Business Development/Sales Manager

The Role You will be responsible for developing new business opportunities and building long-term relationships with clients and partners across the region. This is a hands-on business development role: we are looking for someone who can not only identify prospects, but also open doors, build trust, understand client needs, manage negotiations and convert opportunities into projects. You will act as a key commercial representative of Talking Birds & Flying Fish, working closely with our Creative Directors and Producers throughout the pre-sale process. What you will be selling: event and experiential multimedia — show content, event visuals, stage and venue content, exhibition and stand multimedia, interactive installations. Typical sales cycle: 1-3 months from first meeting to signature This is a business built on momentum: a steady flow of mid-size projects, with a scoreboard that moves every month. Key Responsibilities • Identify and proactively develop new business opportunities across the Gulf and wider MENA region. • Build and manage relationships with creative and production agencies, event organisers, producers, creative directors, venues, entertainment operators and brands. • Leverage and expand your existing professional network to generate new opportunities and projects, while systematically building a new pipeline in parallel. • Initiate contact, secure meetings and develop long-term client relationships. • Understand client briefs, ask the right questions and identify opportunities where Talking Birds & Flying Fish can add value. • Lead the commercial process from initial contact through qualification, negotiation and closing. • Present the studio's capabilities and proposals to prospective clients, and act as the main commercial point of contact during the pre-sale phase. • Attend relevant industry events, conferences and networking opportunities to strengthen the company's presence and pipeline. • Maintain and develop a structured sales pipeline in the CRM and regularly report on business development activity and opportunities. • Successfully hand over won projects to the relevant Producer and creative team for delivery. How pre-sale works here You assemble your own standard decks from our existing library of case studies and materials. When an opportunity calls for a unique concept, our Creative Director builds the full presentation, bringing in a Producer for costing and production feasibility where needed. You are never left to invent the creative answer on your own. Job requirements About You We are looking for a commercially minded and highly relationship-driven professional who understands how creative projects are sold. You should have: • 3-6 years of experience in business development, sales or commercial roles in the Gulf, within creative, multimedia, experiential, entertainment, events, advertising or production companies. We are particularly interested in people from established international agencies and studios who are ready for a step up. • Current residency in the UAE or Saudi Arabia, with the right to work and the ability to travel across the region. • An existing network of relevant contacts in agencies, production, events, entertainment, venues or brands, and the appetite to grow it considerably. • A proven track record of developing new business and converting opportunities, including deals you personally sourced and closed. • A proactive and self-driven approach to identifying opportunities rather than waiting for inbound leads. • Strong understanding of the creative / multimedia industry and how projects are developed and sold. • Excellent communication, presentation and negotiation skills, and the ability to build trust with senior stakeholders. • Strong commercial judgement and the ability to recognise a good opportunity. • Fluent English. Arabic is a strong advantage, particularly for work with government and semi-government entities in Saudi Arabia. • The ability to work autonomously in a distributed international team.