Business Development Lead (Sales / New Business Strategy / Sponsorship) at a Major Sporting League - CA Global

CA Global - Our client, a major Sporting League expanding to the African continent, is recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Business Development Lead (Sales / New Business Strategy / Sponsorship)

Reference Number: SRBDL-NGN-001
Location: Lagos
Region: Western Africa

Job Description

• Our client is currently in search of an experienced sales / marketing professional for the New Business Development team to be based in Lagos, Nigeria reporting to the VP & Country Head of Nigeria. 
• This position plays a key role in generating new sponsorship revenue for the business 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 the 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 business in Nigeria
• 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 group marketing programs and create new initiatives tailored to the business in Nigeria
• 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 business 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 group to uncover business development opportunities
• Maintain a strong understanding of industry marketing channels and technologies that clients may utilize in activating a sponsorship

Internal Partnerships:

• Establish and develop close relationships with the groups global account teams, ensuring that they are proactively informed about all the Nigeria plans, initiatives, and projects
• Develop and execute a detailed and coherent plan focused on engaging the Groups 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 Nigeria Business 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

Requirements
Qualification and Skill:

• Bachelor’s Degree required; Master’s degree preferred but not required
• Minimum of 8 years of sales and/or business development experience
• Strategic thinker – able to shape, develop and execute the strategy for the Business
• 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
• 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
• Experience in working for a high-profile global organization
• Experience in investment banking a plus

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.