Senior Director - Head of Sponsorships CEMEA

Visa; Dubai; Hybrid; AED 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global payments technology company seeks a Senior Director for Sponsorships in Dubai. This full-time hybrid role involves leading sponsorship strategies with renowned sports events and athletes, ensuring impactful partnerships across the CEMEA region. The ideal candidate possesses extensive experience in sponsorship marketing, strong leadership capabilities, and excellent communication skills. This position requires strategic thinking and collaboration with various stakeholders to maximize the effectiveness of sponsorship programs, alongside a Bachelor's degree in Business or Marketing, with an MBA preferred.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in sponsorships and marketing.
• Proven leadership with the ability to create a vision.
• Strong strategic thinker with results orientation.
• Great collaborator with productive relationship-building.
• Effective communicator with executive presence.

Responsibilities

• Lead creation of activation platforms for sponsorships.
• Manage relationships with sports bodies and ambassadors.
• Collaborate with global teams on sponsorship activities.
• Explore and recommend new partnership opportunities.
• Measure and track key metrics to optimize programs.

Skills

Sponsorship Marketing

Leadership

Strategic Thinking

Collaboration

Communication Skills

Financial Acumen

Planning and Organization

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business or Marketing

MBA (preferred)

Job description

Sponsorships are a key element of Visas global marketing strategy. We proudly sponsor some of the worlds most prominent sporting events using these platforms to engage audiences and tell stories of progress and determination. We also collaborate with clients to create comarketing programs that drive mutual business growth.

Reporting to the Senior Vice President CMO CEMEA the Senior Director Sponsorships CEMEA is a key member of the regional marketing leadership team. This role focuses on all aspects of sponsorships working with global teams to deploy marquee properties like the FIFA World Cup Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 Team Olympics Paralympics and NFL in the CEMEA region. Additionally the role manages relationships deal structures and commercialization across regional sponsorship properties including AFCON AFC ACL and talent deals with athletes and stars like Mo Salah Pep Guardiola and Ronwen Williams.

The role also provides strategic guidance for sponsorships across 90 markets within CEMEA covering music culinary gaming and more as we evolve with client product and business needs. You will lead the evolution of our Sponsorships Marketing practice in CEMEA creating a vision for the function and maximizing the value of our unique sponsorship assets.

Responsibilities

• For global and regional properties lead the creation of CEMEA activation platforms with emphasis on rich customizable ideas for comarketing with clients.
• Lead the relationship with Confederation of African Football ensuring a positive and productive relationship that provides ample space to activate the property.
• Manage CEMEAs Visa Brand Ambassadors including sports stars and talents with view of maximizing endorsement and support for Visa and client goals.
• Lead the relationship with Team Visa athletes in CEMEA
• Work together with the Global Sponsorships Marketing team on all aspects of the activation of global properties in CEMEA (Olympics FIFA F1 NFL) planning inmarket hospitality giving input on global campaign development to reflect the dynamics and needs of the CEMEA market
• Lead the exploration evaluation and recommendation of further partnership opportunities in CEMEA both in and outside the world of sports.
• Measure and track program key metrics to optimize future program.
• Oversee the creation of case studies to be used globally.

This is a hybrid position. Expectation of days in office will be confirmed by your Hiring Manager

Qualifications

• Extensive experience sponsorships with proven capabilities in all sides of Sponsorships Marketing understanding rights governing bodies activation etc.
• An inspirational leader able to create a vision for Sponsorships Marketing and communicate it in an engaging way that connects with all audiences Visa leadership clients property holders athletes and the media.
• Strong strategic thinker with a results orientation who approaches any challenge with thoughtfulness drive and appropriate urgency.
• Great collaborator able to create productive relationships with key leaders at Visa and our Global Sponsorships Marketing team.
• Strong executive presence with highly effective written and verbal communication skills including the ability to present with impact.
• Global/multimarket sensibility and awareness with an empathetic outlook to work well with other markets and cultures around CEMEA able to accurately represent the views and interests of CEMEA markets with global teams.
• Strong planning organizational and problem solving skills.
• Solid financial and analytical acumen with strong ROI orientation.
• Bachelors degree in business or marketing MBA preferred.

Additional Information

Visa is an EEO Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race color religion sex national origin sexual orientation gender identity disability or protected veteran status. Visa will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with EEOC guidelines and applicable local law.

Remote Work

No

Employment Type

Fulltime