Sales Director

London-based | Full-time | Permanent

International event portfolio with Pan-African focus

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and commercially minded Sales Director to lead the sales strategy for a flagship defence and security exhibition and conference. This role will be responsible for driving exhibitor and sponsorship revenue, expanding the event’s international presence, and strengthening relationships with key stakeholders across government, defence, and industry sectors.

As a key member of the leadership team, you’ll work closely with internal departments—marketing, operations, content—and external partners to deliver a world-class, strategically positioned event serving African and international markets.

Key Responsibilities Lead the end-to-end sales strategy and execution across exhibitor and sponsorship streams

Build and maintain relationships with defence contractors, government bodies, OEMs, and embassies

Manage a high-performing international sales team and agency partners

Collaborate with marketing and content teams to ensure unified commercial messaging

Analyse market trends and identify new growth opportunities across the African defence sector

Represent the event and organisation at international trade shows and meetings

What We’re Looking For 7–10 years of senior B2B sales experience, ideally in defence, aerospace, security, or large-scale international events

Proven success in achieving and exceeding commercial targets

Strong leadership skills and experience managing multi-regional sales teams

Excellent stakeholder management, negotiation, and communication skills

Confidence working across different cultures and international markets

Experience with large-scale exhibitions (especially in defence/security) is highly desirable

Willingness to travel regularly across Africa and beyond

This is a unique chance to take ownership of a high-profile event in a strategically important sector, working alongside an ambitious, collaborative team. If you’re a results-driven sales leader with strong industry insight and a global mindset, we’d love to hear from you.

Please note this requires 4 days in the office (London) and 1 day WFH.