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About the Role

This role offers a rare opportunity to join a leading independent media business, Playbook Media, and influence the commercial performance and future growth of two respected brands, The Stage and The Bookseller. You will lead experienced teams, shape significant commercial partnerships, and help deliver key industry events.

Responsibilities

• Lead the company's sales, events, and marketing functions to maximize commercial performance.
• Drive sustainable revenue growth across advertising, sponsorship, events, and commercial partnerships.
• Identify and develop new commercial opportunities for both brands.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key clients, sponsors, and commercial partners.
• Protect the editorial independence and integrity of The Stage and The Bookseller while building commercial partnerships.
• Collaborate with the Managing Director and Finance Director on commercial planning, budgeting, and forecasting.
• Provide leadership, support, and strategic direction to sales teams.
• Set clear revenue priorities, targets, and expectations, ensuring accountability for performance.
• Review pipelines, conversion rates, forecasts, and individual performance, taking corrective action as needed.
• Support Sales Managers in team development, sales capability improvement, and maintaining high standards.
• Lead or support negotiations with major clients, sponsors, and commercial partners.
• Ensure commercial activity aligns with company strategy, brand positioning, and editorial independence.
• Provide commercial leadership and strategic oversight to the events function.
• Ensure effective planning, budgeting, commercial performance, risk management, and delivery across the events portfolio.
• Support the commercial development of existing awards, conferences, and live events, identifying growth opportunities.
• Ensure events reflect the authority and reputation of both brands in collaboration with editorial colleagues.
• Provide leadership, support, and strategic direction to the Brand Marketing Manager for marketing strategy.
• Work with relevant teams to achieve subscriber acquisition, retention, and revenue objectives.
• Oversee CRM, subscription platforms, marketing technology, and audience insight.
• Ensure marketing activity is data-led, measurable, and aligned with commercial priorities.
• Lead, motivate, and develop a high-performing management team.
• Ensure sales, marketing, and events plans are integrated with clear priorities, timelines, and ownership.
• Provide regular coaching, constructive challenge, and timely feedback.
• Foster collaboration across departments, ensuring effective teamwork between sales, marketing, events, and editorial.
• Lead by example, creating a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and shared success.
• Take ownership of departmental budgets, forecasting, and performance reporting.
• Oversee key commercial suppliers, agencies, and major contracts.
• Contribute to wider company planning and strategic projects.

Requirements

• Significant senior sales leadership experience with direct responsibility for revenue delivery and leading sales teams.
• Significant experience leading commercial, sales, or business development teams.
• Experience managing multiple functions and leading managers.
• Proven track record of winning, growing, and retaining major commercial clients.
• Strong commercial judgment and experience delivering sustainable revenue growth.
• Confidence reviewing pipelines, challenging forecasts, and intervening to improve performance.
• Excellent negotiation skills and experience securing high-value advertising, sponsorship, partnership, or event agreements.
• Strong financial literacy, including budgeting, forecasting, and performance reporting.
• Confident and experienced people manager skilled in developing high-performing teams.
• Comfortable combining a supportive approach with constructive challenge.
• Calm, pragmatic, and resilient under pressure.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Experience using CRM systems and Microsoft Office.
• Experience within media, publishing, events, or another audience-led business is desirable.

Skills

• Sales Leadership
• Commercial Leadership
• Events Management
• Marketing Strategy
• People Management
• Negotiation
• Financial Literacy
• Budgeting
• Forecasting
• Performance Reporting
• CRM Systems
• Microsoft Office
• Project Management
• Relationship Building
• Communication
• Influencing

Location

• Bermondsey Street, SE1
• Remote

Work Type

• Hybrid
• Occasional evening or weekend work

Experience Level

• Senior

About the Company

• Playbook Media is one of the UK's leading independent media businesses.
• It is the parent company of The Stage and The Bookseller, respected specialist media brands.
• The brands inform, inspire, and connect their industries through journalism, events, awards, insight, and community.
• Playbook Media is an independent, purpose-led business committed to editorial excellence, long-term stewardship, and serving its industries.
• The company values ambition with humility, collaboration over silos, and creating lasting value.

Equal Opportunity

• Playbook Media is an equal opportunities employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.
• They welcome applications from all individuals regardless of background and celebrate diverse perspectives and experiences.
• Reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process can be requested.