Associate Director, Commercial Operations

LE121 Wasserman Sport and Entertainment Middle East FZ LLC; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 300,000 - 460,000; Full time

Job summary

THETEAM is seeking a Commercial Operations Lead to structure and govern sponsorship sales, partnerships and business development. You will oversee pipelines, CRM systems and reporting to enable clear visibility for senior stakeholders and drive accountable action across regional teams.

You will work across commercial, strategic and specialist functions to connect opportunities with resources and ensure timely, measurable outcomes.

Qualifications

• Experience leading commercial operations for sponsorship sales.
• Proven ability to manage complex sales pipelines and processes.
• Strong CRM, reporting and analytics skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the commercial operations framework for sponsorship and partnerships.
• Govern the commercial pipeline with clear ownership, values and stages.
• Oversee CRM data quality, reporting and system improvements.
• Provide senior stakeholders with visibility of performance and risks.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams across markets and regions.

Skills

Commercial operations

Sponsorship sales

Partnerships

CRM management

Stakeholder management

Pipeline governance

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

THETEAM is proud to provide representation and marketing services to talent, brands and properties across 28 countries and more than 70 cities worldwide. Our brands and properties group partners with iconic brands and rights holders to turn relevance into revenue through integrated strategy and consulting, creative, live experiences and commercialization. We help clients understand, connect to and inspire global audiences by bringing together brands, properties and talent/creators to build meaningful relationships that drive measurable business outcomes. Shaped by our belief in the unifying power of sports, music and entertainment, THETEAM leads with intelligence, ideas and influence. For more information, please visit the.team.

Role Purpose

The Commercial Operations Lead is responsible for ensuring commercial and sponsorship sales activity has the structure, governance, reporting and processes required to operate effectively. The role provides oversight of commercial pipelines, CRM systems, reporting and cross-functional coordination, ensuring sales teams and senior stakeholders have clear visibility of priorities, opportunities, risks and next actions. Working across commercial, strategic and specialist teams, the Commercial Operations Lead creates structure around complex sales environments, drives accountability and ensures the right expertise and resources are connected to opportunities at the right stage.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the commercial operations framework supporting sponsorship, partnership and business development activity.
• Own governance of the commercial pipeline, ensuring clear visibility of opportunities, owners, values, stages, next actions and deadlines.
• Lead regular pipeline reviews, identify stalled or at-risk opportunities and drive accountability for agreed actions.
• Oversee CRM requirements, data quality, process consistency and ongoing system improvements.
• Own weekly, monthly and ad hoc commercial reporting, ensuring information is accurate, relevant and useful for decision-making.
• Provide senior stakeholders with clear visibility of commercial performance, priorities, risks and required actions.
• Act as a key operational interface between commercial leads, regional and international sales teams and wider business functions.
• Resolve operational blockers and escalate material risks, dependencies or delays where required.
• Oversee regional and international sales processes, including relevant approvals, commission arrangements and commercial records.
• Ensure sales teams have the processes, information, tools and support required to progress opportunities effectively.
• Maintain forward visibility of major commercial milestones, events, outreach activity, deadlines and upcoming requirements.
• Coordinate commercial planning and communications, including relevant market intelligence and business updates.
• Maintain oversight of key commercial workstreams, priorities, actions and deadlines.
• Coordinate inputs and deliverables across teams, establishing clear ownership, responsibilities and timelines.
• Connect commercial opportunities with relevant strategic thinking, insights and specialist expertise to strengthen partner and client conversations.
• Ensure appropriate internal expertise is introduced at the right stage of the commercial process.
• Maintain visibility of dependencies across teams and proactively identify potential gaps, risks or blockers.
• Ensure information, decisions and actions are communicated effectively between commercial and specialist teams.
• Manage and develop commercial operations resources, providing clear priorities, guidance, coaching and escalation support.

What We’re Looking For

• Strong experience in commercial operations, sponsorship sales, partnerships, business development or a related commercial environment.
• Proven experience managing complex sales pipelines and commercial processes.
• Strong understanding of CRM systems, ideally Salesforce or a comparable platform.
• Excellent reporting, analytical and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to coordinate effectively across multiple teams, markets and specialist disciplines.
• Demonstrated ability to create structure, improve processes, drive accountability and resolve operational issues.
• Strong organisational, communication and prioritisation skills.
• Confidence working with senior stakeholders and managing competing priorities.
• Experience managing, coaching or developing team members.
• Experience within sponsorship, sports, entertainment, esports, partnerships or major events is advantageous.

The Person You are

You are a commercially minded operator who brings structure, discipline and clarity to complex sales environments. You are comfortable working with senior stakeholders, constructively challenging where required and ensuring decisions translate into clear ownership and action. You combine strong attention to detail with an understanding of the wider commercial picture. You are proactive in identifying risks, improving processes and ensuring teams have the information and support they need to perform effectively. You are also a natural connector, able to bring together commercial teams and specialist expertise from across a business so that opportunities benefit from the right thinking, capabilities and resources at the right time.

THETEAM does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits. THETEAM is proudly an equal opportunity employer. We are always searching for the most passionate and talented people from all backgrounds and experiences to join us. More than 20 years into our evolution, we continue to expand our global reach and capabilities to serve clients across sports, music and entertainment. We are committed to making a meaningful impact across key areas of inclusion, community service and sustainability not only for our employees, but for clients and the industry at large.

If this sounds like a place you'd like to work, let's talk! THETEAM is a leading global sports, music and entertainment company. Led by intelligence, ideas and influence, we provide representation and marketing services to talent, brands and properties.