Partnership Management - Team Lead

Overview

RISE is a leader in Saudi Arabia’s sport, culture and entertainment (SCE) sectors. With offices in Dubai (UAE) and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (KSA), RISE specialises in providing data-driven, sustainable sponsorship services to some of the region’s leading brand and rights holder clients.

The successful candidate will join on a fixed term contract to provide maternity cover, leading the brand sponsorship team, and responsible for managing day-to-day partnership management of our brand clients. They will be passionate about the SCE industry and have a track record of success in partnership management and the development of brand strategy.

Working closely with the leadership team, the role requires someone who is passionate about sponsorship, its role in the brand marketing mix and has a good working knowledge of sport, culture, and entertainment industries across the GCC region. The successful applicant will collaborate with the team to support and lead the numerous Brand Sponsorship accounts across the business.

The role will best suit someone who can manage complex partnerships, has experience of working with rights holders and a track record of achieving return on investment for brand clients. They will need to hold extensive knowledge of the sponsorship lifecycle, the main value drivers of sponsorship and have expertise in client leadership, broad consulting, sponsorship activation, integrated marketing, and team management.

Someone with proven abilities in providing strategic recommendations to clients and leading a team is essential.

The successful applicant will serve as the leader and driving force of the Brand Sponsorship unit of the team, be responsible for client business, accountable for the unit’s overall profitability and leader of the team’s recruitment, development and performance.

The role has three main areas of focus:

• Embody and reflect RISE’s performance-based culture and commit themselves and their team to the highest standards for all agency work
• Work effectively with cross-functional teams to deliver planning, consulting and executional excellence
• Apply a genuine eagerness to mentor, grow, and develop a diverse and talented team
• Manage and train the brand sponsorship and activation team members with responsibility for goal setting, feedback, and constructive guidance
• Work closely with engagement teams to ensure account work is projected accurately and effectively and efficiently planned and staffed with all deliverables prioritised accordingly
• Serve as a subject matter expert on football and related industry trends, sponsorship landscape, and competitive activities
• Proactively communicate insights and experiences with colleagues and clients
• Build relationships with third-party suppliers and manage team engagements to deliver brand activations in the digital and physical realms
• Guide brainstorming and idea generation sessions with cross-functional teams
• Oversee the hiring, development, and training of the team, adapting the team’s focus based on the needs of RISE and its clients

• Demonstrate an understanding and a passion for his/her clients’ industry, business, brand, and consumer target(s)
• Establish him/herself as a trusted strategic business partner to the client and demonstrate leadership in meetings and client interaction
• Lead client relationships in the key verticals and with select rights holders and brands
• Ability to identify needs that the client may not recognize and ensure that approaches and solutions are linked to objectives and future needs
• Consistently manage client expectations, ensure delivery of the highest quality service, and solicit and act on client feedback
• Ensure goals for client account growth, retention, and satisfaction are met with consistency and best-in-class conceptualisation, planning, and execution
• Employ a methodical approach to maintaining and developing strong relationships with clients, partners, properties, and throughout the industry to under‑cover and commercialise insights and new business opportunities
• Leverage relationships with rights sales team to support efforts between RISE and rights holders, supporting…