Business Development & Partnerships Manager

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Business Development & Partnerships Manager

Location: Lekki, Lagos
Employment Type: Contract

Job Summary / Description

• If you thrive on building relationships, closing high-value partnerships, and driving commercial growth, this opportunity is for you.
• The successful candidate will own the partnership pipeline from prospecting through negotiation and contract execution while ensuring an exceptional partner experience before, during, and after the event.
• Our Partner is seeking an experienced and results-driven Business Development & Partnerships Manager to lead sponsorship acquisition, strategic partnerships, and stakeholder engagement for a flagship cultural event taking place in November 2026.
• This is a revenue-generating role responsible for identifying, engaging, and converting corporate sponsors, government agencies, diplomatic missions, cultural organisations, media partners, and strategic stakeholders into long-term collaborators.

Key Responsibilities
Business Development & Sponsorship Acquisition:

• Develop and execute strategies to secure sponsorships and strategic partnerships.
• Identify opportunities across corporate organisations, government ministries and agencies, tourism and culture boards, embassies, development organisations, cultural associations, media houses, and private institutions.
• Conduct market research to identify high-value partnership opportunities.
• Build and manage a robust pipeline of prospective sponsors, partners, and stakeholders.

Sales & Partnership Management:

• Lead outreach through calls, emails, networking events, referrals, and meetings.
• Drive negotiations through to signed agreements and successful onboarding.
• Secure qualified meetings with senior decision-makers and key stakeholders.
• Present sponsorship opportunities and negotiate mutually beneficial partnership agreements.

Proposal & Pitch Development:

• Prepare partnership agreements, budgets, and supporting documentation.
• Tailor partnership opportunities to align with prospective sponsors' business objectives, CSR initiatives, ESG priorities, and brand visibility goals.
• Collaborate with the project team to develop sponsorship packages, partnership proposals, pitch decks, and customised presentations.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Build and maintain strong relationships with sponsors, partners, cultural organisations, vendors, embassies, and government agencies.
• Ensure timely communication and excellent stakeholder experience from onboarding through post-event reporting.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager throughout the partnership lifecycle.

Event Coordination & Sponsor Fulfilment:

• Support coordination of cultural groups, vendors, performers, and strategic partners throughout project delivery.
• Work closely with the project team to ensure all sponsorship deliverables and visibility commitments are fulfilled.
• Collaborate with the Content Creator and Photographer to provide sponsors with post-event reports, photographs, videos, and visibility evidence.
• Coordinate sponsor onboarding and activation activities.

Pipeline Management & Reporting:

• Submit weekly reports covering pipeline progress, partnerships secured, revenue generated, and key business development insights.
• Track meetings, proposals, negotiations, revenue, and signed agreements.
• Maintain an accurate and up-to-date partnership pipeline and CRM.

Event Support:

• Be fully present on-site during the event to manage sponsor relations, VIP engagement, and partnership fulfilment.
• Transition to increased on-site coordination during the final weeks leading up to the event.
• Attend stakeholder meetings, networking engagements, and sponsor presentations.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
Success in this role will be measured against:

• Number of qualified stakeholder meetings booked each week.
• Sponsor satisfaction and fulfilment performance.
• Number of sponsorship proposals submitted.
• Total value of sponsorships and partnerships secured.
• Revenue generated against agreed sponsorship targets.
• Sponsorship and partnership conversion rate.
• Growth and quality of the partnership pipeline.
• Accuracy and timeliness of weekly reporting.

Requirements

• Strong network across corporate organisations, government agencies, embassies, NGOs, or cultural institutions is an added advantage.
• Highly organised, proactive, and able to manage multiple partnership opportunities simultaneously.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, CRM platforms, and presentation software.
• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Event Management, or a related field.
• Excellent negotiation, presentation, proposal writing, and stakeholder management skills.
• Minimum of 3 years' experience in business development, strategic partnerships, sponsorship sales, account management, marketing, or corporate engagement.
• Experience within events, media, tourism, hospitality, advertising, culture, or the development sector is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated experience securing corporate sponsorships or strategic partnerships.
• Strong commercial acumen with a proven ability to close high-value deals.

Core Competencies:

• Negotiation & Closing
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Relationship Management
• Strategic Partnerships
• Project Coordination
• Business Development
• Time Management.
• Commercial Awareness
• Proposal Writing
• Corporate Communications
• Sponsorship Sales