Associate Director, Sales Operations

About the role

THE TEAM, a talent, brand and property representation and marketing services group active in 28 countries, is hiring a Commercial Operations Lead (titled Associate Director Sales Operations) in Abu Dhabi. The role ensures that commercial and sponsorship sales activity has the structure, governance, reporting and processes needed to run effectively, and gives sales teams and senior stakeholders clear visibility of priorities, opportunities, risks and next actions.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the commercial operations framework supporting sponsorship, partnership and business development activity.
• Own governance of the commercial pipeline, including opportunities, owners, values, stages, next actions and deadlines.
• Lead regular pipeline reviews, identify stalled or at-risk opportunities and drive accountability for agreed actions.
• Oversee CRM requirements, data quality, process consistency and ongoing system improvements.
• Own weekly, monthly and ad hoc commercial reporting and share performance, priorities, risks and required actions with senior stakeholders.
• Act as the operational interface between commercial leads, regional and international sales teams and wider business functions, resolving blockers and escalating material risks or delays.
• Oversee regional and international sales processes, including approvals, commission arrangements and commercial records.
• Coordinate commercial planning, communications, market intelligence and business updates, and ensure the right expertise is brought in at each stage.
• Manage and develop commercial operations resources, giving priorities, guidance, coaching and escalation support.

Required profile

• Strong experience in commercial operations, sponsorship sales, partnerships, business development or a related commercial environment.
• Proven experience managing complex sales pipelines and commercial processes.
• Experience managing, coaching or developing team members.
• Experience in sponsorship, sports, entertainment, esports, partnerships or major events is advantageous.

Required skills

• Strong understanding of CRM systems, ideally Salesforce or a comparable platform.
• Excellent reporting, analytical and stakeholder-management skills.
• Ability to coordinate across multiple teams, markets and specialist disciplines.
• Strong organisational, communication and prioritisation skills, with confidence working with senior stakeholders.