Junior Account Executive

Start your sales career in media, partnerships, and community business development.

Illinois Fitness & Sport Magazine is hiring a Junior Account Executive to support advertising and sponsorship sales for a premium local print and digital media brand serving athletes, families, coaches, fitness enthusiasts, and sports-minded readers across Illinois.

This is an entry-level sales role designed for someone who is motivated, professional, organized, and eager to learn. You do not need extensive sales experience, but you should be comfortable talking with people, building relationships, following up consistently, and representing the brand well in the community.

You will help introduce local and regional businesses to advertising opportunities with the magazine, support outreach efforts, build prospect relationships, and learn how to close and manage accounts over time.

This role is ideal for someone with a background in customer service, hospitality, retail, memberships, community outreach, front desk work, or early sales experience who wants to grow into a professional sales career.

Responsibilities

Support advertising and sponsorship outreach to local and regional businesses
Prospect new leads through phone, email, networking, research, and in-person introductions
Help build and maintain an active sales pipeline
Schedule meetings and assist with follow-up communication
Learn to present advertising and partnership opportunities clearly and professionally
Assist in preparing proposals and sponsorship packages
Maintain organized records of outreach, follow-up, and pipeline activity
Build positive relationships with business owners, managers, and community partners
Represent the magazine professionally at meetings, events, and community functions
Work closely with leadership to learn the sales process and grow into greater responsibility over time

Qualifications

0-2 years of experience in customer service, sales, account support, hospitality, retail, community outreach, memberships, or a related people-facing role
Strong communication and interpersonal skills
Comfortable talking to new people in person, by phone, and by email
Organized and dependable with strong follow-up habits
Positive attitude and willingness to learn
Professional presence and strong relationship-building instincts
Comfortable working in a fast-moving startup environment
Basic computer skills and ability to manage notes, follow-ups, and scheduling

Preferred background

Experience in customer-facing roles
Any exposure to sales, fundraising, memberships, promotions, or business development
Interest in media, advertising, sports, fitness, or community partnerships
Familiarity with the Peoria or Central Illinois area is a plus

What success looks like

Learn the company’s advertising products, audience, and pitch quickly
Build confidence with outreach and follow-up in the first 30 days
Begin contributing to prospect meetings and pipeline activity early
Support new advertiser outreach and relationship development within the first 60 to 90 days
Grow toward owning accounts and closing business over time

Compensation
This role includes a base salary plus commission, with on-target earnings expected in the $40,000-$55,000+ range depending on performance. Final compensation will depend on experience, qualifications, and potential.
About Illinois Fitness & Sport Magazine

Illinois Fitness & Sport Magazine is a premium local-first publication focused on fitness, sport, performance, wellness, and community. We connect readers with strong storytelling, practical content, and trusted local partnerships across the Illinois sports and fitness landscape.

To apply
Please submit your resume along with a brief note describing:

any customer service or sales experience you have
why you are interested in this role
why you think you would be a strong fit for a relationship-based sales position

Pay: $40,000.00 - $55,000.00 per year
Benefits

Flexible schedule

Application Question(s):

Why are you interested in this position?
Describe any experience you have in customer service, sales, memberships, hospitality, retail, or community outreach.
Are you comfortable speaking with new people by phone, email, and in person?
Are you comfortable with a role that includes outreach, follow-up, and relationship-building?