Head of Partnership Sales - International

ABOUT ELEVATE

Elevate is a full-service consulting firm that inspires high-performing organisations to find their limits and push past them. With expertise in brand consulting, sales strategy, data-driven insights, and talent optimisation, Elevate gives its clients a competitive edge in the fight for people’s precious time and attention. Established in 2018, Elevate aims to help sports teams and leagues spark innovation and drive performance.

Our team of 300+ employees spans the globe with 20 locations worldwide. We value recruiting diverse individuals to our team to bring new perspectives to our company and look forward to learning more about you in the recruitment process.

HEAD OF PARTNERSHIP SALES OVERVIEW

Elevate operates as a fully integrated partner for its clients, adding insight, expertise, and in-market activity to accelerate and enhance commercial return in collaboration with the client’s leadership, commercial teams, and wider stakeholder landscape (e.g. marketing and brand, hospitality, technology, community, sustainability, stadium construction, etc.).

Elevate is seeking an experienced and high-performing partnership sales professional to play a key role in the commercial transformation for Venezia FC. Based onsite in Venice, Italy, this individual will help drive and grow a dedicated local team while contributing to the delivery of a new stadium naming rights partner for Venezia FC’s new stadium, alongside other marquee assets and the underpinning commercial partnerships programme.

The successful candidate will demonstrate a track record in shaping, pitching, and securing seven-figure commercial partnerships at Board and C-suite levels. We are seeking a strategic leader with a consultative and creative approach to building value - someone who understands how to leverage the unique narrative of Venice and data-driven insights to maximise multi-million-euro revenue opportunities.

Location: Italy with regular presence in Venice required.

KEY DELIVERABLES

• Revenue Leadership: Help drive the delivery of comprehensive commercial revenue targets for the project, with primary accountability for securing Naming Rights, Founding Partners, and other tier-one stadium and club partnerships.
• Sales Strategy & Pipeline Management: Build and oversee a structured, disciplined sales pipeline; driving proactive prospecting and high-frequency outbound engagement while maintaining an accurate forecasting cadence via CRM.
• Executive Prospect Engagement: Help lead high-stakes outreach, discovery meetings, and formal presentations to C-Suite decision-makers, positioning the stadium project as a strategic, long-term business platform rather than a transactional sponsorship.
• Proposition Development: Collaborate with internal strategy, insights, and marketing teams to shape premium commercial packaging and pricing strategies, ensuring all proposals are tailored, insight-led, and commercially robust.
• Complex Negotiations: Help lead the end-to-end negotiation process for high-value contracts, navigating complex legal and financial frameworks through to signed agreements.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Work in lockstep with project leadership and internal departments (strategy, operations, finance, legal) to ensure all new partnerships align with wider project objectives and contribute to a culture where wins are collective, not individual.
• Network Activation: Leverage events, premium hospitality, and curated environments to advance conversations and deepen relationships with global brand leaders.
• Stakeholder Navigation: Navigate complex stakeholder landscapes with political acumen, ensuring seamless alignment between Elevate, Venezia FC leadership, and prospective global partners.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

• Experience: 10+ years’ experience in high-value partnership or complex B2B sales. Experience within sport, entertainment, real estate, infrastructure, or major events is advantageous.
• Proven Track Record: Demonstrable success in identifying and closing 7+ figure commercial deals. Naming rights/venue sales experience desirable.
• Senior Stakeholder Engagement : Confident working with senior decision-makers, including Board-level and C-suite stakeholders, to develop commercial opportunities and support partnership discussions.
• Strategic Mindset: A strategic thinker who can balance long-term vision with disciplined, day-to-day execution and sales momentum.
• Industry Knowledge: Deep commercial understanding of Serie A and the wider European football and sports landscape.
• Relationship Management: An established global network of senior decision-makers with the ability to generate warm leads and high-level introductions rapidly.
• Communication: Exceptional presentation and written communication skills; ability to craft compelling narratives that resonate with global brands.
• Technical Proficiency: Meticulous approach to CRM (Salesforce or similar) for reporting, forecasting, and global collaboration.
• Cultural Adaptability: Ability to sell and negotiate in cross-cultural contexts, with a specific focus on the Italian and broader European business markets.
• Language Skills: Full professional fluency in both Italian and English is required.
• Reporting Line: Reports directly into Elevate Project Leadership and Venezia Chief Revenue Officer.
• Eligibility: Applicants must be legally authorised to work in Italy.
• Compensation: €80,000 - €100,000 + Performance Bonus

This position is open to all qualified candidates. If you need assistance or accommodation due to a disability in connection with the application process, you may contact us at