The posting
About us
The Financial Times is one of the world’s leading news organisations, globally recognised for its authority, integrity and accuracy, with a mission to deliver quality information and services worldwide.
At the FT, curiosity thrives and ambitious thinking is rewarded. Here, you’re given the chance to reach millions, create work that matters and deliver impartial journalism in a polarised world.
In our warm, collaborative culture, you’ll connect with a diverse community of experts who support your growth, career aspirations and wellbeing.
Your future at the FT will be filled with opportunities that challenge and inspire you. With no fixed path, you’ll discover new skills and forge a career that can take you anywhere.
Build a newsworthy career at the FT.
Our commitment to inclusion and fairness
We believe everyone should have a fair opportunity to contribute, succeed, and reach their full potential. That means ensuring everyone is heard, respected, and valued, while identifying and removing barriers that may get in the way. Our commitment is to be an employer role model, grounded in inclusion and fairness for all.
We want every application to receive fair and thoughtful consideration; therefore, all applications are reviewed by a member of our recruitment team, not by AI.
The role
FT Live is the global events division of the Financial Times, delivering over 200 conferences, forums and virtual events annually. Our Fixed Income Events business brings together senior decision-makers from across the global debt capital markets through a portfolio of leading bond and structured finance conferences, including the CEE Forum, Borrowers & Bond Investors Forum and Covered Bonds Congress.
We are looking for a motivated and commercially driven Senior Commercial Manager to accelerate revenue growth across our bond market events portfolio.
In this role, you will identify and develop new sponsorship opportunities. You will grow existing commercial partnerships and establish long-term connections with senior decision-makers in the international debt capital market sector.
You will play an important role in shaping the next phase of growth for this established portfolio, combining proactive new business development with strategic account management and consultative selling.
This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced B2B sales professional who enjoys forming relationships, exceeding commercial targets and working with influential global organisations.
Key responsibilities
- Identify, pitch and secure new sponsorship and commercial partnership opportunities across the FT Live bond events portfolio.
- Proactively lead, develop and grow existing accounts, including global investment banks, law firms, asset managers and other financial services providers.
- Build and maintain strong relationships with senior executives and key decision-makers, finding opportunities to deliver long-term commercial value.
- Lead client meetings, both in person and virtually, developing tailored sponsorship proposals and negotiating commercial agreements.
- Collaborate closely with FT Live's content, marketing and operations teams to deliver high-quality sponsor experiences and measurable partner value.
- Work with colleagues across FT Live's global business to deliver impactful sponsor activations and support year-round client engagement.
- Attend relevant industry events and FT Live conferences to strengthen relationships, develop market knowledge and identify new commercial opportunities.
- Monitor industry trends, emerging themes and competitor activity to inform commercial strategy and find opportunities for portfolio growth.
Required skills and experience
- A demonstrated ability in commercial B2B events, media or sponsorship sales.
- A consistent track record of achieving and exceeding revenue targets, with experience running complex sales cycles and closing high-value commercial agreements.
- Strong consultative selling and relationship management skills, with the ability to engage and influence senior partners.
- Excellent communication, presentation and negotiation skills, coupled with the capacity to develop compelling commercial proposals.
- A proactive approach to business development, with the confidence to find opportunities and build new client relationships.
- Strong organisational skills, capable of running multiple accounts, prioritising contending deadlines and performing effectively in a fast-paced environment.
- Experience using Salesforce or a similar CRM platform to run sales activity, opportunities and client relationships.
Desirable
- A general understanding of capital markets, alongside an interest in developing deeper knowledge of the global bond market.
- Previous experience working with financial services clients, particularly investment banks, private credit managers or legal advisers.
- Experience collaborating across international teams or within a matrixed organisation.
- An ambitious approach, with a passion for commercial growth, accountability and ownership.
- The ability to combine critical thinking with hands-on execution to deliver commercial results.
What's in it for you? Our benefits
Our benefits vary by location but we are committed to providing best-in-class perks across all our offices. These include generous annual leave, medical cover, inclusive parental leave packages, subsidised gym memberships and opportunities to give back to the community. Full details of our benefits are available here.
We currently operate a hybrid model which requires staff to work onsite 50% of the time, subject to role requirements & regular review. While flexible working requests will be considered, not all patterns are suitable for all roles. We believe this balanced approach supports flexibility and protects our culture, making collaboration and communication easier, building stronger relationships and team cohesion, and supporting peer learning. We reserve discretion on reasonable notice to change this approach either generally or for specific individuals or teams.
Accessibility
We are a disability confident employer and Valuable 500 signatory.
Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments/personalisation as part of the application process or to enable you to attend an interview. If you would like to discuss your requirements or have any questions, email [email protected] and a member of our team will be happy to help.
Further information
At the FT, we embrace innovation and the use of technology and appreciate that individuals may use AI tools as part of their job application process. Whilst we are happy for you to use AI to assist with your application, it is essencrucial all information provided is authentic and accurately represents your skills, experience, and qualifications.
Candidates should be aware that the use of AI throughout the application process may be monitored to ensure a fair and transparent hiring process for all.
Please beware of fraudulent job postings and offers claiming to be from the Financial Times. All legitimate opportunities will direct you to apply through the official Financial Times careers site, and the FT will never ask for financial information, payments, or referrals to third parties during the hiring process. If you have any concerns about the legitimacy of a job posting or suspect any scam activity, please contact [email protected].
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