Sports Business Strategist

We are hiring an analytical, consultative Sports Business Strategist who works where data, sport and commercial performance meet. This is not a purely technical position. You will understand how a stadium, a high performance centre or an entertainment district earns revenue, retains fans and athletes, and operates day to day, and you will be able to hold a credible conversation with architects, product teams and engineers about the technology behind it. This is not an engineering role. You are the person in the room who turns the ambition of a rights holder, operator or developer into a combined business and technology blueprint, then pressure tests both until they stand up together. Most of your time will go to major sports and entertainment developments across the Kingdom, assessing, designing and reshaping sports assets such as stadiums, arenas, training and performance centres, fan zones and academies, along with the digital, commercial and operating models around them. Key Responsibilities Sports data and business use cases Lead initiatives in fan engagement, crowd analytics and athlete performance that convert data into measurable business results. Map how data flows across physical venues and digital platforms. Build the operating models needed to scale these solutions. Asset assessment and due diligence Lead or co-lead reviews of sports assets within entertainment districts and major developments, covering venue type, capacity, event mix, technology plan, operating model, revenue streams and fan and athlete journeys. Compare against leading global venues and operators to spot gaps, over specification and missed commercial opportunities. Deliver clear, well supported recommendations for developers, operators and investors. Experience and business design Contribute to designing the full technology enabled experience for fans, athletes, staff, partners and tenants, together with the business model behind it: ticketing, hospitality, sponsorship, retail, food and beverage, media, memberships and data monetisation. Build and stress test business cases and ROI narratives for digital ecosystems, unified data platforms and new commercial assets. Pre-sales and strategic advisory Own the sports and venue content in proposals, tender responses and executive workshops for federations, leagues, clubs, operators and developers. Run discovery and strategy workshops with senior client stakeholders, shaping open ended briefs into scoped, sellable engagements. Serve as the industry voice alongside solution architects, product leads and delivery teams. Innovation and thought leadership Follow and assess emerging venue and sports technology, including smart buildings, connectivity, access and identity, immersive media, performance analytics and AI agents, and turn it into practical proposals. Represent the practice with clients, partners such as architects, technology vendors and governing bodies, and at industry events. Required Experience and Skills Strategic, analytical mindset: Consultative and numbers driven, with enough technical understanding to challenge a design while keeping the focus on business outcomes. At least 7 years in sports and/or live entertainment, with a firm grasp of how venues, clubs, leagues and operators earn revenue, run events and look after fans and athletes. Hands on involvement in designing or evaluating the technology and commercial experience of a large entertainment asset such as a stadium, arena, performance centre, theme park, cruise ship, convention centre, resort or mixed use district. Technical fluency gained from the business side: enough time alongside engineering and product teams to understand architectures, data platforms, integration, connectivity and vendor ecosystems, and to recognise what is unrealistic or not worth pursuing. You do not need to be an engineer. Proven client facing experience shaping solutions: writing proposals, leading workshops, building business cases and presenting to C-level audiences. Ability to design scalable operating models from a blank page. Excellent written and spoken English, with confidence producing executive standard documents and presentations. Right to work, and willingness to be based onsite in Riyadh for the length of the engagement. Backgrounds That Often Fit Technical account managers, solution strategists, forward deployed strategists, solutions consultants or customer strategy leads at technology firms serving sports, venues or live entertainment. Product or engineering professionals who have moved into commercial or strategy roles in sports, venues or entertainment. Strategy, innovation or digital leaders at clubs, leagues, federations, venue operators, venue architects or entertainment developers. Desirable Experience on large scale developments in the Gulf, or in delivering major events such as World Cups, Olympics or continental tournaments. Familiarity with sports data platforms, ticketing and access ecosystems, sponsorship and fan engagement products, or smart venue infrastructure. Arabic and/or Spanish language ability. Consulting or professional services experience. Who This Role Is Not For Pure engineers or architects without commercial and industry understanding. Sports marketing or commercial professionals who are uncomfortable with technical detail. Candidates who need a fully scoped brief before they can begin.