Impress employers and recruiters.
Choose from hundreds of resume examples.

Target Resume Now

About the Role

D&AD is seeking an accomplished senior business development and partnerships leader to identify, develop, and secure significant new commercial partnerships, sponsorships, and strategic relationships that generate sustainable revenue and increase D&AD's global influence. This role is central to delivering D&AD's commercial growth strategy and involves building long-term relationships with senior leaders across global brands, agencies, technology companies, media businesses, and educational institutions.

Responsibilities

Develop and deliver a proactive commercial partnership strategy.
Identify and secure significant new sponsorship and partnership opportunities.
Create and maintain a robust pipeline of qualified commercial opportunities.
Generate new business through targeted outreach, networking, and relationship development.
Negotiate high-value commercial agreements.
Consistently exceed ambitious annual revenue targets.
Build trusted relationships with senior executives.
Develop partnerships that extend beyond financial sponsorship into strategic collaboration.
Represent D&AD at industry events, conferences, and international meetings.
Identify emerging partnership opportunities in new sectors.
Work closely with the CCO and CEO to develop relationships with major international organisations and strategic partners.
Act as a senior ambassador for D&AD.
Develop long-term executive relationships with existing partners.
Lead regular strategic reviews with major partners.
Identify opportunities to expand existing commercial relationships.
Ensure every partner experiences D&AD as a premium global organisation.
Work closely with Awards, Learning, Festival, Marketing, and Communications teams to develop compelling partnership propositions.
Collaborate with colleagues to create commercially attractive products and programmes.
Provide commercial insight into new product development.
Support cross-functional planning to maximise commercial opportunities.
Maintain a detailed understanding of trends across advertising, design, technology, media, entertainment, and brand marketing.
Monitor competitor activity and identify new commercial opportunities.
Develop insight into emerging sectors that align with D&AD's mission.

Requirements

Proven track record of consistently delivering significant new business revenue.
Extensive experience selling complex, high-value commercial partnerships.
Demonstrable success developing relationships with senior executives.
Experience negotiating six-figure commercial agreements.
Strong commercial judgement and excellent financial awareness.
Experience working in fast-moving entrepreneurial organisations.
A well-established network across agencies, global brands, media owners, technology companies, or the wider creative industries.
Outstanding presentation, influencing, and negotiation skills.
Evidence of consistently exceeding commercial targets.
Highly entrepreneurial with exceptional drive and personal accountability.
Naturally curious and commercially minded.
Comfortable creating opportunities where none currently exist.
Resilient, determined, and persistent.
Highly credible with excellent executive presence.
Outstanding relationship builder who quickly earns trust.
Confident engaging with CEO and senior leaders.
Strategic thinker with strong commercial instincts.
Collaborative and generous with colleagues.
Organised, disciplined, and able to manage multiple complex opportunities simultaneously.
Passionate about creativity and the value it creates for business.
Must provide appropriate documentation to prove eligibility to work in the UK.

Skills

Business development
Partnership management
Sales
Negotiation
Relationship building
Strategic planning
Commercial strategy
New business generation
Executive engagement
Presentation skills
Influencing skills
Financial acumen
Market analysis
Networking

Location

London
International travel

Work Type

Full time
35 hours per week

Experience Level

Senior
Depending on experience

Salary/Compensations

£70k - £100k basic salary
OTE of £35k
Total £105k - £135k

About the Company

D&AD is the global authority on creative excellence.
For more than 60 years we have set the highest standard for creativity through our internationally recognised Awards, world-class learning programmes and initiatives that develop the next generation of creative talent.
As we enter the next stage of our growth, we are investing in strategic partnerships that expand our global influence, strengthen our commercial performance and increase our impact across the creative industries.

Equal Opportunity

D&AD is committed to diversity, equality, equity, inclusion and respect for all.
Providing a work environment in which all employees are treated with fairness, respect and dignity and which is free of discrimination, victimisation, bullying and harassment.
At D&AD we are interested in every individual bringing their ‘Whole Self’ to work and this includes you!