Director, Business Development, Custom Programs - Olympics & Paralympics

Who We Are:

On Location is a premium experience provider, offering world class hospitality, ticketing, curated guest experiences, live event production, and travel management across sports, entertainment, and fashion. From unrivaled access for corporate clients to guests looking for fully immersive experiences at marquee events, On Location is the premier and official service provider to over 150 iconic rights holders, such as the IOC (Paris 2024, Milano Cortina 2026, LA 2028), NFL, NCAA, UFC and PGA of America, and numerous musical artists and festivals. The company also owns and operates a number of unique and exclusive experiences, transforming the most dynamic live events into a lifetime of memories. On Location is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company.

Endeavor is a global sports and entertainment company, home to many of the world’s most dynamic and engaging storytellers, brands, live events, and experiences. The Endeavor network specializes in talent representation through entertainment agency WME; sports operations and advisory, event management, media production and distribution, and brand licensing through IMG; live event experiences and hospitality through On Location; full-service marketing through global cultural marketing agency 160over90; and sports data and technology through IMG ARENA and OpenBet. Endeavor is also the majority owner of TKO Group Holdings (NYSE: TKO), a premium sports and entertainment company comprising UFC and WWE.

The Director, Business Development, Custom Programs position is a key role within the On Location Olympic and Paralympic Games project, which represents roughly 15% of the global On Location Olympic Games revenue target. The position will contribute to the commercial sales and business development strategy for a host of clients, including corporate buyers, HNWI, Sub-Distributors, Stakeholders (Marketing Partners, Media Rights-holders, National Olympic Committees (NOCs) and International Federations (IFs), as well as sponsors, national federations, licensees, suppliers, donors, and other stakeholders of NOCs, IFs, the IOC and IPC.  A strong sales and financial analytics background in a global events position paired with an understanding of the Olympic Movement is critical. This role may manage one or more globally based business development executives and account managers (full-time and/or contracted) to ensure the proposed programs meet not only the prospective client’s briefs, but also the appropriate profit margins associated with each product. Coordinating with the leaders in all functional areas / workstreams will be inherent, as it will be this roles’ responsibility to represent the Custom Travel Product design, development, and delivery in a complex and dynamic environment.

Business Operations

• Orchestrate the development of communication and sales materials for On Location’s Olympic and Paralympic custom programs / packages

• Identify revenue opportunities through ongoing communications and understanding of client requirements and strategy around Games 

• Develop and maintain a strong relationship with all functional areas / workstreams; conduct meetings to gather information from these teams to meet custom program objectives and deliverables

• Ensure a continued understanding and appreciation of the wider business objectives of On Location and the client

• Close coordination with Accounting and Tax to ensure accurate invoicing and collection of funds.

• Work in close coordination with the Program Management leadership team to develop efficiencies from the transition of sales to operations 

• Execute all other duties assigned by senior leadership 

Business Development

• From initial contact to the contracting phase to execution -- develop business and relationships with all clients, including corporate buyers, HNWI, Sub-Distributors, Stakeholders (Marketing Partners, Media Rights-holders, International Federations (IFs) and National Olympic Committees (NOCs)), as well as sponsors, national federations, licensees, suppliers, donors, and other stakeholders of NOCs and IFs.

• Lead sales meetings and presentations with all prospective and existing clients (virtually and/or in-person).

• 360-degree budget creation and management throughout the entire sales and execution cycle (in conjunction with Program Management team): build and manage budgets for sales pitches and/or proposals; monitor and report P&L / expenditure; develop financial road map; provide monthly time sheet tracker for all staff to accounts payable for invoices; manage financial billing, payments with accounting as appropriate, revise budget as necessary through program evolution, lead budget reconciliation and reports (post-event)

• Review, edit, and approve individual program budgets and written proposal materials built by other team members

• Manage the sales and contracting process, including negotiations, escalations, and approvals/signatures for mutually “win-win” solutions

• When required, support with the development and delivery of RFIs, RFPs, and/or other responses to client briefings with support from other functional areas and team members

• Maintain client records in the CRM/database (Salesforce) and inventory management tool (Optimo)

Other Duties

• Team Management: one-on-one, performance management, team development, staff training, reinforcement of & accountability for processes, etc.

• Develop, document, and implement specific procedures, systems, and operational efficiencies

• Conduct and/or participate in Team and Leadership Team meetings, as needed

• Provide leadership / feedback on process development / improvement during meetings 

• Participate in post-event review meetings regularly

• Conduct process review / improvement meetings regularly  

• Provide input on performance reviews, bonuses, and merit increases

• Monthly expense and/or event budget reconciliations, as needed

• Drive focus on Continuous Quality Improvement

• Foster an environment for participation and engagement from the Stakeholder and Custom Groups Program Management team and other workstreams

• Maintain a customer-first approach by looking at the entire event ecosystem through the lens of the customer journey

• Lead by example, model our core values, and set the pace for the rest of the team while inspiring creativity and innovation  

• Communicate expectations and establish clarity regarding job responsibility and task ownership; help the team prioritize, stay focused, and organized

• Extensive collaboration and communication within the team and across workstreams  

• Situation analysis and decision making; identify, understand, and remove roadblocks

You Have These

• Bachelor's Degree in Hospitality, Business Development, Account Management, or a related field, or equivalent experience required

• Experience in a management position (minimum of 7+ years), preferably in a B2B role or within the travel and hospitality industry

• Proficiency in Salesforce, Keynote (Apple), Microsoft Office applications (particularly Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint), and Adobe (particularly InDesign and Photoshop)

We’d Love If You Also Have These: 

• Proven record of building and maintaining client relationships and managing complex corporate accounts

• Experience with B2B, corporate groups, and/or high-touch guest services, experience execution and/or event operations

• A hands-on approach with the ability to execute customized and curated solutions for B2B and/or corporate clients  

• Understanding of the entertainment landscape including the business of sports, fashion, culinary, and other cultural verticals

• Exceptional interpersonal skills – a collaborative style and ability to communicate effectively at all levels with strong oral, written, and presentation skills

• A creative, innovative, and strategic thinker with excellent time-management, organizational and supervisory skills as well as the ability to thrive in a high-pressure, deadline-driven environment

• Balance of creativity / innovation to dream big with the realistic logistical expertise to get things done

• Ability to use resources effectively and efficiently, can perform multiple tasks at once, and arrange information in a useful manner

• Produce accurate work, even when under pressure, and check accuracy of information; thrives in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment

• Ability to set priorities, quickly zero-in on the "critical few" and put the "trivial many" aside, and to juggle numerous tasks and priorities while maintaining productive flow of work

• Continually strives for self-development and discovering better means of accomplishing both personal and professional goals

• Practices attentive and active listening, with flexibility and adaptability, in order to determine what drives results

• Comfortable traveling and working within an international environment 

• Experience with International, Olympic, and/or major sporting events as well as the Travel & Hospitality industry

• Fluency in French (both oral and written) is required; fluency in other languages is a plus

Travel: Must be adaptable with work and travel schedule and be available to travel for work which may include extended work hours during nights, weekends, and holidays. International travel may be required throughout the year, including extended periods of remote work within local offices within host cities.  Expected travel may range from 15-20% annually and 1-2 months of continuous travel during Olympic games.

Working Conditions: 

• Fixed Term Position – Milan, Italy

• Working hours are:  9am-5pm

• Working days are: Monday-Friday

• Travel: Must be adaptable with work and travel schedule and be available to travel for work which may include extended work hours during nights, weekends, and holidays. International travel may be required throughout the year, including extended periods of remote work within local offices within host cities.  Expected travel may range from 15-20% annually and 1-2 months of continuous travel during Olympic games.

How we work: 

Endeavor is at the center of sports, media, entertainment, and fashion and is a largely relationship-based business. To foster an environment of collaboration, develop our future talent, and build on relationships across leadership, peers, and teams, we work from the office 4 days per week/in a remote capacity. We see immeasurable value internally and throughout the core of the businesses we support.

Don’t meet every single requirement? We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Endeavor unites and brings people together in our love of sport, culture, and entertainment. We understand this can only be accomplished when we lead with a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion in everything we do. As a global company that drives culture, we strive to reflect the world’s diverse voices.  

Endeavor is an equal opportunities employer and encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, or religion or belief.