Head of Business Development and Partnerships

This role is ideal for a business development expert with strong executive presence, commercial agility, and global fluency, someone who enjoys building trusted relationships and identifying new opportunities across diverse markets.

While the position offers remote flexibility, we strongly prefer candidates based in
Athens, Dubai, or Milan.

About RLC Global Forum

At RLC Global Forum, we convene the world's foremost leaders across business, luxury, fashion, retail, technology, public policy and innovation to shape the agenda of the global consumer economy. Through high-level convenings and strategic partnerships, we drive forward-looking discourse, cross-sector collaboration, and market-shaping outcomes at the highest levels of influence. 

This is a key role at the heart of our commercial strategy, supporting our global forums, including the flagship annual meeting in Riyadh, the CEO Summit in New York, and our specialized forums in Paris and Milan.

We believe in the power of convening people who shape the future—and we're seeking a leader who shares that vision.

The Head of Business Development and Partnerships manages the beginning and end of the sales cycle to drive sustainable financial growth across the company's product portfolio. She/He identifies potential commercial partners for RLC's product portfolio and creates effective plans to establish contact and begin forging longstanding relationships that will include them as well as other senior members of the RLC Exec team. As these relationships lead to commercial contracts, the Head of Business Development will be responsible for overseeing the fulfillment of agreed deliverables.

Key Responsibilities

1. Business Development & Pipeline Management

• Build, manage, and expand a qualified pipeline of potential clients and commercial partners across regions and sectors.
• Lead outreach efforts through a variety of channels and touchpoints, ensuring a consistent and compelling value proposition.
• Guide prospects through the full business development cycle—from initial engagement to signed partnership.
• Ensure a smooth onboarding experience and foster sponsor engagement before, during, and after each forum.

2. Partner Engagement & Onsite Relationship Management

• Act as the primary point of contact for sponsors and partners during event preparation and onsite execution.
• Facilitate all aspects of sponsor participation, working closely with internal teams and external contractors to ensure a cohesive and elevated experience.
• Troubleshoot in real time and maintain a calm, solutions-oriented presence throughout event days.

3. Partnership Execution & Project Oversight

• Serve as the lead owner for the execution of all partner-related deliverables in alignment with contractual agreements.
• Coordinate seamlessly across internal teams and external collaborators to ensure high-quality, on-time delivery.
• Oversee the production lifecycle of sponsor activities—from planning through implementation—to ensure operational excellence.

4. Commercial Support & Relationship Growth

• Lead/support sales calls and represent leadership when needed in commercial conversations.
• Provide strategic feedback and ensure that sponsors receive meaningful post-sale support and communication.
• Cultivate and strengthen long-term relationships with existing and prospective partners to support retention and future growth.

Qualities Required

• 5–8 years of experience in sponsorship sales and client relationship management, ideally within high-profile international forums or commercially complex environments.
• Demonstrated ability to engage senior professionals and decision-makers across industries and regions—particularly within luxury, fashion, technology, and public policy—to understand their goals and align program opportunities accordingly.
• A composed, confident presence with the ability to perform well under pressure and inspire trust in client-facing and team environments.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with a proven track record of delivering on contractual commitments and ensuring high-quality partner outcomes.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with the drive to identify new business opportunities, initiate outreach, and manage a healthy sales pipeline from first contact to contract.
• Skilled at using sales tools and reporting systems to track progress, inform strategy, and support upward reporting.
• Fluent in English; additional language proficiency in Arabic, French, or Italian is a strong asset.

Why Join Us

Purpose with Influence

: Lead events that matter—shaping global agendas and connecting change-makers. 

Global Mandate:

Work with top leaders from across industries and continents. 

A Platform for Growth:

Shape not just programs, but the future direction of a growing global forum.

We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer and make employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other protected characteristic, in accordance with applicable law.