Head of Commercial Development

Company: The vision for New Zealand Rugby (NZR) is to inspire and unify and its mission is to reimagine rugby. As part of that wider vision and mission NZRCs wants to enable a laser focus on commercial and customer success. Our purpose is to unleash New Zealand Rugby's potential, whilst create a loved game and loved brands.

We do this by living the values of The Rugby Way, Te Ara Ranga Tira, and the values that help us create that transformation: our ambition, our speed and agility, our search for excellence and a willingness to take calculated risks. NZRC UK LTD is made up of a small team based in the UK who support NZ Rugby and NZ Rugby Commercial.

Purpose: To grow and develop New Zealand Rugby Commercial's (NZRC's) commercial revenue by identifying new offshore and local commercial partnerships as well as developing new and innovative commercial inventory and wider IP-based revenue opportunities, to support wider revenue growth for both NZ Rugby and NZRC.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Business Results

• Deliver strong growth in revenues from NZRC's traditional sponsorship assets across 3 key offshore markets: EMEA, North America and Asia Pacific (with a focus on Japan).
• Work with the GM to update and refine strategic sales plans and deliver against short, medium and long-term revenue objectives.

Develop Opportunities and Properties

• Work with the GM to review and update the commercial sales architecture to maximise revenue opportunities from traditional sponsorship assets.
• Manage and optimise the portfolio of commercial assets and opportunities available to new partners and taking a whole-of-commercial approach, ensuring any 'live-leads' in sponsorship are managed through to other business opportunities, including content sponsorships and licensing opportunities.

Identify and Research Prospects and Generate Leads

• Review, reshape and unify NZRC's databases of prospect companies into one consolidated system and take lead responsibility for management of that commercial database
• Work with international agencies to research and prioritise prospects for strategic relevance; provide complete background research on priority business categories and prospects to target

Manage Channels and Contact Programme in Market

• Work with the GM Commercial and NZRC CEO to update and evolve NZRC's international market strategy, including key offshore market evaluations.
• Manage the outreach activities and work-in-progress of external agencies and envoys working on behalf of NZR, including ensuring all channel partners are briefed on NZR's strategy and assets, prospect lists are agreed, and providing collateral where required

Acquisition and Pitching

• Create innovative and engaging presentation collateral for different prospects and properties; build a strong understanding of each prospect's sponsorship objectives and likely areas of interest
• Meet and present to prospects along with other NZR representatives and agency staff where applicable

Partnership Renewals

• Work with GM and the Head of Partnerships to create and execute the Partnership renewal strategy for global and regional partnerships.
• Lead the generation and development of competitive tension in each renewal category.

Experience required:

• Experience with a top-tier sports rights holder and proven success working within a commercial environment with 10 years' experience in a front-line sales or business development role.
• Broad experience working on negotiations in an international sporting environment with multi-national brands
• Exposure and Involvement with advertising and promotional activities in Sport
• Tertiary degree in marketing, sales and / or management discipline

Robert Walters Operations Limited is an employment business and employment agency and welcomes applications from all candidates

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