Accra Hearts of Oak S.C. (“Hearts”) is Ghana's oldest and most decorated professional football club in continuous existence, established 11th November 1911. Based in the Capital city of Accra along the Atlantic coastline, Hearts competes in the 16-team Ghana Premier League. In its storied history the Club has won 20 Ghana Premier League titles, 10 FA Cups and the CAF (African continent) Champions League, Super Cup and Confederation Cup. The Club plays its matches in the Accra Sports Stadium which holds nearly 40,000 spectators, and is affectionately known as the PHOBIA, for the fear it inspires in its opponents.

In 2018, Hearts will embark on one of its most ambitious projects in Club history with the development of the Pobiman complex. This facility, scheduled to be completed in July of this year, will be the official training center and youth academy for the Club. The facility will consist of state-of-the-art playing fields, classrooms, library, residential halls, dining facilities, health and wellness offices, a swimming pool, game room and film room. It will provide training and educational opportunities for all three official teams of the Club (First Team, Auroras and Royal Oaks) as well as talented “cub” players from around the country.

POSITION: Head of Commercial

REPORTS TO: Chief Executive Officer

Hearts has a stated aspirational goal of being one of the best football Clubs in Africa (on the field) and one of the most cherished organizations in Ghana (off the field). A dynamic new CEO is building a world class team to reach these objectives. If you think you can contribute to that success, please read on for more specifics about this position.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The ideal candidate for the Head of Commercial is first and foremost a dedicated problem solver with deep personal integrity and a strong work ethic. He/she is highly organized, detail oriented, and a team player who works well under deadlines. Importantly, he/she is an inspirational leader of people who is culturally astute, comfortable working in a developing country environment, and has the ability to create and implement the vision for the effective development and management of high quality revenue opportunities for the Club. This person is also a patient teacher who believes in the ability of sport to improve the communities it serves. Importantly, this person understands how to develop a robust sales pipeline, accurate forecast and deliver the numbers.

Overall Accountabilities:

• Be the leader of the revenue generating functions of the Club and a key contributing member of the “office of the CEO” that leads the overall management of the Club. Specifically, be accountable for the Club’s sponsorship, merchandising, media, membership, content, events, tours and other revenue generating platforms.
• Quantify and maximize the return on the Club’s revenue generating assets.
• Build exceptional customer relationships.

Specific Accountabilities:

• Develop a strategic plan for the revenue generation of the Club and then execute against it.
• Generate high quality revenue. Personally contact, negotiate and close integrated marketing deals with partners that align with the Club brand and achieve specific objectives for the partner. Ensure programs that are sold in to partners are priced and resourced to be financially viable for Club and deliver the expected value for the partner.
• Lead the merchandise function at the Club ensuring our supporters have high quality, affordably priced merchandise to purchase from accredited distribution partners. Work with Club security and public officials to protect the Club from fraud via unauthorized sales of counterfeit items.
• Provide exceptional return to those companies that partner with the Club via first class customer service, quantification of value and reporting.
• Organically grow a team of revenue generators and partner services executives that contribute to the long-term health and sustainability of the club.
• Be an innovator by creating new “sponsorable” inventory and programming that showcases the Club as a leader in its field.
• Be a continuous learner and maintain an expert understanding of the sport and entertainment landscape to ensure our offerings are best-in-class.

Qualification Required & Experience

• 10+ years of demonstrable experience in running an effective revenue generation organization.
• Proven ability to personally drive revenue and be accountable for the numbers.
• A strong existing book of business and relationships.
• An understanding of and passion for the sports marketing, media and entertainment business, particularly the business of football.
• Undergraduate degree.
• Advanced degree (MBA would be a plus).
• Experience in hiring, managing and educating staff to perform to their highest capabilities.
• Ability to develop a Customer Relationship Management system to capture and report all sales activities and create a database.
• A huge appetite for detail and precision.
• Comfort in working for a company in a transformational period (rapid growth and evolution).
• Experience working with digital technology and tools (i.e. CRM software).
• Willingness to work irregular hours, travel and “roll-up-the-sleeves” to get the job done attitude.
• Fluency in English (speaking and writing). Additional languages a plus.
• Eligible to work in Ghana.

Personal Characteristics:

• You are a closer. If you are NOT a closer, please do not apply. You are also…
• A loyal, honest and trustworthy leader
• An educator with a strong eye for talent
• A creative builder of things in developing world environments
• A transparent communicator (both verbally and in writing)
• Results-driven
• Curious
• Eager to learn
• Courageous
• A team player

Performance & Success Measures

• Performance will be measured on an annual basis, formally, with quarterly check-ins to ensure progress toward agreed upon objectives.

Reporting Relationship

• This position will report directly to the CEO.

Location: Accra

How To Apply For The Job

Please send a confidential email with cover letter and CV to:

work@phobians.com with Head of Commercial in the subject line. Many thanks.

This is an immediate opening. Deadline for applications is June 29, 2018 but we reserve the right to close earlier should we find the right candidate.

Closing Date: 29 June, 2018