Business Development Director – Creative Agency

Salt Digital Recruitment; Dubai; On-site; AED 350,000 - 600,000; Full time

Job summary

Salt is a leading Dubai-based creative agency seeking a commercially driven Business Development Director to accelerate growth across the UAE and GCC. This true hunter role focuses on opening doors, building new relationships from scratch, and converting opportunities into long-term partnerships.

You'll identify target clients, lead pitches with the leadership and creative teams, and develop revenue streams across brand, digital, and integrated marketing services.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in business development, sales, or commercial leadership within marketing services.
• Strong outbound sales mindset with a track record of opening conversations and converting opportunities.
• Extensive network of brand-side marketing decision-makers in UAE/GCC.
• Experience selling creative, advertising, digital, and integrated marketing solutions.
• Ability to lead pitches, negotiations, and commercial conversations with senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Own and drive the agency's new business strategy across key sectors.
• Generate new leads through outbound prospecting and market mapping.
• Build relationships with senior marketing stakeholders and decision-makers.
• Maintain a strong sales pipeline from outreach to close.
• Lead new business meetings, pitches, and proposals with cross-functional teams.
• Translate client challenges into compelling creative and commercial proposals.
• Identify opportunities across brand, creative, digital, content, and campaigns.
• Develop long-term client partnerships to drive repeat business and growth.
• Represent the agency at industry events and client meetings.
• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure smooth handover from win to delivery.

Skills

Business development

Sales leadership

Commercial strategy

Networking

Job description

A leading creative agency in Dubai is looking for a commercially driven Business Development Director to take ownership of new business growth and help accelerate the agency's expansion across the region. This is a true hunter role for someone who thrives on opening doors, building relationships from scratch, and converting opportunities into long-term client partnerships. The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of the creative, advertising, and marketing landscape, with a proven track record of winning new business and driving revenue growth. You will work closely with the agency leadership and creative teams to identify target clients, develop strategic opportunities, lead pitches, and bring in new revenue streams across the UAE and wider GCC.

Key Responsibilities

• Own and drive the agency's new business strategy, identifying opportunities across key sectors and target accounts
• Proactively generate new leads through outbound prospecting, networking, industry relationships, and market mapping
• Build relationships with senior marketing stakeholders, brand leaders, procurement teams, and decision-makers
• Create and maintain a strong sales pipeline, managing opportunities from initial outreach through to contract negotiation and close
• Lead new business meetings, presentations, and pitches alongside creative and strategy teams
• Translate client challenges into compelling creative solutions and commercial proposals
• Identify opportunities across brand, creative, digital, social, content, campaigns, and integrated marketing services
• Develop long-term partnerships with clients to drive repeat business and account growth
• Represent the agency at industry events, networking opportunities, and client meetings
• Work closely with internal teams to ensure a smooth handover from winning business through to delivery

Requirements

• Proven experience in business development, sales, or commercial leadership within a creative agency, advertising agency, media agency, or marketing services environment
• Strong track record of personally winning new business and delivering revenue growth
• A genuine outbound sales mindset - comfortable prospecting, cold outreach, opening conversations, and creating opportunities
• Strong network of brand-side marketing decision-makers across the UAE/GCC
• Experience selling creative, advertising, digital, content, media, or integrated marketing solutions
• Confident leading pitches, negotiations, and commercial conversations with senior stakeholders
• Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to work autonomously and take ownership of growth
• Strong understanding of the agency landscape and how brands buy marketing services

Salt is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.