Business Development Manager

Key Responsibilities :

1. Activation Business Development & Project Management – 70%

• Develop and grow business opportunities across activation, experiential marketing, in-store activation, tasting & sampling, roadshows, store openings, events and consumer engagement campaigns.
• Manage the end-to-end sales and project process from Pitching → client brief → concept development → proposal → quotation → negotiation → PO → project execution → commercial closure.
• Co-Develop creative and commercially viable activation concepts based on client and retailer objectives.
• Prepare client proposals, presentations, quotations and project budgets
• Present proposals and solutions directly to clients and manage client relationships throughout the project.
• Manage project revenue, costs, pricing and gross margin to ensure projects achieve agreed commercial targets.
• Track quotations, follow up on quotation status and coordinate PO issuance with clients and internal teams.
• Monitor PO status and ensure projects are properly aligned with approved scope and commercial terms before execution.
• Negotiate with suppliers and partners to achieve appropriate cost and quality.
• Manage event organizers, production houses, staffing agencies and other external partners.
• Monitor project progress, quality, budget and timeline and resolve issues during execution.
• Identify opportunities to expand existing projects, generate repeat business and grow client accounts.
• Achieve assigned revenue, pipeline and profitability targets.

2. Client & Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, brands and retail partners.
• Proactively identify sales opportunities and convert client needs into business opportunities.
• Develop and maintain a healthy sales pipeline and regularly follow up on opportunities.
• Lead client meetings, presentations, negotiations and commercial discussions.
• Understand client business and marketing objectives and proactively recommend relevant activation solutions.
• Build long-term relationships and identify opportunities for repeat business, upselling and cross-selling.
• Act as a key client-facing contact and manage communication, expectations and project requirements.
• Coordinate effectively with internal teams including Creative, Production, Media, Finance and Operations.
• Work with retailer/store stakeholders to ensure activation activities comply with retailer requirements and guidelines.

3. New Business Development & Strategic Initiatives – 30%

Support the development of new business opportunities and strategic initiatives, including:

Lotus’s Malaysia

• Support the development of the Malaysia media and activation business.
• Conduct market research and opportunity analysis.
• Support development of business cases, commercial models, revenue assumptions and operating models.
• Prepare management presentations and business proposals.
• Coordinate with Lotus’s Malaysia stakeholders, partners and suppliers.

Makro Thailand

• Support the development of new activation opportunities such as tasting booths, sampling programs and in-store activation solutions.
• Develop commercial packages, pricing and business cases.
• Support client and retailer discussions and identify opportunities to scale successful activation solutions.

Qualifications :

• 8–10 years of relevant experience in Business Development, Account Management, Activation, Experiential Marketing, Event Marketing, Shopper Marketing, Trade Marketing, Retail Marketing, Media or related fields.
• Strong experience in sales, activation/event projects and client management.
• Experience working with event organizers, agencies
• Experience in commercial management, project costing, pricing, quotation management and margin control is highly preferred.
• Experience in FMCG, retail, consumer brands, media or advertising/activation agencies is an advantage.
• Experience in data analysis, consumer insights, market insights or business intelligence is an advantage