Commercial Sales Manager

The Eden Park Trust; Auckland; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Use of pool company car during workday

Ongoing professional development and

Complimentary event tickets

Exclusive discounts on Eden Park merch

Generous partner discounts

On-site gym access

Free on-site parking

Collaborative team culture

Job summary

The Eden Park Trust in Auckland seeks a commercially driven Commercial Sales Manager to lead new-business activity across partnerships, sponsorship, hospitality, events and venue opportunities. You will build a strong pipeline, engage senior decision-makers and craft tailored propositions that maximise Eden Park’s assets and revenue.

You’ll drive end-to-end sales from prospecting to close, reporting to the General Manager Commercial, and collaborate with the wider team to grow the venue’s

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in business development, sponsorship sales, partnerships, media, advertising, events, hospitality or another commercially focused sales environment.
• Proven success winning new business through proactive prospecting and outbound sales activity.
• Experience managing a sales pipeline and progressing opportunities through a structured sales process from prospecting to close.
• A strong track record of achieving sales or revenue targets.
• The ability to build trusted relationships with senior business decision-makers.
• Strong proposal development, pitching, presentation and negotiation skills.
• Commercial acumen and the ability to translate customer needs into compelling value propositions.
• Confidence using CRM systems and standard business productivity tools.
• Excellent organisation, follow-up and personal accountability.
• A proactive, resilient and solutions-focused approach.

Responsibilities

• Drive proactive new-business activity to generate incremental commercial revenue.
• Identify, prospect and develop relationships with prospective partners, customers and decision-makers.
• Build and maintain a high-quality pipeline of short, medium and long-term opportunities.
• Undertake outbound sales activity through direct approaches, referrals, networking and industry engagement.
• Lead meetings and commercial conversations with senior stakeholders.
• Progress opportunities through qualification, proposal development, negotiation and close.
• Deliver against agreed revenue targets and performance measures.
• Develop relationships with prospective clients that create future opportunities, even where an immediate sale is not available.
• Identify and pursue new partnership and sponsorship opportunities across relevant sectors and categories.
• Develop compelling, tailored commercial propositions that connect Eden Park’s assets, audiences and experiences with customer objectives.
• Prepare high-quality proposals, presentations and commercial packages.
• Lead confident and persuasive sales presentations with senior business decision-makers.
• Support commercial negotiations and contracting processes alongside the General Manager Commercial and relevant internal stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities to increase the breadth and value of existing partnerships through upsell and cross-sell activity.
• Identify new ways to commercialise Eden Park’s venue, events, experiences, audiences and assets.
• Contribute to the development of new revenue-generating products, partnership platforms, hospitality offerings, digital opportunities and venue propositions.
• Support the commercialisation of Eden Park-owned events and initiatives.
• Develop opportunities that support the ongoing growth of Film and Television activity at Eden Park.
• Test market demand, gather customer insight and contribute to business cases for new initiatives.
• Maintain awareness of market trends, competitor activity and emerging sponsorship, experiential and venue opportunities.
• Maintain accurate prospect, pipeline, activity and forecasting information in Eden Park’s CRM and commercial systems.
• Provide regular pipeline reporting, revenue forecasts and commercial updates to the General Manager Commercial.
• Use sales insights and market intelligence to improve targeting, prioritisation and conversion.
• Build credible, long-term relationships with partners, agencies, customers and senior business leaders.
• Represent Eden Park professionally at client meetings, networking events, industry engagements and partner functions.
• Protect and enhance the Eden Park brand, applying sound commercial judgement, discretion and professionalism.

Skills

Business development

Sponsorship sales

Partnerships

Media, advertising

Events & hospitality

Sales pipeline management

CRM

Proposal development

Negotiation

Relationship building

Presentation & pitching

Commercial acumen

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

The Eden Park Trust – Auckland, North Island

About the role

Eden Park is New Zealand’s national stadium, an iconic venue with over 120 years of history. We host world‑class sporting events, concerts, cultural festivals, film and television productions, and corporate functions, welcoming more than half a million fans and visitors annually. With a reputation for excellence, we take pride in creating unforgettable experiences and delivering strong commercial outcomes that support the future of New Zealand’s national stadium.

The Eden Park Trust is seeking an ambitious and commercially driven Commercial Sales Manager to join our high‑performing Commercial team.

Reporting to the General Manager Commercial, this is a senior new‑business role responsible for generating incremental revenue across partnerships, sponsorship, hospitality, events, venue utilisation, film and television, and other commercial assets.

This is not an account‑management role. You will be responsible for identifying and creating opportunities, building a strong pipeline and taking prospects from initial engagement through to proposal, negotiation and close. You will be confident opening doors, engaging senior decision‑makers and developing compelling commercial solutions that meet customer needs and deliver value for Eden Park.

Working closely with the Commercial Partnerships Manager and wider team, you will help maximise the value of Eden Park’s assets, audiences, relationships and reputation, while contributing to the long‑term growth of New Zealand’s national stadium.

What you’ll do

New Business Development & Revenue Growth

• Drive proactive new‑business activity to generate incremental commercial revenue.
• Identify, prospect and develop relationships with prospective partners, customers and decision‑makers.
• Build and maintain a high‑quality pipeline of short, medium and long‑term opportunities.
• Undertake outbound sales activity through direct approaches, referrals, networking and industry engagement.
• Lead meetings and commercial conversations with senior stakeholders.
• Progress opportunities through qualification, proposal development, negotiation and close.
• Deliver against agreed revenue targets and performance measures.
• Develop relationships with prospective clients that create future opportunities, even where an immediate sale is not available.
• Identify and pursue new partnership and sponsorship opportunities across relevant sectors and categories.
• Develop compelling, tailored commercial propositions that connect Eden Park’s assets, audiences and experiences with customer objectives.
• Prepare high‑quality proposals, presentations and commercial packages.
• Lead confident and persuasive sales presentations with senior business decision‑makers.
• Support commercial negotiations and contracting processes alongside the General Manager Commercial and relevant internal stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities to increase the breadth and value of existing partnerships through upsell and cross‑sell activity.

Commercial Product & Opportunity Development

• Identify new ways to commercialise Eden Park’s venue, events, experiences, audiences and assets.
• Contribute to the development of new revenue‑generating products, partnership platforms, hospitality offerings, digital opportunities and venue propositions.
• Support the commercialisation of Eden Park‑owned events and initiatives.
• Develop opportunities that support the ongoing growth of Film and Television activity at Eden Park.
• Test market demand, gather customer insight and contribute to business cases for new initiatives.
• Maintain awareness of market trends, competitor activity and emerging sponsorship, experiential and venue opportunities.

Pipeline, Reporting & Commercial Relationships

• Maintain accurate prospect, pipeline, activity and forecasting information in Eden Park’s CRM and commercial systems.
• Provide regular pipeline reporting, revenue forecasts and commercial updates to the General Manager Commercial.
• Use sales insights and market intelligence to improve targeting, prioritisation and conversion.
• Build credible, long‑term relationships with partners, agencies, customers and senior business leaders.
• Represent Eden Park professionally at client meetings, networking events, industry engagements and partner functions.
• Protect and enhance the Eden Park brand, applying sound commercial judgement, discretion and professionalism.

What we’re looking for

• We’re looking for a confident, commercially savvy salesperson with a genuine drive to win new business. You will be comfortable creating opportunities, influencing senior stakeholders and working through complex sales cycles. Ideally, you’ll bring:
• Demonstrated experience in business development, sponsorship sales, partnerships, media, advertising, events, hospitality or another commercially focused sales environment.
• Proven success winning new business through proactive prospecting and outbound sales activity.
• Experience managing a sales pipeline and progressing opportunities through a structured sales process from prospecting to close.
• A strong track record of achieving sales or revenue targets.
• The ability to build trusted relationships with senior business decision‑makers.
• Strong proposal development, pitching, presentation and negotiation skills.
• Commercial acumen and the ability to translate customer needs into compelling value propositions.
• Confidence using CRM systems and standard business productivity tools.
• Excellent organisation, follow‑up and personal accountability.
• A proactive, resilient and solutions‑focused approach.
• Experience in sport, entertainment, venues, sponsorship, media, events, hospitality or experiential marketing would be highly regarded.
• Established networks across New Zealand’s corporate, agency, marketing or sponsorship community would be an advantage.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends and public holidays as required to support events, client engagements and networking activity.

What we offer

• Use of a pool company car during the work day
• Ongoing professional development and career progression opportunities
• Complimentary tickets to most events at Eden Park (subject to availability)
• Exclusive discounts on Eden Park merchandise and experiences
• Generous discounts with our valued partners
• Access to a complimentary on‑site gym
• Free on‑site parking
• A collaborative and supportive team culture

This is an exciting opportunity to drive commercial growth at one of New Zealand’s most iconic venues. If you are a commercially minded, relationship‑focused new‑business professional who thrives on creating and converting opportunities, help shape the future of Eden Park.