Business Development Lead (Sales / Marketing / Sponsorship Revenue) at CA Global

Job Description:
An exciting client of ours is seeking an experienced sales/marketing professional for the New Business Development team. This position plays a key role in generating new sponsorship revenue for the company in Nigeria. The ideal candidate must be a dynamic team player, with excellent storytelling, communication, and negotiation skills. The successful candidate will be implementing the new business development strategy with a focus on new partnership development - prospecting, pitching, negotiating, and securing new marketing partners. The role will require frequent travel throughout the region and will work closely with Marketing, Media, Events, and other groups to create and drive new revenue streams.

Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the development and implementation of the business development strategy for the company.

• Build relationships with senior-level decision makers at prospective sponsors, relevant marketing agencies, event management companies, and promoters to generate new partners and other new business opportunities

• Manage the sales process from proposal to deal memo submission and contract execution by liaising with other departments (Legal, Finance, etc.)

• Adapt current company marketing programs and create new initiatives tailored to the company.

• Maintain a database of highly valuable targets and opportunities.

• Monitor the activity of other sports and entertainment properties in the region.

• Prospect, target, pitch and secure the company Nigeria sponsorship, event, and media partnerships.

• Develop and maximize networking opportunities with potential and existing sponsors and relevant marketing agencies.

• Understand the prospect’s brand DNA and design sales presentations to reflect brand synergies and positioning.

• Deliver impactful on-brand and on-target partnership programs for new business prospects.

• Use storytelling to effectively sell-in partnership ideas to new business prospects.

• Develop, visualize, and present customized partnership solutions for prospective sponsors.

• Facilitate ideation by leading cross-functional brainstorms to inform creative solutions.

• Liaise with colleagues globally across the company to uncover business development opportunities.

• Maintain a strong understanding of industry marketing channels and technologies that clients may utilize in activating sponsorships.

• Internal Partnerships:

• Establish and develop close relationships with all the company’s global account teams, ensuring that they are proactively informed about all the plans, initiatives, and projects.

• Develop and execute a detailed and coherent plan focused on engaging the company’s global account teams with exciting and consistent presentations, aiming to get them on board with all the plans, initiatives, and projects so those can be considered as key components for all global or regional new partnership opportunities and upsells.

• Represent the company in global pitches and status meetings, providing relevant information and insights about the plans, initiatives, and projects, while also outlining clearly how current and potential global partners would receive value through those.

Required Skills / Knowledge:

• Successful track record building business in Nigeria; must have a strong understanding of the market and a network of relationships across all sectors of Nigeria’s marketing and media landscape.

• Creative storyteller with the ability to sell conceptually.

• High-level connectivity – client-side and sponsorship / marketing community in general.

• Ability to attain and exceed targets. This should involve delivering integrated programs that include media, print, interactive and event-based assets.

• Entrepreneurial approach with a strong understanding of business fundamentals.

• A track record of securing sponsorship contracts for rights holders in sports.

• Knowledge of TV and digital sales, merchandising and communications.

• Ability to develop creative solutions which will meet the objectives of prospective partners.

• Experience in working within a structured corporate environment.

• Business knowledge – being up to date with business / market / industry trends.

• A thorough understanding of the sports landscape (basketball and NBA knowledge preferable).

• Experience in working for a high-profile global organization.

• Experience in investment banking a plus.

Experience Needed:

• Minimum of 8 years of sales and /or business development experience.

• Strategic thinker – able to shape, develop and execute the strategy for the company.

• Strong persuading and negotiation skills.

• A credible communicator, adept at operating at the board level.

• Commercially minded and results driven.

• Excellent presentation skills.

• Ability to work well within a matrixed organization.

• A passion for sports preferred.

Educational Background Required:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred but not required.