Sport, Culture & Entertainment - Graduate Development Programme - Talent Academy

Location: Riyadh 

Elevate is a global sport, culture & entertainment agency operating across four continents, with offices in Riyadh, Dubai, New York, London, Milan, Munich, San Franciso, Singapore, Sydney, and beyond.

We partner with rights holders, brands, and venues to build deeper connections with fans and audiences, and to unlock growth. The work of our MENA business spans the full lifecycle of sport, culture, and entertainment assets: from strategy and consulting, through creative and commercial development, to activation and delivery.

In the GCC, we've been on the ground since 2014, working alongside the public and private sector to support the region's most ambitious projects. We bring international best practice with deep local understanding, blending a global network of expertise with teams embedded in the markets we serve.

TALENT ACADEMY - GRADUATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME 

The Talent Academy is a catalyst for the next generation of sport, culture and entertainment leaders in Saudi Arabia. From day one, you will be embedded in live client work across three core rotations, each building on the last. You will receive structured guidance, mentorship, and support throughout, learning the ins and outs of each function before progressively taking on greater responsibility and ownership. 

ROLE OVERVIEW:

Consulting & Strategy 

 You will support our consulting team in developing commercialisation strategies for major sport, culture, and entertainment properties. This includes support on market analysis, asset valuation, benchmarking, strategic planning, and the development of go-to-market frameworks. You'll learn how world-class SCE assets are assessed, positioned, and packaged for commercial success. 

 Delivery & Activation  

You will move into the execution side of the business, working on ideation, partnership management, and project delivery. You will help plan, coordinate, and deliver brand activations, sponsorship campaigns, and live experiences for some of the region's highest-profile events and entities.

Commercialisation  

 You will work on behalf of clients to drive commercial outcomes, from developing outreach strategies and building prospect lists, to preparing pitch materials and supporting meetings with brands and potential partners. You will gain first-hand experience in rights sales, partnership development, and revenue generation.

 By the end of the program, you will have worked across the full commercial chain of sport, culture, and entertainment.

WHAT YOU WILL GAIN:

• Consulting, Commercialisation, and Delivery skills 
• You will develop a rounded consulting tool kit. A rare combination of transferable strategic and operational capabilities that will set up a strong foundation for your career, in SCE and beyond.
• Real exposure to the SCE sector at the highest level  
• You will work directly on projects involving giga-projects, government and semi-government entities, international sports properties, cultural institutions, and global entertainment brands.

A global network:  

You will be part of Elevate's international ecosystem, gaining access to colleagues, clients, and industry leaders across the GCC, Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific.

WHAT YOU WILL BRING:

We are looking for high achieving, intellectually curious and passionate individuals, regardless of what their disciplines and backgrounds are.

Required:

• Saudi Nationals
• Bachelor's or Master's degree from an accredited university (recent graduates or up to 2 years post-graduation)
• Strong academic record demonstrating high performance
• Excellent written and spoken English
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills, you're comfortable presenting ideas, engaging with senior stakeholders, and working across multi-cultural teams
• Proactive and action-oriented: you take ownership, manage your time well, and follow through independently 

Preferred: 

• A demonstrable passion for sport, culture, or entertainment, whether through personal interest, academic focus, extracurricular involvement, or professional experience 
• Familiarity with the Saudi and GCC market landscape 

WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH:

 Our Clients  

You will be exposed to work with some of the most significant entities shaping Saudi Arabia's transformation: giga-projects, semi-government organisations, major sports federations and leagues, cultural institutions, and large-scale entertainment operators.  

Our Team  

 You will join a multicultural, internationally experienced team led by tenured leaders in sport, culture, and entertainment. We work as one team, collaborative, and results-focused.