Commercial Director – Events & Strategic Partnerships

Newsweek | UK / International | Full-time

ROLE OVERVIEW

Newsweek is seeking an experienced, commercially driven Sales Director to lead front-end revenue generation across our B2B events, sponsored content, special reports and strategic partnership portfolio.

This is a senior, hands-on new-business role for a consultative seller who can turn market insight, industry trends and client business priorities into high-value commercial partnerships.

The role spans Newsweek's key international growth sectors: AI & FinTech, Healthcare, Sustainability (including Food & Agri-Tech) and Travel & Tourism. We are looking for a commercially versatile individual who can identify opportunities across different industries, develop compelling propositions and personally convert them into revenue.

The successful candidate will operate at the intersection of sales, research, strategy and content. They will identify commercially relevant sectors and themes, engage senior decision-makers, understand their objectives and build bespoke solutions spanning event sponsorship, thought leadership, sponsored content, executive engagement and related Newsweek platforms.

This is not a traditional advertising or transactional sponsorship-sales role. We are looking for someone who can originate opportunities, shape the proposition with internal teams and personally lead complex conversations through to close.

UK-based role with competitive salary and commission. Working hours are normally 9am to 6pm. Attendance at our London Canary Wharf office is required at least twice a week. Occasional overseas travel required.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Consultative Sales & Revenue Leadership

• Own and grow a significant individual revenue pipeline across events, sponsored content, special reports and strategic partnerships.

• Lead senior-level consultative sales conversations, diagnosing a client's business, marketing and thought-leadership objectives before recommending solutions.

• Develop bespoke, multi-platform partnerships rather than relying solely on fixed sponsorship packages or rate-card selling.

• Prospect and win new business while expanding relationships with existing strategic clients.

• Build relationships with C-suite executives and senior leaders across marketing, communications, brand, public affairs, innovation and business functions.

• Manage the complete commercial cycle: research, prospecting, outreach, discovery, proposal development, negotiation, contracting and close.

• Maintain disciplined pipeline management, accurate forecasting and clear accountability against revenue targets.

Cross-Sector Commercial Development

• Identify and develop commercial opportunities across AI & FinTech, Healthcare, Sustainability (including Food & Agri-Tech) and Travel & Tourism.

• Research industry trends, emerging technologies and market challenges to identify new event and partnership propositions.

• Translate client business objectives into commercially attractive events, thought-leadership programmes, content and strategic partnerships.

• Get up to speed quickly on industry-specific challenges and engage senior decision-makers in each sector with confidence.

• Collaborate with internal sector specialists to strengthen commercial propositions and ensure industry relevance.

Event Research, Strategy & Commercial Development

• Work at the front end of event development, from programme planning to researching industries, market trends, client challenges and commercially relevant themes.

• Help determine where Newsweek should build events and special projects based on audience relevance, sponsor demand and revenue potential.

• Translate market intelligence into compelling event themes, partnership propositions and sponsor narratives.

• Work with Events, Editorial, Research, Marketing and Creative teams to ensure propositions are credible, differentiated and commercially viable.

• Contribute to event positioning, audience strategy, advisory-board development, speaker targets and sponsor category mapping where these strengthen the commercial proposition.

• Identify new sectors, formats and commercial opportunities that can develop into repeatable, commercially sustainable Newsweek B2B event franchises.

Sponsored Content & Thought Leadership

• Sell strategy-led sponsored content and thought-leadership programmes connected to Newsweek events and special projects.

• Develop solutions that may include sponsored articles, special reports, executive interviews, roundtables, research, webinars, video, speaking opportunities and digital amplification.

• Connect client objectives to the right combination of content, audience, event and distribution assets.

• Partner closely with internal content and delivery teams while maintaining clear separation between commercial partnerships and independent editorial decision-making.

Strategic Partnerships & Client Leadership

• Act as a senior commercial representative of Newsweek with clients, agencies and partners.

• Build long-term relationships based on insight and business value rather than one-off transactions.

• Present confidently to senior stakeholders and develop persuasive commercial narratives and proposals.

• Negotiate high-value partnerships while protecting Newsweek's commercial position, brand and delivery standards.

• Represent Newsweek at relevant industry events, client meetings and international engagements.

REQUIREMENTS

Experience & Background

• Substantial B2B commercial sales experience, ideally at Sales Director or Commercial Director level within media, events, business intelligence, research, publishing, conferences or a related sector.

• Demonstrable track record of personally closing high-value event sponsorship, content-led or complex B2B partnerships, ideally in one or more of technology, AI, financial services, healthcare, sustainability, food and agriculture, or travel and tourism.

• Demonstrated ability to work across multiple sectors, understand industry-specific challenges and translate market intelligence into commercially attractive events, content and strategic partnerships.

• Evidence of building new revenue streams, entering new sectors or helping shape commercially successful propositions.

• A strong existing network of senior client relationships is desirable, but the ability to originate new relationships, open doors and personally generate revenue is essential.

• Strong consultative-selling capability with experience selling solutions rather than standard products.

• Experience engaging C-suite and senior marketing, communications, brand and business decision-makers.

• Strong understanding of event sponsorship and the commercial role of content, thought leadership and executive engagement.

• International sales experience and confidence operating across multiple markets is highly desirable.

• Experience with research-led, insight-led or advisory-style sales is an advantage.

Skills & Competencies

• Commercially sharp, strategic and strongly revenue-driven.

• Natural new-business hunter with the credibility to operate at senior executive level.

• Excellent discovery and questioning skills; able to uncover client priorities and translate them into commercial opportunities.

• Strong research capability and intellectual curiosity across industries and emerging business themes.

• Excellent storyteller and presenter, able to turn ideas into compelling client propositions and decks.

• Comfortable working with incomplete briefs and shaping an opportunity from the ground up.

• Strong negotiation, stakeholder-management and closing skills.

• Confident using CRM, sales intelligence and AI-enabled research tools.

• Highly organised, self-directed and comfortable managing multiple opportunities simultaneously.

• Collaborative working style with the ability to influence Editorial, Events, Research, Marketing and Creative stakeholders without losing commercial momentum.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

• Consistently developing and converting a high-quality pipeline into contracted revenue.

• Winning new clients and expanding strategic relationships across multiple industries.

• Building larger, integrated partnerships combining events, content and executive engagement.

• Identifying commercially viable opportunities for new Newsweek event franchises.

• Demonstrating strong individual sales performance while collaborating effectively with internal sector specialists and delivery teams.

• Contributing to the long-term growth and profitability of Newsweek's international B2B business.