Head of Business Development

MUBI•New York, NY

3d•$160,000 - $200,000•Hybrid

About The Position

MUBI is seeking a leader to own and reshape its Business Development function, focusing on a small number of strategic partnerships that can accelerate subscriber and revenue growth. The role inherits an existing partnership portfolio and is responsible for concentrating it, setting the function’s strategy, originating and negotiating major agreements, and hiring and mentoring a Business Development Manager to manage day-to-day operations and smaller partnerships. The Head of Business Development reports directly to the Chief Product Officer and works closely with Product, Engineering, Finance, Data, Marketing and Legal. The role is hybrid-remote, with three required office days per week in London or New York: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Office use on the other two days is optional. The role covers three primary areas: developing large strategic partnerships, including channel and OEM agreements and subscription bundles; building partner benefits for MUBI’s premium membership and placing MUBI within other organisations’ memberships; and owning the commercial side of MUBI GO, MUBI’s weekly cinema-ticket membership programme. Product and Engineering own MUBI GO’s operational execution, while this role leads its commercial relationships, terms and expansion. The successful candidate will define the Business Development strategy, portfolio and OKRs; originate and negotiate partnerships from initial discussions through post-launch performance; build commercial business cases and coordinate deal requirements across teams; develop the partnership portfolio and operating rhythm; and represent MUBI with senior partner counterparts and internal executives.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field or equivalent practical experience.
10+ years in business development, partnerships or commercial strategy, including several years leading strategic partnerships at a streaming, subscription, consumer technology or entertainment company.
Track record of originating and closing large, complex commercial agreements, such as bundles, distribution, licensing or membership partnerships, and accountability for their performance after launch.
Strong commercial and financial judgment, including the ability to build and defend business cases, model deal economics and prioritise a portfolio.
Experience managing and developing people, or clear readiness to do so.
Exceptional written and verbal communication, including presenting recommendations to C-suite executives and a board.
Comfort working across time zones and offices with a high degree of autonomy.
Ability to originate and negotiate major commercial partnerships and develop deal structures that work for both sides.
Ability to negotiate firmly while protecting relationships and to walk away from deals that do not meet the required standard.
Ability to work credibly with senior stakeholders and partners, including studio executives, cinema operators, brand partners and the CEO.
Strong portfolio management, reporting and follow-through skills.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience negotiating subscription bundles or channel partnerships with major streaming services or telcos.
Experience with theatrical exhibition, cinema partnerships or ticketing.
Experience in US, UK, EMEA and Latin American markets.
Experience using AI tools in your own workflow.
A real connection to cinema and MUBI’s curatorial point of view.

Responsibilities

Define and own the Business Development strategy, portfolio and OKRs, and report on them to the executive team.
Audit the existing partnership portfolio with Product, Engineering, Finance and Data, deciding which partnerships to keep or retire and establishing criteria for new opportunities.
Originate, structure and negotiate strategic partnerships end to end, from initial discussions through signed agreement and commercial performance after launch.
Lead major deals, including channel and OEM partnerships and subscription bundles with premium streaming services.
Own the commercial relationships and terms behind MUBI GO, including cinema partner relationships, volume pricing, member value, partner-base expansion and recommendations on new markets.
Build the benefits and partner portfolio for MUBI’s premium membership tier and develop the programme for placing MUBI inside other organisations’ memberships.
Work with Finance on business cases and independent reviews of deal economics.
Work with Product and Engineering to assess partnership capacity requirements and sequencing.
Hire, mentor and develop a Business Development Manager, and establish the function’s operating rhythm.
Represent MUBI with senior partner counterparts and provide clear updates on relationship status and decisions needed.