Head of sponsorship sales

Location: India (Experience in the UAE market is mandatory)Experience: Mandatory experience in Media & AdvertisingDepartment: Commercial / RevenueReports To: Senior Sales DirectAbout the RoleWe are seeking a dynamic, well-networked, and results-driven Head of Sponsorship Sales & Events to lead sponsorship revenue, partnerships, and event commercialization across the Middle East. This role requires a strategic leader with deep experience in media, advertising, and brand partnerships, capable of driving large-scale sponsorship deals, building enterprise relationships, and delivering high-impact events.Key Responsibilities- Sponsorship & Revenue Leadership- Develop and execute a high-growth sponsorship sales strategy across the Middle East region.- Own full sales cycle: prospecting, pitching, negotiation, closing, and renewals.- Build and manage a strong pipeline of sponsors across enterprise brands, agencies, government entities, and industry verticals.- Drive multimillion-dollar annual revenue targets with data-driven forecasting and performance planning.Partnerships & Strategic Growth- Leverage existing relationships within media, advertising, martech, adtech, and corporate sectors to unlock new partnership opportunities.- Establish long-term, high-value relationships with C-suite executives, CMOs, marketing directors, and decision-makers.- Collaborate with internal teams (Marketing, Product, PR, Ops) to create compelling sponsorship assets, pitches, and packages.Event Ownership & Delivery- Lead end-to-end planning of industry events, conferences, summits, and partner activations including exhibitors, speakers, and sponsors.- Work with production teams to craft event concepts, agendas, speaker line-ups, and value propositions.- Ensure seamless execution of sponsor deliverables, branding integrations, and onsite experience.- Identify opportunities for regional expansion and launch new event IPs.Leadership & Team Management- Build, mentor, and manage a high-performing sponsorship & events team.- Set KPIs, performance goals, and operational processes for scalable growth.- Drive a culture of collaboration, accountability, and revenue excellence.Required Experience & Skills- (Strict requirement — applicants without this will not be considered)- Mandatory Experience in Media & Advertising- 7–12+ years of experience in media, advertising, events, marketing, or agency environments.- Strong track record of securing high-value sponsorships from brands and agencies.- Proven relationships with CMOs, media heads, and enterprise marketing leaders in the region.Other Requirements- Deep understanding of sponsorship monetization, brand strategy, and partnership value creation.- Excellent communication, negotiation, storytelling, and presentation skills.- Experience in event commercialization, conference sales, and large-scale activations.- Strong commercial acumen with the ability to develop data-driven sales strategies.- Exposure to Middle East markets (UAE, KSA, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman).- Ability to travel across the region when required.Preferred Attributes- Experience launching new event IPs or growing sponsorship product lines.- Familiarity with digital media, adtech, PR, and content ecosystems.- Entrepreneurial, agile mindset with strong problem-solving abilities.- Existing network across brands, agencies, government, and media groups (e.g., MBC, Choueiri, Motivate, Group M, Publicis, Omnicom).Why Join Us?- Opportunity to shape the sponsorship & events strategy for a high-growth organization.- High-impact leadership role with strong revenue ownership.- Work with global brands, C-level executives, and innovative industry partners.