Account Director- Sport, Entertainment & Cultural Partnerships

Job Description

THE AGENCY

Creative Artists Agency (CAA) is the world’s leading entertainment and sports agency, with offices in Los Angeles, New York, Nashville, London and Beijing. Founded in 1975, CAA represents many of the most successful professionals working in film, television, music, theatre, video games, sport, and digital content, and provides a range of strategic marketing and consulting services to corporate clients. 

In CAA Brand Consulting we have 250+ specialists working with over 40 leading brands. Our vision is to be the strategic partner for brands in helping them solve their biggest challenges. Our services and connectivity in sport and entertainment allow us to identify, develop, activate and measure partnership strategies that build brands and grow business. In London our clients include the likes of OKX, Volvo, Salesforce, Qualcomm, Allianz and Etihad Airways. 

There is also a unique culture within CAA; for a global agency it has a small agency feel, with a great sense of teamwork, ambition, empowerment and entrepreneurialism. 

OVERVIEW

We have an exciting opportunity for a talented Account Director to join our award-winning global Brand Consulting team and support a key client across their global partnership portfolio. 

We are seeking a senior marketing consultant with experience developing and delivering activation strategies for brands in sport, entertainment and culture. The successful candidate will need to demonstrate their understanding and capabilities leading and managing 360 sponsorship campaigns across a range of disciplines including rights management, experiential, digital, content and communications.

THE ROLE

This is an exciting role servicing one of Brand Consulting’s flagship accounts in the UAE region.  

The client is based in Abu Dhabi, but the account is led out of our UK office. Working in partnership with the London team, the UAE-based Account Director will provide thought leadership, strategic advisory, meticulous planning, in-market expertise and communication with the client in real time. 

Working alongside a Vice President and Account Manager, the Account Director will need to draw upon their knowledge and experience, to help advise and guide the client on creative strategies and impactful activations for their brand partnerships and sponsorships. 

We are looking for someone that can not only demonstrate the requisite experience and skills to execute the deliverables in our scope of work, but to also bring a commercial mindset to the role and be proactive when it comes to growth opportunities in the region. 

Main Responsibilities to include, but limited to: 

• Must be able to be present in the client’s Abu Dhabi office 3 days a week

• Develop and manage relationships with key clients, suppliers and stakeholders in-market.

• Consult and advise client on best practices and processes to optimise sponsorship investments.

• Ensure alignment, connectivity, and clear lines of communication between client and UK team.

• Assist UK team on cultural nuances and insights to aid strategic and creative development. 

• Assist Vice President in developing actionable strategies that maximise partnership rights. and assets and aligns with brand and business objectives. 

• Local market lead for all campaign activation, measurement and reporting.

• Develop global market guidelines and toolkits to manage and optimise rights and assets.

• Attend events, host clients, network and oversee on-ground activity as required.

• Monitoring latest trends in sport, digital and technology in market.

• Contribute to organic growth of the account where necessary.

QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS

• Must have significant agency or in-house experience at a client/campaign lead level.

• Strong interpersonal skills and best in class client servicing, account handling and project management. 

• Experience leading 360 global brand partnership campaigns. 

• A natural communicator with the ability to build relationships at every level with ease.

• Demonstrable exposure to strategic decision making, campaign planning, communications, asset development and amplification and event management is vital.

• A keen interest / experience in sport is advantageous but not critical. 

• Experience liaising with and managing partnerships in the UAE alongside local market teams.

• Must have an organised and detail-oriented approach with the ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines, juggling multiple projects simultaneously.

• Team player that loves to collaborate but with the ability to work autonomously.

• Creative flair with a passion for ideas and innovative thinking.

• Confident presentation skills, verbal and written with a strong attention to detail.