Head of Branded Content & Commercial Partnerships
A full time position at Novel, London, UK
Job Title: Head of Branded Content & Commercial Partnerships
Location: London
Reports to: CEO
Contract type: Full-time
Start Date: ASAP
About Novel
In the last three years, Novel has become Europe’s fastest-growing independent audio production company, with a global reputation for excellence.
Having made a name for ourselves in creating chart-topping, award-winning longform narrative shows like The Girlfriends, Stolen Hearts and Filthy Ritual, we now want to expand our repertoire, remit and revenue streams by creating best-in-class content for leading brands globally.
We’ve already proved we can do this, making shows with and for the likes of Google, Mailchimp, The FT and the Premier League. We now want to build on that to establish a reputation within the industry as the go-to audio partner in premium branded content. So we’re setting up a Branded Content division and we’re looking for a dynamic, driven, commercial creative to spearhead it.
About The Job
Novel is both fiercely creative and fiercely commercial – and this newly created position is an equal combination of the two. We are looking for a hybrid senior leader who can successfully create, sell and deliver great branded podcast ideas.
This job requires a balance of commercial and creative. On one hand, it is a strategic sales job and we need someone with the requisite energy and the dynamism to open multiple doors and close multiple deals.
On the other hand, it is a creative job in that it needs someone who can identify and originate opportunities and keep coming up with winning formats that brands need and that decision makers approve.
The right candidate will be a well-connected and respected people person with impressive contacts across global brands and leading agencies in the UK – and ideally beyond, in Europe and the US.
They will also be a highly organised and efficient process person, able to run a tight sales strategy. They will be able to multitask and drive projects through from ideation (pitch) to evaluation (analysis against KPIs), communicating well with all stakeholders at each stage to keep them happy – and coming back for more.
Initially this will be a department of one, with the full support of the wider Novel team. But there is every intention of building out a department as and when the pipeline demands it and the revenue justifies it.
Key Responsibilities
Sales strategy Set up and run a highly efficient and productive sales strategy to bring in and manage a healthy pipeline of work - both new business and repeat business
Revenue generation Meet and exceed revenue targets through effective negotiation and sales techniques
Project management Smooth external management of branded content shows, partnering internally with the teams responsible for delivering them
Analytics and reporting Ensure successful delivery of projects against contractually agreed KPIs
Strategic partnerships Manage and nurture relationships with global clients to turn one-off projects into repeat business and lead generators
Networking Represent Novel at strategically important events and proactively seek introductions and build relationships with decision makers
Content development Collaborate with creative and production to conceptualise and produce innovative branded content that aligns with both the brand's messaging and the podcast's tone and style
Market analysis Stay abreast of industry trends, competitor activities, and market dynamics to identify new opportunities for revenue generation and content innovation
Team leadership Building out and leading a Branded Content team as and when the pipeline demands it and the revenue justifies it
About you
Personable A nice person to work alongside, with great energy and integrity
Knowledgeable A passion for audio content and an understanding of how best to sell it
Fluent Experience pitching to brands and agencies, familiarity with brand strategy, and a fluency in speaking their brand language and communicating clearly back to the creative teams
Connected Strong pre-existing client and agency relationships that can be built into lucrative long-term partnerships
Savvy Commercial awareness for the viability of ideas and a sense of what brands will pay
Aware An understanding of how to navigate business affairs, legal considerations, IP and licencing
Steadfast Experience with contracting and robust negotiation, and the sense to course-correct proactively when necessary
Commercial A proven strategic ability to bring in new/repeat business at each stage from initial meeting to pitch to proposal through to negotiation and closing the deal
Confident A strong, confident and clear presenter, able to pull together and deliver a winning pitch and recap compelling results
Creative A highly attuned idea generator, able to read the room and give clients what they need and manage expectations
Persuasive Experience with performance metrics and data analysis to demonstrate to brands compelling ROI against agreed KPIs
Team player A strong understanding of the branded audio production process and the resources required from end to end
Focused The ability to prioritise, to maximise opportunities and minimise challenges
Organised A highly competent, unflappable and empathetic project manager
Intuitive An problem solver with the ability to balance commercial objectives and creative storytelling
Collaborative A highly productive team leader who is also a collaborative team player – both internally with Novel’s production team, and externally with clients
Location
This position is based at Novel’s HQ in central London. There will also be exciting opportunities to travel to the US and across Europe to represent Novel and build relationships with key decision makers at brands and agencies.
Novel operates a hybrid working policy as well as a flexible working policy around time and location, to be as accommodating to individual circumstances as possible. However, in this role we would expect a minimum of two days a week in the office.
Compensation
The salary for this position is competitive and will be commensurate with the candidate's experience. In addition to the base salary, there will be a commission tied to hitting revenue targets and driving the overall growth and success of the branded content department.
Equal Opportunities
We are an equal opportunity employer and believe that diverse voices are essential to creating compelling podcasts. We are committed to creating a diverse workforce, and every day, we choose to be inclusive with our actions and words. We encourage applications from individuals from all backgrounds, particularly those underrepresented in the industry, such as women, people of colour, LGBTQ+ individuals, other minorities, and people with disabilities. We look forward to hearing from you.
Benefits
- 23 days of holiday, plus Bank Holidays (Additional holiday for length of service)
- Plus 3 days’ company closure between Christmas and New Year
- A day off for your birthday
- 3 Reset/Mental Health days, as needed
- 2 Volunteering days
- Work From Anywhere allowance (for eligible roles)
- Enhanced equal parental leave and pay (16 weeks)
- Enhanced neonatal leave and pay
- Private health insurance
- Wellbeing/Mental Health Support
- Life insurance and Income Protection Cover
- Season ticket loan
- Cycle to work scheme
- Hybrid working / flexible hours
- Employee Assistance Programme
To apply
Simon Harle at JUNCTION is handling applications for this role. Please email simon@junction.london to apply.
https://www.junction.london/contact
Please mention podnews.net in your application.
Applying for this job?
Here’s what to know. Report this position