Director Partnership Sales

About Elevate

Elevate is an award-winning global sports and entertainment agency established in 2018. The company serves as a growth partner for brands, properties, and experience-driven businesses, advising over 1,000 clients through an integrated model. Elevate's operations span sports, culture, attractions, culinary, and hotels, combining operational expertise, data-driven intelligence, and creative solutions. The company employs over 750 individuals across 14 international offices.

Role Overview

Elevate is seeking a Director Partnership Sales to lead sponsorship and partnership sales for rights holder clients in Saudi Arabia. This full-time position is based in Riyadh or Jeddah and focuses on the sport, culture, and entertainment sectors. The Director will be responsible for developing relationships with brands in the Kingdom, structuring partnerships aligned with their objectives, and closing multi-year agreements. This role is part of Elevate's MENA Partnership Sales unit, which comprises over 20 professionals across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Riyadh, and Bahrain.

Key Responsibilities

• Sell sponsorship and partnership rights for rights holder clients in KSA across sport, culture, and entertainment.
• Manage the complete sales cycle, from prospecting and initial meetings to proposal development, negotiation, contracting, and handover 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 based on brand objectives, including clear rationale, valuation, and pricing.
• Structure deals thoughtfully, incorporating value-in-kind (VIK), phased, and activation-led partnerships when beneficial for both parties.
• Maintain a disciplined sales pipeline in Salesforce and provide accurate monthly and quarterly forecasts.
• Collaborate with the Partnership Sales Operations team to develop sales materials and data insights.
• Represent Elevate and its clients professionally in the Saudi market and share market insights with the wider MENA team.

Required Experience and Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in sponsorship sales, partnerships, or brand partnerships, either agency-side or rights holder-side, within Saudi Arabia.
• Demonstrated track record of closing significant deals in sport, culture, or entertainment, ideally multi-year or seven-figure SAR partnerships.
• Experience owning the full sales cycle, from prospecting to negotiation, contracting, and handover to servicing.
• Established 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.
• Residency in KSA, with a reputation for professionalism and trust.

Skills and Capabilities

• Commercial Acumen: Ability to conduct consultative selling focused on brand objectives, sound judgment in valuation, pricing, and deal structuring (including VIK and activation-led partnerships).
• Sales Management: Disciplined pipeline management and forecasting; experience with Salesforce is preferred.
• Collaboration: Strong ability to work collaboratively with internal teams including Creative, Consulting, and Partnership Sales Operations.
• Client Management: Effective management of relationships with rights holders (clients) and brands.
• Integrity: High integrity regarding compliance, conflicts of interest, and confidentiality.

Work Location

This position is based in Riyadh or Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and operates on a full-time basis.