Head of Strategic Business Development

LOCALA; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Locala is seeking a visionary Head of Strategic Business Development to identify and build high-impact partnerships across agencies, brands and platform partners.

Working with Sales, Product, Marketing, Finance and leadership, you will shape multi-market agreements, Joint Business Plans and scalable partnership models that drive incremental revenue growth. This role demands strategic insight, executive presence and a track record of cross-functional leadership in adtech/media/SaaS contexts.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in business development, strategic partnerships, consulting, enterprise sales, or commercial leadership.
• Experience negotiating complex commercial agreements.
• Proven success leading cross-functional initiatives and strategic partnerships.
• Experience in media, advertising, adtech, martech, SaaS, or related industries.
• Strong executive communication and relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Identify and prioritize strategic growth opportunities.
• Build executive relationships with agencies, brands, and partners.
• Develop Joint Business Plans, preferred partnerships, and multi-market agreements.
• Create scalable partnership models that support long-term growth.
• Structure commercially viable and repeatable partnership solutions.
• Evaluate revenue potential, strategic fit, and operational feasibility.
• Partner with Finance, Legal, Product, and Operations to execute agreements.
• Serve as the primary commercial filter before Product engagement.
• Ensure opportunities are qualified, scalable, and strategically aligned.
• Coordinate stakeholders across Sales, Product, Marketing, Finance, and Operations.
• Drive opportunities from qualification through execution.
• Own strategic partnership and growth targets.
• Track pipeline, conversion, and revenue impact.
• Deliver measurable incremental revenue through strategic partnerships.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Executive presence

Commercial acumen

Partnership development

Deal structuring

Cross-functional leadership

Influence without authority

Consultative communication

Job description

Locala’s omnichannel advertising platform leverages granular insights and cutting‑edge AI to help marketers efficiently plan, activate, and measure campaigns personalized to the local consumer. Our platform specializes in transforming complex mobility and consumer data into actionable audience insights, fueling advanced media strategies that consistently deliver smarter business outcomes.

Since our inception in 2012, Locala has proudly worked with leading brands across 40 countries.
With over 200 employees around the globe, Locala has offices in the United States, France, Belgium, the UK, Singapore, Malaysia, Italy, Canada, and Dubai.

The Head of Strategic Business Development identifies and develops strategic commercial opportunities that drive incremental revenue growth.

Working across Sales, Product, Marketing, Finance, and Executive Leadership, this role builds scalable partnerships such as Joint Business Plans, preferred partnerships, platform partnerships, and multi‑market agreements.

This is not a traditional sales role. The ideal candidate is a strategic business leader who engages senior clients through market insight, business expertise, and commercial judgment.

Reporting Structure

Reports to: Chief Marketing Officer

Works closely with:

• Executive Leadership Team
• Sales Leadership
• Product Leadership
• Marketing
• Finance
• Legal
• Operations

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Growth & Partnerships

• Identify and prioritize strategic growth opportunities.
• Build executive relationships with agencies, brands, and partners.
• Develop Joint Business Plans, preferred partnerships, and multi‑market agreements.
• Create scalable partnership models that support long‑term growth.

Deal Development

• Structure commercially viable and repeatable partnership solutions.
• Evaluate revenue potential, strategic fit, and operational feasibility.
• Partner with Finance, Legal, Product, and Operations to execute agreements.

Product & Cross‑Functional Coordination

• Serve as the primary commercial filter before Product engagement.
• Ensure opportunities are qualified, scalable, and strategically aligned.
• Coordinate stakeholders across Sales, Product, Marketing, Finance, and Operations.
• Drive opportunities from qualification through execution.

Commercial Accountability

• Own strategic partnership and growth targets.
• Track pipeline, conversion, and revenue impact.
• Deliver measurable incremental revenue through strategic partnerships.

Qualifications

Required Experience

• 10+ years in business development, strategic partnerships, consulting, enterprise sales, or commercial leadership.
• Experience negotiating complex commercial agreements.
• Proven success leading cross‑functional initiatives and strategic partnerships.
• Experience in media, advertising, adtech, martech, SaaS, or related industries.
• Strong executive communication and relationship‑building skills.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with agencies, enterprise brands, or platform partnerships.
• Global or multi‑market partnership experience.
• Existing senior industry relationships.
• Experience building or scaling a strategic partnership function.

Core Competencies

• Strategic thinking
• Executive presence
• Commercial acumen
• Partnership development
• Deal structuring
• Cross‑functional leadership
• Influence without authority
• Consultative communication

Success Metrics

• Incremental strategic revenue generated
• Signed partnerships and Joint Business Plans
• Multi‑market and platform partnership growth
• Strategic pipeline creation and conversion
• Executive relationships converted into commercial opportunities
• Reduction in unqualified Product requests

Ideal Candidate Profile

A consultative business development leader with strong commercial instincts and executive presence.

They build trust through expertise, bring valuable market and category insight to senior client conversations, and create meaningful commercial opportunities without relying on traditional sales tactics.

Most importantly, they can turn strategic conversations into scalable partnerships and measurable business results.