded in 2012 in Tokyo, SmartNews also has offices in Palo Alto, New York, Beijing, and Singapore.

The Media Partnerships team at SmartNews works with publishers and content creators of all types and sizes to deliver high-quality, diverse information to our users. We lead the “SmartView First” program, a sustainability-focused content partnership initiative. Our team maintains consistent, coordinated communication with publishers, promotes key opportunities, and provides support for incoming partner inquiries.

We champion SmartNews’ mission to deliver the world’s quality information to those who need it most. By fostering strong, transparent relationships, we gather insights from partners and advocate for solutions that reflect our Core Values.

As Media Partnerships Manager, you will be the primary contact for a portfolio of high-value publisher partners. You will engage with media executives across editorial, business development, and audience teams, acting as both a strategic advisor and operational lead.

This role requires strong internal communication, relationship-building, and cross-functional coordination across teams such as Product, Engineering, Finance, Data Science, PR..

You will also help drive operational excellence—supporting workflows around CRM (Salesforce), payments, reporting/insights, and partner governance working with Trust & Safety and Customer Service.

• Serve as the primary contact for key publisher partners, managing regular communications, presentations, meeting documentation, reporting and CRM updates.
• Gather and share partner feedback internally to inform strategy, product development, and cross-functional priorities.
• Triage and resolve partner inquiries, coordinating across teams to ensure timely and thorough follow-up.
• Support CRM maintenance and process improvements; collaborate with Accounting and Corporate Engineering to assist with payments and partner onboarding.
• Help enforce content quality standards in collaboration with Trust & Safety and Customer Support teams; act as a liaison for publishers on related matters.
• Qualify and manage inbound partner requests, providing guidance and onboarding where applicable.
• Collect and analyze partner performance data for both internal and external purposes to identify trends and share actionable insights.

Minimum requirements

• Experience in Digital Publishing or News Media is a must. Familiarity with the workflows, goals, and challenges of newsrooms or digital media companies, as well as tech platforms and how they interact with media companies and creators.
• A proactive communicator comfortable working with media executives across editorial, audience, and business roles. Skilled at building and managing complex relationships, with an eye toward strategic outcomes
• Experienced in working across cross-functional teams, with a strong understanding of internal workflows and CRM tools.
• Comfort analyzing data to identify key insights, with the ability to leverage AI tools; experience with Excel and SQL proficiency is a strong plus.

Nice to have experiences/skills

• News judgement and previous experience writing and producing content, and/or previous experience in related functions such as Audience Development, Growth
• Previous platform experience - having worked with or at platforms such as Apple News, Google/YouTube, Meta, X/Twitter, or others.
• Cross-cultural or international collaboration - experience working with teams or partners across different regions or time zones, especially Japan or APAC.
• Public speaking and industry representation - comfortable speaking at industry events, leading partner workshops, or participating in panels.

Benefits available at the SmartNews US Office

• Compensation range: $105,000 to $150,000 base salary, plus bonus
• 401(k) with employer matching
• Up to 100% medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your family
• Benefit plan with monthly allowances
• Complimentary lunch, snacks, and beverages in the office

Click here or visit our careers site for more info about our benefits.