Head of Partnership Development - Americas

Art Basel stages the world's premier art shows for modern and contemporary works, connecting leading galleries, collectors, curators, and art enthusiasts. As a global leader in the art world, Art Basel fosters the intersection of culture, creativity, and commerce, shaping conversations and experiences that drive the future of the arts.

Role overview:

The Head of Partnership Development - Americas leads strategic partnership acquisition and revenue growth for Art Basel’s global platform. Based in New York, the role focuses on securing high-value, long-term partnerships with leading brands, managing senior client relationships, and driving complex multi-market sales negotiations. The position works closely with global and cross-functional teams to develop impactful partnership solutions aligned with Art Basel’s cultural and commercial ambitions.

Your Responsibilities:

Client Acquisition & Relationship Management

• Own and lead the regional portfolio of partnership prospects across the North & South American markets, with a focus on brands aligned with Art Basel’s global cultural platform and year‑round ecosystem, extending beyond any single show.
• Personally manage and develop senior relationships with leading regional and global brands across luxury, lifestyle, technology, and other relevant sectors, while overseeing broader relationship ownership across the Americas Partner Development team.
• Lead complex, high‑value sales processes, including senior‑level outreach, relationship development, pitching, negotiation, and closing of multi‑market and multi‑year partnerships.
• Act as the senior commercial representative for the Americas, cultivating long‑term relationships with C‑suite and senior regional/global decision‑makers managing significant partnership budgets.

Sales Strategy & Execution

• Define and execute annual sales strategies and quarterly sales plans for Art Basel Miami Beach in close alignment with Art Basel’s global partnership strategy, prioritizing fewer, higher‑impact (high margin, revenue, EBITA) and long‑term partnerships.
• Deliver towards the global acquisition target with partnerships sourced and closed through the region, across shows and global initiatives.
• Prepare compelling high‑impact pitch materials, partnership proposals, and senior‑level sales presentations. Oversee the development of sales materials by the regional team, ensuring consistency and quality.
• Ensure accurate tracking of client activity, proposals, pipeline development, and forecasting in Salesforce, with clear ownership and reporting discipline across the region.

Proposal Development & Custom Solutions

• Lead close collaboration with internal stakeholders (Commercial Strategy, Show Management, Marketing, Client Development, and others) to develop tailored partnership concepts that align partner objectives with Art Basel’s programming, audiences, and global ambitions.
• Bring a strategic, client‑first mindset to proposal development, ensuring partnerships deliver measurable cultural, brand, and business impact.
• Contribute to the ongoing refinement of sales materials, partnership frameworks, and strategic decks, incorporating learnings from regional markets.
• Maintain strong awareness of developments across both regional and global industries, identifying emerging trends and opportunities that can inform new partnership models and categories.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Take an active leadership role and work closely with other global Partner Development teams to ensure alignment across regions, categories, and shows, and to share market insights and best practices.
• Align with the Partnership Management team to ensure a seamless transition from sales to execution across all partnerships originating in the Americas region.

Your Profile:

• 10 years of experience in brand partnerships, sponsorship sales, or business development, with significant exposure to senior, multi‑market partnership environments with the Americas region.
• Proven track record of sourcing, negotiating, and closing large‑scale, high‑value partnership agreements with regional and global scope.
• Demonstrated experience leading and managing sales talent and building a high‑performing regional Partnerships Development team.
• Strong experience developing persuasive, senior‑level proposals and presenting to C‑suite and executive decision‑makers.
• Comfortable operating in a fast‑paced, international, and highly matrixed organization.
• Excellent communication, relationship‑building, and commercial storytelling skills.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office (especially PowerPoint) and Salesforce or equivalent CRM platforms.
• Genuine interest in contemporary culture, creativity, and global cultural platforms.