Commercial Project Director - Art & Culture

at  Rise

BACKGROUND

RISE Sports Culture Entertainment (SCE) is the GCC’s leading sponsorship consultancy, providing data-driven, sustainable sponsorship services to some of the region’s leading brand and rights holder clients.
RISE SCE is contracted to a major government entity in Saudi Arabia (KSA) to deliver a long-term commercial program, driven by sponsorship, within a groundbreaking public art and cultural events program. The intention of the Program is to develop a stand-out world-class public art initiative.
The initiative is a key pillar of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 plan to create strong, meaningful connections between the citizens of KSA, their communities and civic life, whilst also being a fundamental driver of KSA’s Tourism strategy.
RISE seeks an experienced Commercial Project Director to lead the project, develop and implement the sponsorship sales and management strategy and oversee a team that will deliver a commercial success story for the Kingdom.

ADDITIONAL SKILLS

• Experience with new media technology, digital content and other commercial rights management
• Experience in commercial-oriented project management
• Experience with programme management and workforce planning tools
• Innovative problem-solver.
• Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills
• Strong organisational skills, required to handle multiple projects and priorities simultaneously
• Focused listening skills and the ability to drill down to gain greater understanding
• Strong attention to detail, inquisitive personality and passion for knowledge & experience
• Strong analytical skills, work ethic, independence, problem solving ability and overall positive attitude
• Strong computer-literate with extensive software proficiency covering a wide variety of applications.
• Ability to multi-task while under pressure
• Ability to learn and apply knowledge quickly
• Ability to keep sensitive information confidential
• Cultural awareness of the Middle East and specifically Saudi Arabia
• Good business sense and ability to work within budget constraints.

ROLE DESCRIPTION

Based in the client’s offices in Riyadh, working closely with the PMO and Sponsorship and Communications teams, as well as the client’s c-suite, to establish, create, manage and implement the commercial program
The Commercial Project Director will be responsible for the management and performance of RISE’s project team and the coordination of support from the broader SCE team. This five-person team will be focussed solely on the project to deliver a world-class commercial program for the client and RISE.
The Commercial Project Director is responsible for the development and implementation of the project’s strategy and accountable for the project’s revenue and performance objectives, including the project deliverables, client satisfaction and delivery. They will possess significant subject matter expertise in commercial arts programming, highly developed analytical skills, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, sponsorship asset development and executive relationship management, the outcome of which will result in the onboarding of best-in-class sponsors to realise the vision of the public art program.
Main Objective: To develop and implement a commercial strategy, and lead the Sponsorship Sales & Partnership team, with the overall objective of raising sponsorship value for the client.
Working closely with the client PMO team and reporting into RISE Partners, the position requires someone who is passionate about the Arts and Culture industry and has experience in project management across the GCC region. The role will best suit someone who can lead a team, build long-term relationships with brand partners and deliver long-term commercial success in a competitive marketplace.
Internal Stakeholders: RISE Partners; Head of Consulting; Commercial Director
External Stakeholders: Mayor of Riyadh; Senior client Executives; client PMO Team; client Communications Team; Private Sector/Brand C-suites, Event Consultants, Contractors
Three main areas of focus:
PEOPLE: Build partnerships and foster collaborative relationships amongst key stakeholders, the PMO team, the RISE team and Brand Sponsors.
PARTNERS/SPONSORS: Facilitate strong business relationships with new and existing partners/sponsors, whilst striving to meet the operational and financial objectives of the commercial program
BUSINESS ACUMEN: Enabled as a business leader, the Commercial Project Director is responsible for managing diverse teams while operating in a multifaceted organisation effectively

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

Responsibilities included but not limited to the following:

ROLE OUTCOMES

To build-up, establish and lead the sponsorship sales and management of the Kingdom’s flagship public art program, ensuring that the sales target is secured in contracted sponsorship revenue.
The successful candidate will take on the responsibility of leading a successful team of individuals who will all pull together to achieve long-term commercial success for the client and have engaged, fee paying sponsors on board that activate and promote their involvement in the program.