Senior Sales Manager - LIONS Riyadh

Company Description

Tahaluf is the largest B2B live and on-demand events organiser in Saudi Arabia by space, attendance, colleagues, and revenue. It is a joint venture between Informa PLC, the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), and the Events Investment Fund (EIF).

Tahaluf is bold, visionary, and determined to make an impact. Our team fosters a culture of collaboration, creativity, and a little fun, here teamwork rules and work feels as exciting as the events we create. Scaling at this pace also requires exceptional local partners, and Tahaluf is proud to work with a range of government and non-government organisations at the forefront of Saudi Arabia’s B2B and B2C large-scale events scene.

Be part of something BIG with Tahaluf’s series of record-breaking events: LEAP and Cityscape - the largest events in the world in their respective fields of tech and real estate; Black Hat MEA - a Guinness World Record holder for the largest CTF competition during the event; and CPHI Middle East - the largest pharma debut event in history, to name just a few. Tahaluf is making a huge impact on the global events sector.

Join our ambitious and highly committed team, unafraid to push boundaries and disrupt the status quo. From day one, you’ll dive into large-scale projects under the guidance of a supportive leadership team that will encourage your personal development and open doors to new opportunities.

About LIONS Riyadh

LIONS Riyadh marks a bold new chapter for the world’s most prestigious platform for creative marketing. Launched by Tahaluf in partnership with LIONS and Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Media, it is a distinct Festival within the global LIONS community, home to the renowned Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. Designed to amplify Middle Eastern creativity on the global stage, LIONS Riyadh will showcase the region’s talent, ideas and storytelling while connecting its creative industries with the world’s leading networks, brands and decision-makers. The inaugural three-day Festival takes place at KAFD, Riyadh, from 6–8 December 2027. It will bring together regional and global CMOs, creative leaders, agencies, brands and emerging talent around creative excellence, effectiveness, culture and the future of the industry.

Job Description

The Senior Sales Manager is responsible for revenue generation from new customers, existing customers and engaging external agents.

The Senior Sales Manager will drive commercial growth for LIONS Riyadh by building and converting a strong pipeline of brands, agencies, media companies, technology platforms and creative businesses.

You will be expected to source and close leads, to develop strategies to attract new customers through strong account management.

The role requires a consultative and creative sales approach – understanding client objectives and translating them into relevant opportunities across Festival presence, brand experiences, showcases and wider commercial participation.

The successful candidate will combine strong sales discipline with a good understanding of the creative, advertising, marketing and media industries, allowing them to engage credibly with senior decision-makers and develop long-term client relationships.

Working closely with the Head of Sales and wider Commercial, Marketing, Content and Creative teams, the role will help ensure commercial opportunities add value to both clients and the overall Festival experience.

Areas of Responsibility and Accountability:

• Build and execute sales and account-development plans for LIONS Riyadh.

• Achieving personal and event revenue targets.

• Identify and engage new prospects across brands, agencies, media, technology, production and the wider creative economy.

• Build strong relationships with existing clients, identify growth opportunities and develop long-term account plans.

• Develop a strong understanding of client objectives, challenges and audiences, and position relevant LIONS Riyadh opportunities against them.

• Working closely with customers to ensure ROI

• Meet with customers face to face, over the phone, virtually or in writing

• Identify and map potential Customer pain points/needs/challenges and accurately position Tahaluf products, services and solutions as a solution to them

• Write business proposals, drafting and reviewing Customer Contracts

• Negotiate with multiple stakeholders for a win/win outcome

• Develop bespoke commercial solutions in collaboration with internal teams rather than relying solely on standard inventory.

• Maintain strong knowledge of the LIONS proposition, audience, content, Festival experience and commercial opportunities.

• Prepare sales forecasts and analysis and present findings to management through weekly, monthly, quarterly and yearly reporting including risks, opportunities, wins and losses.

• Build and manage a high-quality sales pipeline across Saudi Arabia, the GCC and priority international markets.

• Work collaboratively across Tahaluf to promote the wider capabilities and solutions

• Build a social media presence through social selling to drive referrals and nurture potential Customers

• Stay abreast of trends across advertising, media, marketing, technology, creativity and culture locally and internationally.

• Keep Customer information/records up to date such as interactions, transactions, pipelines, new business account plans and record on the CRM system.

• Attend/participate in Tahalufs and industry relevant seminars, associations, events, conference and competitor events where appropriate

• Contribute market intelligence and client feedback to help shape future commercial products and Festival opportunities.

Measures of Success:

• Personal revenue targets.

• Conference portfolio revenue targets.

• New business revenue against target/KPIs.

• Number of net, new logos and new subsidiaries of existing logos.

• Forecasting accuracy.

• Ability to follow process – Salesforce / Forecasting / internal operations.

• Pipeline conversion rate.

• Achieve total revenue and profit targets monthly, quarterly and annually in line with New business Sales Strategy.

• Individual Development plan in place embracing Sales Excellence.

• Work with the Tahaluf team to deliver solutions and share best practices.

• New business/Customer development plan objectives vs achievements.

• Value and quality of strategic accounts secured.

• Revenue generated across new commercial products and bespoke opportunities.

• Strength of relationships with priority brands, agencies, media and creative-industry clients.

• Client retention and rebooking performance.

• Contribution to the overall quality and commercial mix of LIONS Riyadh.

Qualifications

Minimum of 5 years’ experience as a Sales Manager

Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience

Relevant commercial experience may be considered in place of formal qualifications.

Experience & Qualifications:

• Industry experience within a New Business hunting role.

• Demonstrable experience/track record performing in a new business hunter role in a solutions-based B2B environment.

• Experience within media, advertising, marketing, creative industries, technology, major events or premium B2B platforms is highly desirable.

• Strong understanding of the advertising, media and creative-industry landscape.

• Experience selling to brands, agencies, media companies, technology platforms or other senior B2B clients.

• Has a network of clients in at leas one market/sector and a proven track record in new business development.

• Managing stakeholders within a range of different customers

• Has an established network of Clients/Customers/contacts at all levels within the Industry and associated markets

• Demonstrable knowledge of the competitive landscape.

• Experience of complex sales situations and demonstratable history of Sales KPI delivery

• Experience using CRM to manage Customer data and forecast sales opportunities

• Experience developing bespoke commercial solutions and consultative propositions is advantageous.

• Saudi Arabia or GCC market experience is desirable.

• International sales experience would be an advantage.

Additional Information

Core Benefits:

• Medical Insurance for individual and family
• Annual leave – 28 days
• Remote working on Sundays
• Working anywhere – 2 months every year
• School fees contribution, 40,000 SAR per child per year (up to a max of three children)
• Wellbeing Benefits
• Residency visa including yearly dependent fees
• Individual annual flight allowance for expats Local Relocation Package*:

• Paid flight to Riyadh – individual and family
• 30 days accommodation or suitable serviced apartment from arrival date or a one-off payment of SAR 5,000
• Up to SAR 2,500 reimbursement of shipping goods/excess baggage costs*If eligible

International Relocation Package*:

• Paid flight to Riyadh – individual and family
• 60 days accommodation or a suitable serviced apartment from your arrival date, or a one-off payment of SAR 5,000
• Up to SAR 2,500 reimbursement of shipping goods/excess baggage costs
• Paid flight home for individual and end-of-service gratuity payment when leaving the company (if applicable)*If eligible

We work hard to make sure life at Tahaluf is rewarding, supportive and enjoyable for everyone. We’re not solely focused on a checklist of skills. We champion energy and ambition and look for colleagues who will roll their sleeves up, join in and help make things happen. We don't just accept difference, we celebrate it. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and circumstances and base hiring decisions on relevant qualifications and merit. We are proud to provide a disability-friendly environment. If you require any support or adjustments to participate in our interview or selection processes, please let us know.