Commercial Development Lead

Food and Drink Federation; City of London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading trade association in London is seeking a talented Commercial Development Lead to drive sponsorship revenue. This role involves designing sponsorship packages, managing relationships, and promoting commercial opportunities. Ideal candidates will have a strong sales background and be skilled at engaging with potential sponsors. This position offers a competitive salary of £60k along with excellent benefits and a hybrid working environment.

Benefits

25 days holiday

Private healthcare

Leisure travel insurance

Health & wellbeing allowance

Interest-free season ticket loan

Cycle-to-work scheme

Qualifications

• Proven track record in sales or commercial roles with a focus on targets.
• Experience in consultative selling and creating bespoke packages.
• Strong ability to manage multiple priorities and targets.

Responsibilities

• Design and sell sponsorship propositions for events and services.
• Research and engage with potential sponsors.
• Attend industry events and build a network.

Skills

Sales expertise

Relationship building

Negotiation skills

CRM proficiency

Networking

Job description

Overview

Salary £60k with excellent benefits including 25 days holiday, private healthcare, leisure travel insurance, health & wellbeing allowance, interest-free season ticket loan and cycle-to-work scheme

Hours

35 hours per week; hybrid working (2-3 days in the office per week)

FDF is looking for a commercially minded sales professional to lead on sponsorship and revenue growth across our events, products and services.

As our Commercial Development Lead, you’ll be creating and selling compelling sponsorship packages across FDF’s diverse portfolio. You’ll work closely with key stakeholders, building strong relationships and ensuring sponsors receive real value from their partnerships with us.

This is a fantastic opportunity to make a tangible impact in a high-profile role, working across teams including membership, marketing, and events to bring innovative commercial ideas to life.

Responsibilities

• Designing and selling sponsorship propositions for FDF’s events, services, and digital content.
• Researching and engaging with potential sponsors, tailoring offers to meet their objectives.
• Attending industry events to build your network and stay ahead of market trends.
• Managing sponsor relationships from pitch to post-event, ensuring a seamless experience.
• Collaborating across teams to ensure sponsorship assets are polished, timely, and effective.
• Identifying new commercial opportunities across FDF’s platforms, including web, video, and audio.

Requirements

• A proven track record in sales, business development or commercial roles, with a strong ability to meet and exceed targets.
• Experience in consultative selling and creating bespoke packages for clients.
• Excellent relationship-building and negotiation skills.
• Ability to research, pitch and close deals independently.
• Comfortable working to targets and managing multiple priorities.
• Confident networker with a professional presence at events.
• Skilled in using CRM and content management systems.
• Experience in event or content sponsorship sales.
• Background in trade associations or the food and drink industry.
• Familiarity with marketing collaboration and asset development.

Our Workplace

We’re based in the heart of central London in a modern, bright open-plan office. We have a friendly work culture with great break-out spaces, quiet booths and opportunities for flexible-working. Our ‘Feel Good for Life’ team regularly organises events and activities to promote positive health and wellbeing.

To apply

Please send us your CV to [e-mail] by 21 October, 4pm. Only successful applicants will be contacted.

Equal Opportunities

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all backgrounds. We are open to discussing flexible working arrangements and reasonable adjustments for disabilities or medical conditions.

This is the privacy policy relating to the protection of FDF job applicants' information. The FDF will ensure that data is always processed in accordance with the provisions of relevant data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is the convenor, adviser and voice of the UK food & drink industry, the largest manufacturing sector in the country.