Commercial Partnerships Executive

M&C Saatchi; Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

M+C Saatchi in Dubai seeks a Commercial Partnership Executive who can identify, develop, and close sponsorship opportunities across sport and entertainment. You will drive front-end business development, craft go-to-market plans, and evaluate rights value to maximize partner ROI.

You will manage the full lifecycle from outreach to contracting, build strong client relationships, and help shape partnership narratives that align brands with rights holders.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Sports Management, or related field.
• 2+ years’ experience in business development, partnerships, or sponsorship within sport and/or entertainment.
• Proven track record in generating leads, developing opportunities, and closing commercial deals.
• Strong understanding of partnership rights, valuation, and activation mechanics.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Commercially astute, with a data-informed and strategic mindset.
• Ability to operate independently while contributing to a high-performing team environment.

Responsibilities

• Proactively identify, target, and engage potential partners across brands, agencies, and rights holders.
• Build and manage a pipeline of commercial sponsorship opportunities.
• Develop, structure, and deliver compelling partnership proposals.
• Lead negotiations and support deal closure.
• Manage full partnership lifecycle—from prospecting to contracting.
• Provide recommendations on partnership strategy and activation.

Skills

Lead generation

Negotiation

Presentation skills

Communication

Business development

Sponsorship knowledge

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Sports Management, or related field

Job description

We are looking for a Commercial Partnership Executive, who is commercially driven and focused on identifying, developing, and closing sponsorship partnerships across sport and entertainment properties. This position operates at the forefront of revenue generation — combining proactive outreach, strategic thinking, and a deep understanding of the partnership landscape to unlock high-value opportunities. The role requires a strong balance of front-end business development (cold outreach, pipeline creation) and strategic rigour (go-to-market planning, rights evaluation), alongside a high level of attention to detail when developing and reviewing client-facing work.

ABOUT THE ROLE

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & PARTNERSHIPS

• Proactively identify, target, and engage potential partners across key sectors (brands, agencies, rights holders) through structured outreach and cold calling.
• Build and manage a high-quality pipeline of commercial opportunities aligned to defined go-to-market strategies.
• Develop, structure, and deliver compelling partnership proposals that clearly articulate value, differentiation, and ROI.
• Lead negotiations and support deal closure, ensuring commercially sound and mutually beneficial agreements.
• Manage the full partnership lifecycle — from prospecting through to contracting and ongoing relationship management.

GO-TO-MARKET & COMMERCIAL STRATEGY

• Support the development of go-to-market plans for rights holders and partnership opportunities, including sector targeting and positioning.
• Demonstrate a strong understanding of sponsorship rights, asset packaging, and commercial valuation.
• Contribute to shaping partnership narratives that align brand objectives with rights holder platforms.

MARKET INTELLIGENCE & LANDSCAPE UNDERSTANDING

• Maintain a strong, up-to-date understanding of the UAE and wider regional sport & entertainment sponsorship landscape.
• Conduct market research to identify trends, active categories, and whitespace opportunities.
• Analyse competitor activity and partnership models to inform strategy and approach.

CLIENT & STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT

• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Act as a reliable commercial point of contact, ensuring clear communication and consistent delivery against expectations.
• Provide informed recommendations on partnership strategy, positioning, and execution.

PARTNERSHIP ACTIVATION (WHEN REQUIRED)

• Support or oversee the development of partnership activation plans across digital, experiential, and PR channels.
• Ensure delivery aligns with agreed rights and maximises partner value.

INDUSTRY PRESENCE & NETWORKING

• Actively build a network within the sport and entertainment ecosystem, including brands, rights holders, and agencies.
• Represent the business at industry events, leveraging opportunities to generate leads and strengthen market presence.

STANDARDS & APPROACH

• Maintain a high level of care and attention to detail across all outputs, ensuring all materials are client-ready and commercially robust.
• Operate with a strong sense of ownership and accountability across both pipeline development and delivery.
• Balance pace with precision — ensuring opportunities are progressed efficiently without compromising quality.

ABOUT YOU

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Sports Management, or related field.
• 2+ years’ experience in business development, partnerships, or sponsorship within sport and/or entertainment.
• Proven track record in generating leads, developing opportunities, and closing commercial deals.
• Strong understanding of partnership rights, valuation, and activation mechanics.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Commercially astute, with a data-informed and strategic mindset.
• Ability to operate independently while contributing to a high-performing team environment.

ABOUT OUR LOCAL OFFICE

We were born out of the need for strategic and brutally effective creativity in the region. With every successful campaign, we have grown, and cherry-picked the best professionals to work with us from all over the region and the world. In 2012, we opened our Abu Dhabi office and expanded our team with our Dubai office in 2016 and then our Riyadh office in 2023. From these offices we manage a number of local and global brands across the Middle East and Europe. Brutal Simplicity of Thought is the creative philosophy of M+C Saatchi. It defines the way we work and the work we produce. We believe: It’s easier to complicate than simplify. Simple ideas enter the brain quicker and stay there longer. Brutal Simplicity of Thought is therefore a painful necessity.

ABOUT M+C SAATCHI GROUP

M+C Saatchi Group is a creative federation of companies who navigate, create, and lead meaningful change for clients across five specialist divisions connected through people, culture, data, technology and creativity, M+C Saatchi Group aims to unlock new value for clients and leave a positive impact on the world. M+C Saatchi Group’s work is informed by two core principles - Brutal Simplicity of Thought and Diversity of Thought. Together they guide how problems are solved and integrated specialist teams are built. Headquartered in London, M+C Saatchi Group have circa 2,500 employees globally. Our global operations span 23 countries with major hubs in the UK, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia and Australia.

OUR AMBITION

At M+C Saatchi Group, our ambition is to create and curate Cultural Power for our clients. We do this by connecting specialist expertise, powered by creativity, data and technology, to help build famous brands and solve the most complex business and societal challenges.