Commercial Director

Commercial Director – Events, Content & Strategic Partnerships (Healthcare focused)

Newsweek | UK / International | Full-time

Role Overview

Newsweek is seeking an experienced, commercially driven Sales Director to lead front-end revenue generation across our B2B events, sponsored content, special reports and strategic partnership portfolio. This is a senior, hands-on new-business role for a consultative seller who can turn market insight, editorial themes and client business priorities into high-value commercial partnerships.

The successful candidate will operate at the intersection of sales, research, strategy and content. They will identify commercially relevant sectors and themes, engage senior decision-makers, understand their objectives and build bespoke solutions spanning event sponsorship, thought leadership, sponsored content, executive engagement and related Newsweek platforms.

This is not a traditional advertising or transactional sponsorship-sales role. We are looking for someone who can originate opportunities, shape the proposition with internal teams and personally lead complex conversations through to close.

This role will focus on the healthcare sector, so prior healthcare industry experience and an established network of industry contacts are essential.

Working hours are normally 9am to 6pm. UK-based role with competitive salary and commission. Flexibility to work remotely within the UK, with travel for client meetings, Newsweek events and relevant international engagements as required.

Key Responsibilities

Consultative Sales & Revenue Leadership

• Own and grow a significant individual revenue pipeline across events, sponsored content, special reports and strategic partnerships.
• Lead senior-level consultative sales conversations, diagnosing a client's business, marketing and thought-leadership objectives before recommending a solution.
• Develop bespoke, multi-platform partnerships rather than relying solely on fixed sponsorship packages or rate-card selling.
• Prospect and win new business while expanding relationships with existing strategic clients.
• Build relationships with C-suite executives and senior leaders across marketing, communications, brand, public affairs, innovation and business functions.
• Manage the complete commercial cycle: research, prospecting, outreach, discovery, proposal development, negotiation, contracting and close.
• Maintain disciplined pipeline management, accurate forecasting and clear accountability against revenue targets.

Event Research, Strategy & Commercial Development

• Work at the front end of event development, researching industries, market trends, client pain points and commercially relevant themes.
• Help determine where Newsweek should build events and special projects based on audience relevance, sponsor demand and revenue potential.
• Translate market intelligence into compelling event themes, partnership propositions and sponsor narratives.
• Work with Events, Editorial, Research, Marketing and Creative teams to ensure propositions are credible, differentiated and commercially viable.
• Contribute to event positioning, audience strategy, advisory-board development, speaker targets and sponsor category mapping where these strengthen the commercial proposition.
• Identify new sectors, formats and commercial opportunities that can develop into repeatable Newsweek B2B franchises.

Sponsored Content & Thought Leadership

• Sell strategy-led sponsored content and thought-leadership programmes connected to Newsweek events and special projects.
• Develop solutions that may include sponsored articles, special reports, executive interviews, roundtables, research, webinars, video, speaking opportunities and digital amplification.
• Connect client objectives to the right combination of content, audience, event and distribution assets.
• Partner closely with internal content and delivery teams while maintaining clear separation between commercial partnerships and independent editorial decision-making.

Strategic Partnerships & Client Leadership

• Act as a senior commercial representative of Newsweek with clients, agencies and partners.
• Build long-term relationships based on insight and business value rather than one-off transactions.
• Present confidently to senior stakeholders and develop persuasive commercial narratives and proposals.
• Negotiate high-value partnerships while protecting Newsweek's commercial position, brand and delivery standards.
• Represent Newsweek at relevant industry events, client meetings and international engagements.

Experience & Background

• Substantial B2B commercial sales experience, ideally at Sales Director / Commercial Director level within media, events, business intelligence, research, publishing, conferences or a related sector.
• Proven experience developing and closing commercial partnerships within the healthcare sector, with established relationships and networks across healthcare, pharmaceutical, life sciences, medtech and/or health policy organisations.
• Strong understanding of the healthcare landscape, key industry stakeholders, market dynamics, and the role of events, thought leadership, and content-led partnerships within the sector.
• Demonstrable track record of personally closing high-value event sponsorship, content-led or complex B2B partnerships.
• Strong consultative-selling capability with experience selling solutions rather than standard products.
• Experience engaging C-suite and senior marketing, communications, brand and business decision-makers.
• Strong understanding of event sponsorship and the commercial role of content, thought leadership and executive engagement.
• Evidence of building new revenue streams, entering new sectors or helping shape commercially successful propositions.
• International sales experience and confidence operating across multiple markets is highly desirable.
• Experience with research-led, insight-led or advisory-style sales is an advantage.

Skills & Competencies

• Commercially sharp, strategic and strongly revenue-driven.
• Natural new-business hunter with the credibility to operate at senior executive level.
• Excellent discovery and questioning skills; able to uncover client priorities and translate them into commercial opportunities.
• Strong research capability and intellectual curiosity across industries and emerging business themes.
• Excellent storyteller and presenter, able to turn ideas into compelling client propositions and decks.
• Comfortable working with incomplete briefs and shaping an opportunity from the ground up.
• Strong negotiation, stakeholder-management and closing skills.
• Confident using CRM, sales intelligence and AI-enabled research tools.
• Highly organised, self-directed and comfortable managing multiple opportunities simultaneously.
• Collaborative working style with the ability to influence Editorial, Events, Research, Marketing and Creative stakeholders without losing commercial momentum.

What Success Looks Like

• A strong, qualified pipeline of senior-level commercial opportunities.
• Consistent achievement or overachievement of individual revenue targets.
• Growth in average deal value through integrated, consultative partnerships.
• New sponsors and clients brought into Newsweek through original research and business development.
• Commercial insight that helps shape stronger events, content programmes and future B2B products.
• High levels of repeat business and deeper strategic client relationships.

Role Profile

This role suits a senior seller who enjoys creating the opportunity as much as closing it: someone commercially aggressive but consultative in approach, intellectually curious, comfortable with senior executives, and able to connect research, content, events and client strategy into meaningful revenue.