Location: Dubai, UAE (on-site, with regional travel across the GCC)
Reports to: Managing Director / Country Head
Direct reports: Talent Managers, Talent Executives, Talent Partnerships Lead
About the agency
We are an influencer marketing and talent management business with a roster of exclusively signed UAE-based creators across lifestyle, fashion, beauty, family, food, travel, gaming and entertainment. Our talent works with leading regional and global brands on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat.
The roster is in place. This role is about scaling it: deepening creator careers, raising commercial yield per talent, and building the systems and team to grow the agency to its next stage.
Key Responsibilities
Roster management and talent development
- Own the full exclusive roster: career strategy, positioning, content direction and long-term growth plans for each creator.
- Be the senior point of contact for top-tier talent and their families or personal teams; handle escalations and sensitive matters.
- Protect talent wellbeing, reputation and work-life balance; run crisis and issues management when needed.
- Grow audiences and engagement with each creator through platform strategy, content formats, collaborations and data insights.
- Build talent beyond social: TV, film, events, hosting, speaking, publishing, own products and licensing.
Commercial growth and brand partnerships
- Own the agency P&L and revenue targets; grow gross billings, margin and revenue per talent.
- Lead pricing and rate cards; negotiate fees, usage rights, exclusivity and long-term ambassadorships.
- Build relationships with brands, media agencies and platforms across the UAE and wider GCC to drive inbound and outbound deals.
- Package talent into multi-creator campaigns, IPs and always-on programmes with our wider influencer marketing team.
- Grow repeat business and multi-year contracts over one-off posts.
Bringing and integrating your roster
- Transfer your existing exclusive talent into the agency under new agency management agreements, with minimal disruption to their live brand deals.
- Merge your talent with our current roster into one plan, spotting cross-selling and multi- creator opportunities.
- Keep your talent's key brand relationships and move them onto agency contracts.
Roster strategy and signing
- Review the roster regularly: renewals, re-negotiations, and exits where fit or performance falls short.
- Identify and sign new exclusive talent to fill gaps by vertical, language (Arabic and English), nationality and audience.
- Keep the roster competitive against other regional agencies and management firms.
Compliance and contracts
- Make sure all talent and campaigns comply with UAE rules, including the UAE Media Council advertiser permit requirements for content creators and ad disclosure standards.
- Oversee talent management agreements, brand contracts, usage and IP terms, with legal support.
- Manage cultural sensitivity and content standards appropriate to the UAE and GCC.
Team leadership and operations
- Hire, lead and develop Talent Managers and Executives; set goals, structure and career paths.
- Build processes for deal flow, briefing, approvals, delivery, reporting, invoicing and talent payouts.
- Track performance with CRM and analytics tools; report on roster and commercial results to leadership.
- Represent the agency and its talent at industry events, awards and media.
Requirements
Experience
- Must currently manage your own exclusive roster of UAE or GCC-based creators under signed management agreements, and be able to bring them to the agency.
- Roster with proven commercial traction: regular paid brand partnerships and a mix of tiers (macro and mid-tier creators).
- Free to move your talent: no non-compete, non-solicit or contract terms that would block the transfer.
- 8+ years in talent management, influencer marketing, entertainment or media, with at least 3 years leading a talent or partnerships team.
- Proven record growing exclusive creators'; or celebrities'; commercial earnings.
- Direct experience owning revenue targets or a P&L.
- Strong network among UAE and GCC brands, media agencies, platforms (Meta, TikTok, Snap, YouTube) and creators.
- Hands-on knowledge of the UAE creator landscape and its regulations.
Skills
- Excellent negotiator on fees, usage rights, exclusivity and long-term deals.
- Commercially sharp: pricing, forecasting, margin management and reporting.
- Trusted, calm talent relationship manager, including in crisis situations.
- Strong grasp of platform trends, content formats, analytics and audience data.
- Clear leader who builds structure, coaches people and holds a team to high standards.
- Culturally aware, with sound judgment on content suitable for the region.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in marketing, business, communications, media or a related field, or equivalent experience.
- Fluent English required; Arabic strongly preferred.
- UAE-based or willing to relocate to Dubai.
What we offer
- Competitive tax-free salary plus performance bonus tied to agency revenue and margin.
- UAE employment visa, medical insurance and annual flight allowance.
- Senior leadership seat with real ownership of an established exclusive roster.
- The chance to shape the UAE's leading creator agency and work with top regional and global brands.
How to apply
Send your CV, an overview of your current exclusive roster (number of talent, platforms, audience size and annual billings, anonymised if needed), and a short note on a talent you grew commercially to clarissa.yonaha@gushcloud.com. Shortlisted candidates will be asked to present a 90-day plan for moving their roster across and merging it with ours.
