Sponsorship Sales Director- EMEA

About SailGP is racing redefined. The world’s most exciting racing on‑water. SailGP was established in 2018 and is headquartered in London. The annual, global championship Races for a Better Future drives accelerating change in everything it does. The fan‑centric, inshore racing takes place among the sport’s top athletes in some of the most iconic waterfront destinations around the world and offers the sport’s largest monetary prize. Rival national teams battle it out in identical supercharged F50 catamarans, engineered for intense racing at electrifying speeds exceeding 60 mph/100 kph.

Role Summary

The Sponsorship Director, Europe & Middle East is a senior commercial leader responsible for driving partnership revenue and expanding SailGP's commercial footprint across Europe and the Middle East region. Reporting to the Chief Commercial Officer based in the UK SailGP office (London), this role is the primary driver of new business across EMEA, owning the full sales cycle from prospecting through to closing on sponsorship, partnership, and licensing opportunities.

Partnership Sales & Revenue Generation

• Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive sponsorship sales strategy across the EMEA regions to meet and exceed annual revenue targets.
• Identify, prospect, and close sponsorship and partnership sales across a range of categories including tiered deals across the League and Events.
• Build and manage a robust pipeline of prospective partners, leveraging CRM tools (Monday.com) to track activity and forecast accurately.
• Develop compelling, tailored sales proposals and presentations that articulate SailGP's unique value proposition to brands and agencies.
• Leverage SailGP strategic agency relationships to drive sponsorship sales across Events, League and Team partners.

Strategic Partnership Development

• Cultivate senior‑level relationships with brand marketers, agency partners, and C‑suite decision makers across key verticals including financial services, automotive, technology, luxury, and CPG.
• Identify and structure innovative partnership frameworks beyond traditional sponsorship, including supplier integration, licensing, content partnerships, hospitality, and experiential activations.
• Collaborate with the global commercial team and external agencies to ensure regional strategy aligns with overall league objectives.

Market Development

• Conduct ongoing market analysis to identify emerging opportunities, category whitespace, and competitive dynamics across EMEA.
• Represent SailGP at industry events, conferences, and networking forums to build brand awareness and generate leads.
• Work closely with the events and host city teams to support commercial integration around EMEA‑based race events.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Partner with the partnership activation and marketing teams to ensure seamless transition from sale to delivery, maintaining high partner satisfaction and renewal rates.
• Work with Finance team to develop sound margin outlook for partner deals.
• Collaborate with the global media and content teams to develop commercially compelling storytelling tools for the sales process.
• Provide regular reporting on pipeline, revenue performance, and market insights to senior leadership.

Key Expectations

• Champion an inclusive environment where diversity is valued.
• Advocate and promote SailGP Values and contribute to a positive culture — Deliver Quality, Break Boundaries, Make an Impact, Strike a Balance, Stand Together.
• Operate with a financially responsible mindset and strive for the commercial sustainability of SailGP.
• Consider how each team action contributes to Better Sport, Better Planet.
• Develop creative solutions that allow for quality work to be delivered.
• Drive collaboration and teamwork within the department and across the organization.
• Promote working practices that enable a healthy work‑life balance within the team and celebrate wellbeing.
• Support out‑of‑box thinking.
• Support teams with developmental goals and growth plans.
• Encourage the delivery of work that will leave an impact on the organization.
• Engage in high‑level thinking to drive the team and organization forward.
• Exercise key problem‑solving skills and serve as advisor to multiple areas of the business.
• Strategize constructively with key stakeholders and team managers.
• Able to see and work towards the bigger picture.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in sports commercial, partnership sales, or business development, with a proven track record of closing complex, high‑value deals.
• Must be available for extensive travel; time in‑person with senior leadership at industry events, regional HQ presentations, and SailGP strategic cities (including but not limited to London, Sassnitz, Rome, Valencia, Geneva, etc.).
• Deep knowledge of the Europe and Middle East sports and sponsorship landscape.
• Existing relationships with senior brand and agency contacts across EMEA.
• Strong presentation, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to operate independently in a fast‑paced, global organization.
• Passion for sailing or premium/international sports a plus.
• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or equivalent a plus.

Location

This is a hybrid role requiring 3 days per week in our London office, alongside regional and international travel. SailGP is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace committed to building a team culture that celebrates diversity, equality and inclusion.