Head of Sales Development

We are currently looking for a Head of Sales Development to support a key initiative within the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) on a 12-month freelance contract.

DCT Abu Dhabi is the government entity responsible for driving the sustainable growth of Abu Dhabi’s culture and tourism sectors, playing a central role in positioning the emirate as a global hub for culture, creativity, and tourism.

The Head of Sales Development will lead the Enterprise Sales Development section responsible for identifying, engaging, and qualifying priority gaming companies, investors, and venture leaders before transferring qualified opportunities to Enterprise Account Execution.

The role will set the targeting and outreach strategy, oversee inbound and outbound lead development, maintain disciplined pipeline management, and ensure effective coordination across the Business Development function.

• Translate Abu Dhabi Gaming priorities into clear targeting and account-selection criteria.
• Define priority market segments, target accounts, and outreach areas.
• Build and maintain prioritized account lists across gaming companies, investors, and venture leaders.
• Monitor market developments and use insights to refine target profiles and outreach priorities.

• Develop structured outreach plans across priority segments and international markets.
• Create collateral and engagement materials to support outreach activities and company discussions.
• Engage priority accounts through direct outreach, industry events, referrals, and ecosystem channels.
• Generate qualified interest and establish relationships with prospective companies, investors, and venture leaders.

• Assess and prioritize incoming enquiries and investment opportunities.
• Capture each prospect’s requirements, objectives, timelines, and required areas of support.
• Qualify leads based on strategic fit, commercial potential, readiness, and likelihood of conversion.
• Assign each enquiry a clear priority, owner, follow‑up action, and next step.

• Define pipeline stages, qualification standards, and opportunity progression criteria.
• Maintain accurate CRM records, engagement histories, follow‑up activities, and opportunity status.
• Ensure consistent pipeline governance and visibility across the Business Development function.
• Coordinate with Business Sourcing and transfer qualified opportunities to Enterprise Account Execution for potential conversion.

• Consolidate feedback from prospective companies and investors regarding Abu Dhabi’s proposition, incentives, and ecosystem gaps.
• Monitor pipeline activity, lead quality, ageing, and conversion against agreed KPIs.
• Identify bottlenecks across targeting, outreach, qualification, and handover processes.
• Recommend improvements to strengthen pipeline quality and conversion performance.

• Set objectives for the Enterprise Sales Development team and allocate resources across priority markets and accounts.
• Manage team performance and ensure accountability against agreed targets.
• Establish consistent tools, templates, processes, and quality standards.
• Coach and develop team members while strengthening collaboration across the wider Business Development function.

• Expected level:
  Vice President, Principal or Section Head equivalent
• With at least 8 years of relevant leadership experience

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Experience leading an enterprise sales development or business development team.
• The ability to define priority accounts and execute structured outbound engagement strategies.
• Strong commercial judgement when assessing strategic fit, opportunity potential, and conversion readiness.
• Strong command of CRM systems, pipeline stages, follow‑up processes, and performance reporting.
• The ability to build credibility with founders, senior executives, investors, and government stakeholders.
• Experience coaching teams and coordinating effectively across sourcing, business development, and account‑execution functions.
• A highly organized, structured, and data‑driven approach to managing multiple accounts and interactions.
• Experience with in gaming, technology, digital media, investment attraction, or a related sector is preferred.

12-month contract

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates