Job Introduction

BBC Studios International Production & Formats (IP&F) division produces and distributes formatted content around the world so that viewers everywhere can enjoy local versions of global hits like Weakest Link and Strictly Come Dancing, as well as creates original programming in its international production bases. Our teams are based in 12 global markets, with production bases and partnerships in nine countries; BBC Studios IP&F takes the best of British content from both the UK BBC Studios production arm, as well as several independent UK production companies to produce and distribute it to the world.

Our Factual and Entertainment successes include Dancing with the Stars (known in the UK as Strictly Come Dancing which is licensed to 60 territories), Love Productions’ Great Bake Off (licensed to over 30 territories), and Weakest Link (licensed in more than 45 territories, most recently returning to screens on NBC in the USA hosted by Jane Lynch). We are also one of the top growing scripted format production and distribution teams, with localised versions of hit shows like Doctor Foster, The Office, Luther, and Criminal Justice now remade across France, Korea, the USA, Russia, and India.

Due to career progression within the team, we have an opportunity for a Sales Director to join the UK team. This is a strategic role where you will be working closely with the SVP Global Format Sales and take direct ownership of priority, high profile cross-regional accounts to successfully deliver on agreed regional business objectives. You will build, drive and execute the sales strategy for format sales across Iberia, Latin America, US Hispanic and Canada.

Based on the regions within your remit, fluency in Spanish and English language will be essential for your success in this role.

Role Responsibility

Develop new sales and commercial opportunities by leading and taking direct ownership of the regional format sales capability.  Implement the territory sales strategy and achieve agreed sales targets, ensuring that all scripted and unscripted formats are presented and, where possible, sold. Ensure that all contracts concluded are profitable to the business, and monitored at all stages.

Own top-to-top strategy for key cross-region and territory customers across production and broadcaster/commissioner/services, lead preparation and briefing of senior meetings, leverage senior management to support the delivery of the IP&F strategic agenda.

Lead the overall line of business revenue for the region, achieving targets, with direct oversight of format sales across Iberia, Spanish-speaking Latin America, and Canada.

Enabling new business activity collaborating with wider business development teams to execute the strategy in the market, scope out and open up new opportunities for cross-collaboration across all regions.

Lead, develop and manage the Development Producer in Brazil, and leverage influencing skills across the wider format sales team to deliver effectively against their personal targets, giving them room to grow; guidance when necessary, and inspiring them to drive for excellence.

Negotiate the best possible space and terms with the most desirable partners to ensure that the ancillary and secondary rights achieve their maximum revenue potential, working with relevant people at all stages.

Explore, leverage and lead projects that may require funding from one region to the other, in particular, Spanish-speaking opportunities across Iberia and Latin America. Explore those opportunities for co-production and co-commissioning; initiate and conclude these deals.

Develop and oversee the development of key cross-regional accounts. Ensure these are kept current and implemented to drive additional value from major customer relationships, leveraging cross-regional opportunities with both production and commissioning businesses so that each client is properly serviced.

Contribute pro-actively and regularly to the marketing plans for the territory, liaising regularly with press & PR representatives so they are fully up-to-date with stories and successfully concluded deals to enable maximum exposure of businesses’ activities in the territory.

Leverage and explore presale opportunities for commissions across Latin America and leverage and grow commissions in key Latin American markets.

Contribute to the development of functional strategy. As the senior sales leader in the region, you will be accountable in conjunction with IP&F leadership in the sign off for key deal negotiations in the region.

Provide leadership and direction through both direct reports and indirect influence of the wider Global Format Sales team with considerable discretion and within the framework of BBC Studios standards.

The Ideal Candidate

At BBC Studios, we seek people who are passionate about who we are and what we do

Fluency in Spanish and English is essential for your success in this role. You will need a strong commercial understanding of TV formats markets in Latin America and Iberia; experience in exploiting IP through a range of media platforms and/or distribution channels, and in identifying and clearing underlying rights for traded IP. Demonstrable knowledge of sponsorship and commercialisation models across Latin America.

Your sales and/or business development experience in a production, TV distribution or media platform environment and expert knowledge of the global TV formats market, an awareness of the television market in the UK, and in-depth market knowledge of the region will be highly desirable.

You will have significant experience operating and influencing at a senior level within a consumer-facing media business, ideally in a global role and be able to manage challenges effectively. You will be innovative in your approach to creating demand in an ever-increasingly challenging market. You will possess strong commercial acumen, coupled with strategic thinking and complex problem solving, enabling you to recognise all variables and their financial impact in complex negotiations.

You will demonstrate collaborative communication and influencing skills, encouraging those around you to engage and deliver against stretching objectives. Your style will be flexible to your environment, enabling you to maintain a high-performance standard under pressure and ambiguity. Ability to take make tough decisions based on reasonable risk assessment and hold yourself accountable for what has been promised. You’ll have a global mindset: thinking and acting for both local and global needs.