Commercial Partnerships Executive

M+C Saatchi Group is hiring a Commercial Partnerships Executive to join onsite in Dubai, UAE. The role sits at the front line of revenue, blending proactive outreach with strategic planning to identify and close sponsorships across sport and entertainment properties. If you enjoy turning conversations into concrete deals and shaping high-value partnerships, this could be a fit.

The company operates as a creative federation of companies, with around 2,500 employees worldwide and major hubs in the UK, Europe, the Middle East & Africa, Asia and Australia. In the UAE, the group runs Abu Dhabi (since 2012), Dubai (since 2016) and Riyadh (since 2023). Brutal Simplicity of Thought guides the work and client outcomes.

The role suits someone who loves commercial development, has a solid grasp of rights, valuation, and activation mechanics, and can balance fast outreach with careful deal structuring. You’ll work with brands, agencies and rights holders to craft compelling proposals that articulate value and return on investment, while guiding the partnership lifecycle from prospecting through contracting and ongoing relationship management.

Driving partnerships from first touch to signed deal

On a day-to-day basis you’ll proactively identify and engage potential partners across brands, agencies and rights holders, building a robust pipeline aligned to defined market strategies. You’ll craft and present compelling partnership propositions that articulate value, differentiate the offering, and show clear ROI, then lead negotiations to reach mutually beneficial agreements while supporting deal closure. The role covers the full lifecycle, from outreach to contracting and ongoing relationship management, with an eye toward delivering outcomes that meet both client objectives and commercial targets.

In parallel you’ll help shape go-to-market plans for rights holders and partnership opportunities, showing a solid grasp of sponsorship rights, asset packaging and commercial valuation. You’ll contribute to narrative development that aligns brand objectives with the platforms rights holders offer, and stay ahead of the market by monitoring the UAE and regional sponsorship scene, conducting research on trends and whitespace opportunities, and analyzing competitor activity to inform strategy.

What it takes to succeed

Essential qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, sports management, or a related field
• At least two years in business development, partnerships, or sponsorship within sport and/or entertainment
• A proven track record of generating leads, shaping opportunities, and closing commercial deals
• A solid understanding of sponsorship rights, asset valuation and activation mechanics
• Excellent communication, negotiation and presentation skills
• A commercially minded, data-informed and strategic approach
• The ability to work independently while contributing to a high-performing team

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with go-to-market planning for rights holders and partnership opportunities
• Familiarity with the UAE sports and entertainment sponsorship landscape and current market patterns
• Experience building partnership narratives that align brand objectives with rights holder platforms

Advice for applicants in this Dubai role

Lead with the most relevant sponsorship wins in your resume. Start with a concise summary that highlights your track record of building a partnership pipeline in sport or entertainment and your success in moving opportunities to close.

When you describe your experience, show how you generated leads, built opportunities, and sealed commercial deals. Tie each example to your understanding of rights, valuation, and activation mechanics so the reviewer sees you can handle the full lifecycle.

Be ready in interviews to walk through a go-to-market plan for a rights holder and a sample partnership narrative that aligns with a brand objective, including activation across digital, experiential and PR channels.

Ask a targeted question about the UAE market and the team’s priorities, such as which sponsorship categories they’re pursuing now and how activation impact is measured or demonstrated to clients.