Job purpose
BBC Global Media & Streaming, a division of BBC Studios is seeking a Senior Partnership Manager, North Asia, for the Ad Sales group in APAC, in support of BBC owned platforms & services, including BBC.com, BBC News channel, BBC Earth, Top Gear, BBC World Service Languages, and BBC social media.
Responsible for revenue and profit objectives in assigned territories (China), the primary purpose of the role is to generate advertising and sponsorship sales and deliver end-to-end campaign success to existing and new advertisers on behalf of BBC Studios. This involves creating compelling advertising proposals, presenting, and pitching media and content ideas, negotiating, and closing deals, and ensuring professional delivery of high-quality work to customers, while effectively managing clients throughout the process.
This role is based in Singapore and reports into the VP Ad Sales, North Asia (VP).
Principle Responsibilities
- Meet and surpass the Sales Revenue Target for the assigned territory (China), across the BBC portfolio of digital, audio, and broadcast media products.
- Prospecting both existing and potential customers, to create new sales opportunities in the assigned territory.
- Develop strong, multi-layered relationships with agencies and clients, to maximize revenue opportunities and position the BBC as the advertising and brand communications partner of choice. Engage senior management where necessary to support sales efforts.
- Understand advertisers’ marketing objectives and business goals, assess customers’ needs through effective research and analysis of clients' products, services, competitors, and industry.
- Proactively engage customers to inform creative briefs for internal stakeholders. A critical deliverable of this role is to challenge, probe and understand clients’ needs and communicate them as actionable insights.
- Collaborate effectively with BBC StoryWorks (SW) to develop creative concepts ready for pitch, working closely with them to plan and prepare the optimal content solution for clients.
- Translating and communicating content strategy and creative concepts for client understanding, buy-in and approval.
- Negotiate and close sales deals, with support from the VP; effectively communicate with Legal colleagues (BLA) in preparation of Sales Agreements; effectively communicate with senior management and Finance to secure requisite Cost of Sale, Credit Terms and Deal approvals (in line with Sales Policy).
- Support the Sales Planner to execute the most effective, creative, and commercially profitable media plan, monitor and oversee campaign delivery.
- Work closely with Content Strategists and Project Managers in SW throughout production to ensure creative output is aligned with campaign objectives including Branded, Advertiser and Custom Content (articles, video, animation, bespoke digital builds); Editorial Sponsorships and Advertiser Funded Programming; events, and non-advertising revenue initiatives as required.
- Utilise all Sales Support systems required for effective Sales process, including maintaining accurate and timely updates of Sales Opportunities in Salesforce.
- Ensure accurate and timely customer invoicing and oversee billing and payment process.
- Prepare and manage effective Post Campaign Reports, translate, and deliver to customers to meet obligations and aid renewal opportunities.
- Update the VP on pipeline development and assist in accurate forecasting.
- Travel from time to time for customer-facing external meetings and building rapport with key clients. (This role is predominantly Singapore based, working closely with the VP and Reps).
- Actively build & sustain both internal and external key stakeholder relationships.
Behaviours and Culture
- Collaborates effectively with the VP in support of North Asia commercial objectives.
- Conducts in-depth research to develop a comprehensive understanding of the opportunities in the assigned territory and the competitive challenges.
- Studies media industry trends, remaining current with developments in content solutions.
- Builds trusting relationships with clients through excellent interpersonal skills.
- Approachable, outgoing, and confident in explaining creative rationale; high emotional intelligence and excellent interpersonal skills.
- Presents ideas with confidence and explains creative rationale, processes, and strategy, imparting expertise and establishing credibility with customers, positioning BBC Studios as the go-to partner for leading brands.
- Draws on experiences and insights to qualify opportunities and co-develop advertising briefs with and for clients.
- Demonstrate a deep understanding of the assigned territory’s business culture, protocols, market practices and nuances; harness this to aid effective communication with customers and internal stakeholders.
- Communicates clearly and effectively, both in person and in writing, bringing a naturally fluent approach to communicating in Mandarin and written Chinese as well as English.
- Brings a clear understanding of the way to communicate efficiently between mid-management and senior-management levels with customers; tailors presentations and pitch materials to address the specific audience needs.
- Organized, calm and able to work under pressure in a fast-moving environment remaining motivated and always committed, an effective multitasker who can balance the needs of the client with the overall business objectives of BBC Studios.
- Comfortable working autonomously, as part of a team, supported by management in other territories.
- Skilled at negotiating, closing deals and advancing solutions.
- Demonstrates and lives BBC Values.
Skills & Experience
- Preferred Experience in the following areas:
- multi-discipline agency account management
- media sales
- production house account management
- Demonstrated experience in leading client relationships, solutions sales and delivery, multi-stakeholder coordination
- Knowledge and experience in utilizing sales support systems, tools, and technologies, including CRM, DMP, CMS
- Fluency in Mandarin and English is mandatory
