About the Role
We are looking for a Director to lead sponsorship and partnerships sales for our rights holder clients in Saudi Arabia, covering sport, culture, and entertainment. This position is part of our MENA Partnership Sales unit, a dynamic team of over 20 individuals located across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Riyadh, and Bahrain. In this role, you will be responsible for developing relationships with brands in the Kingdom, shaping partnerships around their objectives, and finalizing agreements that can evolve over multiple years.
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Key Responsibilities
- Sell sponsorship and partnership rights on behalf of our rights holder clients in KSA, spanning sport, culture, and entertainment.
- Own the full sales cycle, from prospecting and first meetings to proposal development, negotiation, contracting, and handing over to the servicing team.
- Build and maintain senior relationships with marketing and sponsorship decision-makers at Saudi brands, PIF portfolio companies, banks, telcos, and giga-projects.
- Develop proposals that align with a brand’s objectives, providing clear rationale, valuation, and pricing.
- Structure deals thoughtfully, incorporating value-in-kind (VIK), phased, and activation-led partnerships where they benefit both parties.
- Manage a disciplined sales pipeline in Salesforce and provide accurate monthly and quarterly forecasts.
- Collaborate with our Partnership Sales Operations team to create world-class sales materials and data insights.
- Represent the business and our clients with professionalism in the Saudi market, sharing market insights with the wider MENA team.
What We Are Looking For
Experience:
- 8–10+ years in sponsorship sales, partnerships, or brand partnerships, either agency-side or rights holder side, specifically in the Kingdom.
- A proven track record of closing significant deals in sport, culture, or entertainment, particularly multi-year or seven-figure SAR partnerships.
- Comprehensive experience managing the sales cycle from start to finish, including prospecting, negotiating, contracting, and transitioning to servicing.
Network and Market Standing:
- Established, current relationships with marketing and sponsorship decision-makers at major Saudi brands, PIF portfolio companies, banks, telcos, and giga-projects.
- Credibility with government entities and rights holders.
- Based in KSA with a reputation for professionalism and trustworthiness.
Commercial Capability:
- Proficient in consultative selling focused on brand objectives rather than merely selling inventory.
- Strong judgment on valuation, pricing, and deal structuring, including VIK and activation-led partnerships.
- Disciplined pipeline management and forecasting skills; experience with Salesforce is preferred.
Leadership and Ways of Working:
- Collaborative approach with the wider team, including Creative, Consulting, and Partnership Sales Operations.
- Strong client management skills with both rights holders (our clients) and brands.
- Bilingual in Arabic and English, capable of delivering polished written proposals in both languages.
- High integrity with regards to compliance, conflicts of interest, and confidentiality.
