Job Title: Talent Buying Agent
Location: Dubai, UAE
Salary: TBD, based on experience
About the role: G7 is looking for a Dubai-based Talent Buying Agent to join our team and expand our agency’s offerings in the Dubai, UAE, and regional markets. The ideal candidate is highly collaborative, a strong listener and communicator, solutions-focused, and able to super-serve our clients in a fast-paced industry.
Please note that relocation is not offered for this position. Candidates without prior experience as a talent buyer / booking agent will not be considered.
As a Talent Buying Agent, you will work both with the US-based G7 team and with an alliance of colleagues across the international Project agency alliance on sourcing and booking talent for client events. Your role will involve identifying and pursuing new business opportunities, curating talent, negotiating contracts, managing budgets, and ensuring a seamless process from talent acquisition, to performance deliverables, to post-event evaluation. This position requires a deep understanding of the Emirates and Saudi Arabian hospitality and entertainment industries, and the ability to cultivate trust with both talent and clients. You will also work with colleagues to deepen and strengthen existing client relationships for G7 and Project.
Responsibilities:
Client Relationship Development and Management
- Work to establish relationships and create opportunities relevant to G7’s core capabilities
- Capabilities include, but are not limited to, Talent Booking, Talent Partnerships, and Event Supervision.
- Learn and understand the needs of clients and serve as a trusted advisor and partner for entertainment and talent buying solutions.
- Maintain up-to-date knowledge of G7’s capabilities and projects
- Identify new business prospects for G7, drawing from existing relationships and networks when applicable.
- Represent G7 with professionalism and expertise in all endeavors.
- Provide support to additional Project alliance agencies operating in the region.
- Attend industry functions, showcases, and other events to build relationships and knowledge of the market and competitors.
Talent Buying and Market Research
- Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the talent and booking landscape.
- Establish and grow trust with talent agencies, managers, and artists.
- Negotiate contracts, terms, fees, etc., in alignment with talent expectations, industry standards, and agency success.
Booking Management and Oversight
- Serve as the main point of contact for colleagues, clients, talent, and other parties involved in talent bookings and partnerships.
- Track and ensure contractual obligations are met by all parties.
- Attend events in the region where G7 is providing talent and help manage talent deliverables.
- Maintain frequent communication with colleagues and leadership to provide updates on existing bookings and new business efforts.
- Provide timely and constructive solutions to conflicts that arise around or during bookings.
Administrative Management
- Develop and manage budgets around talent booking and partnerships, including negotiating competitive rates and maximizing cost-efficiency.
- Work closely with colleagues to track financials and maintain accurate records of contracts, transactions, and client and partner communications.
- Ensure compliance with all pertinent legal and regulatory requirements and operate in line with Project’s Code of Ethics.
Qualifications:
- Existing relationships with brands and clients is strongly preferred.
- Minimum 5-7 years of experience in talent buying or related field.
- Local (preferably native or established resident) to Dubai/UAE.
- In-depth knowledge of Dubai and Saudi Arabian entertainment cultures, trends, events, venues, and industry standards.
- Ability and willingness to work during occasional nonstandard hours as required by the role.
- Ability and willingness to travel within Dubai and the broader region.
- Strong communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
- Excellent organizational and time-management abilities.
- Fluent in English and ideally another regional language (MSA-preferred), conversational or basic use of additional languages also preferred.
- Understanding of entertainment and partnership contracts in accordance with regional/local laws.
Attributes:
- Committed to super-serving clients and delivering world-class, talent-centric experiences.
- Entrepreneurial thinker with the ability to identify and capitalize on opportunities.
- Confident and professional demeanor, able to handle high pressure situations with grace and civility.
- Ability to collaborate on and/or manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- Curious and knowledgeable about the latest trends in the events, entertainment, sports, music, and hospitality industries.
Working Conditions:
- This position is based in Dubai and offers flexibility to work from a home office or a Project agency office on a hybrid basis.
- You will be expected to operate during standard office hours for your location.
- Expectation of this role is to be onsite for all talent bookings in the region.
Benefits:
Salary: Basic and Allowances
Medical Insurance
30 working days of Annual leave
End of Service Gratuity
About G7 Entertainment Marketing: At G7, our entertainment specialities come together to create moments that make people feel something. We are a marketing agency that harnesses the power of entertainment. We bring ideas to live in pixels and in person, creating magical moments between brands and fans through multisensory experiences. G7 is part of the Project network of agencies.
About Project: Project is an independent network of marketing services agencies, wholly owned and led by our fellow employees. With an agency-first ethos, we operate as an agency accelerator through empowerment, community, collaboration, and support, giving them an unparalleled edge against the competition. With 2,000+ teammates in 42 markets around the world, we are unified by our shared values of ambition to seek and solve complex challenges, humility in our approach to work and to each other, and human-first mindset in our creative partnerships with our co-creators.
At Project, each person is unique – in background, ability, age, race, gender, orientation, religion, status, and viewpoint – and is an essential thread in the fabric of our family of agencies. Every one of our people has the right to work in an environment that is respectful, safe, and gives us space to be our authentic selves. That is our philosophy and therefore our pledge: to build this mindset into our culture, our day-to-day practices, and ultimately our work on behalf of our clients.
We can succeed on that pledge only when we have effective practices, policies, education and training, and other support systems that ensure we have a team that is as diverse and inclusive as our communities and the clients we serve. All our agencies commit to listen, learn and enact changes whenever and wherever we should. And we hold ourselves and each other accountable to those commitments.
