100000001277.Commercial Director

Qatar Foundation International; Doha; On-site; QAR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Al Shaqab is seeking a senior commercial leader to define and execute a long-term strategy that expands revenue and partnerships across equestrian and related ventures.

You will drive governance, sponsorship, and sponsorship activation while coordinating with branding, marketing, and external stakeholders to sustain premium offerings and growth.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a related field and 8 years of relevant commercial experience.
• Proven success in leading high-value commercial strategies within sports, entertainment, hospitality, or luxury brand sectors.
• Experience drafting and structuring sponsorships, partnerships, and brand activations.
• Strong governance, contracting, sponsorship regulations, and risk management in high-profile environments.
• Excellent stakeholder management and concise written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead a long-term commercial strategy aligned with the organization’s mission.
• Oversee sponsorships, partnerships, and revenue diversification initiatives.
• Develop and implement diversified revenue portfolios and governance frameworks.
• Lead due diligence, financial modelling, and risk assessments for new ventures and events.
• Collaborate with Brand & Marketing to elevate the organization's global profile.
• Negotiate major commercial deals and manage cross-border agreements.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Sponsorship & partnerships

Stakeholder management

Financial modeling

Negotiation

Market intelligence

Cross-functional teamwork

Brand governance

Communication/writing

Data analytics

Education

MBA or related masters

Tools

MS Office

CRM systems

Data analytics tools

Job description

Job Purpose

To define and lead Al Shaqab’s commercial vision and strategy, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and Qatar Foundation’s strategic direction. To drive long-term revenue growth, strategic partnerships, and diversification of income streams, positioning Al Shaqab as a global leader in equine and related commercial ventures.

Key Result Areas

• Develop, lead, and continuously refine a long-term commercial strategy that aligns with Al Shaqab’s mission to preserve Qatar’s equestrian heritage.
• Champion business model transformation across equine sports, education, training, and lifestyle offerings, ensuring commercial resilience and future readiness.
• Oversee performance management of commercial initiatives using structured KPIs, ensuring revenue growth and operational excellence.
• Foster a high-performance culture that encourages innovation, agility, and value creation across all commercial teams and external partners.
• Strategically identify and capture revenue opportunities within and beyond equestrian operations, including sports tourism, hospitality, digital engagement, academia, and experience-based services.
• Build and maintain high-impact relationships with corporate sponsors, global equestrian organizations, luxury brands, and government stakeholders to drive co-branded ventures and long-term value partnerships.
• Design and implement diversified revenue portfolios to reduce dependence on seasonal events and maximize year-round commercial return.
• Negotiate major commercial deals to optimize financial outcomes while protecting Al Shaqb’s reputation and strategic interests.
• Establish robust commercial governance frameworks that align with Al Shaqqab’s requirements and international best practices in finance, sourcing, contract management, and partnership governance.
• Oversee due diligence, financial modelling, and risk assessments for new commercial ventures and events, ensuring decisions are data-driven and compliant with legal, ethical, and safety standards.
• Continuously evaluate and enhance risk mitigation measures for sponsorship, brand reputation, operational activities, and cross-border commercial agreements.
• Work closely with Brand & Marketing to elevate Al Shaqab’s profile as a global benchmark for excellence in horsemanship, innovation, and luxury lifestyle experiences.
• Direct market intelligence programs to monitor international equestrian trends, entertainment models, and premium leisure consumption patterns to inform proactive commercial strategy.

Key Result Areas

• Develop, lead, and continuously refine a long-term commercial strategy that aligns with Al Shaqab’s mission to preserve Qatar’s equestrian heritage.
• Champion business model transformation across equine sports, education, training, and lifestyle offerings, ensuring commercial resilience and future readiness.
• Oversee performance management of commercial initiatives using structured KPIs, ensuring revenue growth and operational excellence.
• Foster a high-performance culture that encourages innovation, agility, and value creation across all commercial teams and external partners.
• Strategically identify and capture revenue opportunities within and beyond equestrian operations, including sports tourism, hospitality, digital engagement, academia, and experience-based services.
• Build and maintain high-impact relationships with corporate sponsors, global equestrian organizations, luxury brands, and government stakeholders to drive co-branded ventures and long-term value partnerships.
• Design and implement diversified revenue portfolios to reduce dependence on seasonal events and maximize year-round commercial return.
• Negotiate major commercial deals to optimize financial outcomes while protecting Al Shaqab’s reputation and strategic interests.
• Establish robust commercial governance frameworks that align with Al Shaqqab’s requirements and international best practices in finance, sourcing, contract management, and partnership governance.
• Oversee due diligence, financial modelling, and risk assessments for new commercial ventures and events, ensuring decisions are data-driven and compliant with legal, ethical, and safety standards.
• Continuously evaluate and enhance risk mitigation measures for sponsorship, brand reputation, operational activities, and cross-border commercial agreements.
• Work closely with Brand & Marketing to elevate Al Shaqab’s profile as a global benchmark for excellence in horsemanship, innovation, and luxury lifestyle experiences.
• Direct market intelligence programs to monitor international equestrian trends, entertainment models, and premium leisure consumption patterns to inform proactive commercial strategy.

• Ensure brand consistency, premium positioning, and cultural alignment across all products, events, digital content, and customer experiences.
• Lead commercial planning for flagship events such as CHI Al Shaqab, Longines Global Champions Tour, and other major national and international competitions.
• Maximize commercial returns from sponsorship hierarchies, VIP and hospitality offerings, merchandising, media rights, and visitor experiences.
• Support the creation of new marquee (spectator area) events and experiential platforms that increase brand equity and economic return.
• Collaborate with sporting, operations, and marketing teams to ensure commercial goals are fully embedded in event design and delivery.

Minimum Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Commercial Management, Sports Management, Marketing, or a related field. 8 years of relevant full-time commercial experience, 5 of which at a senior supervisory level.
• Proven success in leading high-value commercial strategies within sports, entertainment, hospitality, or luxury brand sectors
• Demonstrated achievements in structuring major sponsorships, partnerships, and brand activations
• Experience working within a multifaceted organization encompassing events, tourism, community engagement, and premium customer offerings
• Exposure to GCC or international markets with strong commercial networks preferred
• Strong command of financial modeling, P&L accountability, pricing strategies, revenue forecasting, and negotiation of high-value deals.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams, inspire innovation, drive transformational initiatives, and foster a performance-driven culture.
• Deep understanding of commercial governance practices, contracting, sponsorship regulations, and reputation management in high-profile environments.
• Expertise in market research, consumer behavior analysis, and developing products and experiences aligned with premium brand positioning.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence senior executives, global partners, government institutions, and luxury brand networks.
• Innovative thinker with strong decision-making capability, professional integrity, cultural sensitivity, and a commitment to excellence.
• Excellent writing skills with the ability to draft and edit a variety of written reports and communications and to articulate advise clearly and concisely.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications and in digital commercial tools, CRM systems, and data analytics platforms.

Job Info

• Job Identification 3339
• Job Category Commercial & Business Development