Senior Sales Manager, CEE & Africa

The Walt Disney Company (France); Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global entertainment company based in Greater London is seeking a Senior Sales Manager to oversee the sales and distribution of scripted series and feature films in Africa and CEE. This role requires over 10 years of experience in client-facing negotiations, with a focus on maximizing revenue streams. The ideal candidate should have a strong understanding of the industry, excellent negotiation skills, and the ability to build and maintain relationships with clients.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of client-facing experience in scripted series and feature film distribution.
• Expertise in negotiating deals for Linear and on-demand rights across Africa and CEE.
• Demonstrable track record of achieving and exceeding sales targets.

Responsibilities

• Manage sales and distribution of content portfolio.
• Collaborate with Director to establish sales targets.
• Develop strong client relationships and provide expert sales advice.

Skills

Client-facing experience

Negotiation skills

Commercial acumen

Industry knowledge

Excellent communication

Job description

Be you, be here, be part of the story!

At The Walt Disney Company, magic is more than just a word; it’s a way of life. For a century, we’ve been inspiring imaginations, celebrating diversity, and bringing families together through our beloved stories, characters, and experiences. From our iconic theme parks and resorts to our groundbreaking films, television shows, interactive media and products, we’re dedicated to creating magic that knows no bounds.

This is an office-based role. 4 days working in the Hammersmith, London office with 1 day working from home (Monday or Friday)

This is a 12m FTC role.

Areas of responsibility

• Manage the sales and distribution of the full portfolio with a heightened focus on US scripted series and studio feature films across Currents and Library content across broadcast and on demand windows in Africa and CEE.
• On an ongoing basis creatively tailor sales pitches and sales initiatives to license all content categories across the portfolio to market via direct licensing. Strategies must effectively window content, pace content exposure, and strategically secure and grow ongoing revenue streams and opportunities.
• Monitor the marketplace for changes that affect sales activities, both directly and indirectly; identify and create new opportunities for sales as a result of new entrants, emerging markets, changing technology and/or delivery systems.
• Regularly provide distribution updates and market intelligence, including updates for SVP and Country Manager. Actively maintain a clear understanding of commercial value and impact of new licensing rights. Actively maintain an understanding of clients’ KPIs, success and challenges.
• Work closely with Director to review deals and the negotiations receive input and guidance.
• Timely feedback to content revenue forecasts, budgets and 5 Year planning.
• Constantly work to improve licensing terms and fees across the content portfolio and expand client base.
• Perform other related duties as requested by management, the Director and SVP.

Manage Sales Manager and Senior Sales Executive

• Collaborate with the Director to establish clear, ambitious sales targets for the Sales Manager and Senior Sales Executive.
• Monitor progress and ensure consistent alignment with business objectives, driving performance to meet or exceed agreed goals.
• Provide regular, constructive feedback to support individual and team development.
• Manage workloads maintaining accountability and driving continuous improvement.

Manage relationships with clients in the Territory

• Sustain and develop strong relationships with established and nascent clients through appropriate levels of regular client contact – communicate regularly with the client (e.g. gather market intelligence, keep client up-to-date on Disney content; stay across client’s KPIs and activities).
• Escalate and work with Sales Director to manage complex rights, business, security and payment issues with the support of Finance and Legal executives.
• Inform customers of upcoming Disney corporate events, product programs and services.
• Follow up with clients on requests and series launches and key feature film premieres or scheduling (holidays).
• Navigate solutions to contract/distribution issues as they arise in a timely manner and escalate as necessary.
• Together with Sales Director and marketing team, orchestrate with clients’ content launches and scheduling that maximize ratings and promotional opportunities.

Provide expert sales advice about country within Territory

• Provide expert advice to Director, Country Manager, and rest of the Executive team about content and clients as required for the Territory.
• Support the Director, SVP and Country Manager in identifying and driving strategic initiatives and ensuring alignment with regional and global objectives in Africa and CEE.
• Use product knowledge and understanding of past deals and experiences with the customer to identify/ maximise package sales opportunities.

Other General Activities

• Work effectively with departmental colleagues & cross-functionally with members of the Territories.
• Absorbs additional client engagement from team members during key deal negotiations.
• Balances adhering to defined business processes with taking opportunities to improve business processes where possible.
• Shares and learns best practices with counterparts in other markets.
• Drives to continually develop knowledge of the product slate, media types & the territory environment (including customers & market dynamics).
• Support cross department initiatives and ad hoc projects if required.

Key Performance Indicators

• Meeting stretching sales targets.
• Accountability for Customer Satisfaction.
• Growth of customers and depth of content licensed by clients.
• Integrated approach to deal planning and negotiations that also benefits the wider media business and, as appropriate, the wider company.
• Ensure all direct reports consistently meet or exceed sales targets and maintain high overall performance.

Areas of Accountability

Senior Sales Manager has accountability to deliver stretching sales budgets and deals that complement and drive D2C.

Skills and experience

10+ years

• Substantial, direct client facing experience negotiating the distribution of scripted series and feature films to Linear and the associated on-demand rights to Broadcasters and OTT services in Africa and CEE.
• Assessing the commercial potential of content, devising and actioning commercial sales plans that deliver the full potential of an IP and maximizes the lifecycle of an IP.
• Experience licensing US series and Studio Feature films directly with the EMEA business with a focus on Africa and CEE territories with excellent breadth of business contacts with Pay and Free broadcast and SVOD clients.
• Successful experience learning and growing new territories and distribution channels and understanding and commercializing new rights, regulatory changes and technologies.
• Proven record of growing and maximizing the commercial potential of new and existing clients.
• Extensive relevant industry knowledge in scripted series and features, market trends, changes in viewing behaviours, acquisition patterns, regulatory environment (and changes), evolving client business. Demonstratable experience of using this knowledge to anticipate and plan for changes and commercializing.
• Proven ability to identify unique selling points of IPs, clients’ needs and competitor product knowledge.
• Proven ability for deal interpretation & revenue/profit modelling.
• Demonstrable complex sales negotiation experience.
• Proven rights management & commercial interpretation of Availability Lists.
• Proven experience of content development, pitch development and opportunity analysis.
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively across multiple Lines of Business (LoBs), fostering alignment and driving cross-functional initiatives.
• Demonstrated capability in people management and team leadership.
• Demonstrable track record of achieving stretching sales targets and delivering growth in excess of the market.
• Language skills (ideally speaks one of CEE languages).
• Extensive experienced in rights management and distribution of Studio and Network series, Studio feature film and entertainment content.
• Charismatic and diplomatic with entrepreneurial zeal and the ability to work in a lean, driven and high-demanding environment.
• Excellent communicator, with strong influencing skills and the ability to work with peers and senior executives locally and on a remote basis.
• Personally credible and authoritative, able to provide leadership and give confidence across the organisation.
• Understanding of the broadcast industry and how it is evolving, economics of TV and the marketplace.
• Comfortable and conversant with new technology applications.
• Proven sales acumen, demonstrable selling skills and solid pitching and negotiation skills.