Business Development Manager
At Nova Sky Stories, we empower artists and producers to bring awe and wonder to live audiences around the world. As the global leader in drone entertainment, we’ve been redefining live shows for over a decade—merging cutting-edge drone technology with imaginative artistry. With a veteran team of engineers and creatives, we design and operate lightweight, small, precise, and safe drones that perform in the most demanding environments—urban centers, extreme temperatures, and high winds. The result? Sky Stories that inspire, captivate, and transform the sky into a canvas of imagination. Headquartered in the U.S. with teams across Europe and the UAE, Nova Sky Stories works with the world’s leading brands, venues, and events.
About This Role
Nova Sky Stories is seeking an SVP, Business Development to lead the company's global commercial growth strategy and expand our presence across theme parks, brand activations, cultural events, live entertainment, sports, destination attractions, tourism, festivals, and other large-scale experiential experiences. This executive leader will identify, develop, and secure transformative business opportunities that accelerate Nova's growth across these sectors. Working closely with the CEO, CFO, and executive leadership team, you'll build strategic relationships with industry leaders, negotiate complex commercial partnerships, and help define how Nova continues to reshape entertainment on a global scale.
Success in this role requires an understanding of the live entertainment ecosystem—from promoters and venues to agencies, rights holders, sponsors, production partners, and global brands—and the ability to navigate those relationships to create long-term strategic value. This leader will balance executive-level relationship building with disciplined commercial execution, partnering across Finance, Operations, Creative, Production, Legal, and Marketing to ensure opportunities become successful, scalable businesses.
Responsibilities
- Commercial Growth & Strategic Partnerships
- Develop and execute Nova's global business development strategy, creating new revenue opportunities across theme parks, brand activations, cultural events, live entertainment, sports, destination attractions, tourism, festivals, and emerging experiential markets.
- Build and maintain executive relationships with promoters, venue operators, event organizers, agencies, brands, destination partners, rights holders, and strategic investors.
- Source, negotiate, and close high-value commercial partnerships that expand Nova's global footprint and long-term revenue pipeline.
- Identify opportunities for recurring revenue, licensing, strategic alliances, and new business models that support the company's continued growth.
- Market Expansion
- Lead commercial expansion into new geographic markets, developing market entry strategies in partnership with regional leadership.
- Evaluate emerging industries, customer segments, and international opportunities that align with Nova's long-term vision.
- Represent Nova at major industry conferences, trade events, executive meetings, and customer engagements worldwide.
- Build executive relationships with theme park operators, global brands, agencies, promoters, venue owners, tourism organizations, cultural institutions, event organizers, and strategic partners to position Nova as the premier provider of drone entertainment worldwide.
- Executive Leadership
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO, CFO, and executive leadership team on commercial strategy, partnership opportunities, and market positioning.
- Lead executive-level negotiations involving enterprise clients, government organizations, strategic partners, and global brands.
- Partner cross-functionally to align commercial strategy with operational capabilities, production capacity, and long-term business objectives.
- Mentor and develop the business development organization as the company continues to scale.
- Commercial Execution
- Lead complex commercial opportunities from initial engagement through contract execution and long-term partnership management.
- Establish scalable business development processes, forecasting, pipeline management, and partnership frameworks.
- Develop financial business cases, commercial models, and strategic recommendations supporting investment and growth decisions.
- Monitor industry trends, competitive activity, and evolving customer needs to ensure Nova remains at the forefront of live entertainment innovation.
Requirements
- 12–15+ years of progressive leadership experience in business development, strategic partnerships, commercial leadership, or corporate strategy.
- Proven success developing and closing complex enterprise partnerships that generated measurable business growth.
- Significant experience within live entertainment, theme parks, experiential marketing, brand activations, sports, cultural events, destination attractions, venue management, media, or related industries, with a demonstrated track record of developing strategic commercial partnerships.
- Established network of relationships across the live entertainment ecosystem, including venues, promoters, agencies, brands, production companies, rights holders, or strategic partners.
- Demonstrated success leading commercial negotiations and structuring long-term partnerships with executive stakeholders.
- Strong executive presence with exceptional communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
- Experience leading cross-functional teams and influencing strategic decisions across a growing organization.
- Willingness to travel globally as business needs require.
Qualifications
- MBA or advanced business degree.
- Experience with international market expansion and global commercial partnerships.
- Background in sponsorship, media rights, licensing, or large-scale experiential entertainment.
- Experience working in a founder-led, entrepreneurial, or rapidly scaling organization.
- Familiarity with aviation, robotics, drones, or other technology-enabled entertainment platforms.
- Passion for innovation and redefining the future of live entertainment.
Pay
Salary Range: $250,000–$300,000 USD
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage
- 401(k) with company matching
- Flexible PTO and paid sick leave
- Paid parental leave
- Company-paid holidays
- Equity opportunities for eligible employees