Business Development Manager

Job Title: Business Development Manager Working closely with the executive, brand management, creative and licensing teams, this individual will play a key role in expanding the global footprint of the brand’s portfolio while building long-term, commercially successful partnerships.

Licensing & Strategic Partnerships

• Identify, develop and secure new licensing opportunities across apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty, home and other lifestyle categories.
• Prospect and engage prospective licensees across domestic and international markets.
• Lead commercial negotiations, including royalty rates, minimum guarantees, territories, product categories and distribution rights.
• Develop strategic licensing plans that identify category gaps, market opportunities and potential partners for each brand.
• Manage the business development pipeline from initial outreach through negotiation, contract execution and partner onboarding.

Brand Collaborations & Special Projects

• Identify and secure strategic brand collaborations, capsule collections and co-branded partnerships that drive brand awareness and incremental revenue.
• Develop relationships with fashion brands, entertainment companies, cultural platforms and other potential collaborators.
• Work alongside creative and marketing teams to evaluate collaboration opportunities and ensure alignment with each brand's positioning and target consumer.
• Negotiate commercial terms and coordinate with internal teams to bring partnerships from concept to execution.

Key Retail Account Development

• Serve as a key liaison between licensing partners and major retail accounts to facilitate product placement and expand distribution.
• Leverage existing relationships with department stores, specialty retailers, e-commerce platforms and other strategic retail channels.
• Identify new retail opportunities and make targeted introductions to support licensee sales and brand expansion.
• Work with licensees to develop retail strategies, identify priority accounts and coordinate presentations to prospective buyers.
• Maintain visibility into key retail relationships, upcoming launches and opportunities across the portfolio.

International Distribution & Market Expansion

• Identify, negotiate and secure international distribution partnerships across priority markets, including Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.
• Develop market-entry strategies, identifying the appropriate distribution, licensing or retail model for each territory.
• Build and maintain relationships with international distributors, regional retail groups and commercial partners.
• Coordinate with existing licensees to facilitate wholesale opportunities and ensure alignment on territory rights, product availability and pricing.
• Support international partners in identifying key retail accounts and expanding their local distribution networks.

Agent Management & Development

• Serve as the primary point of contact for the brand’s network of domestic and international licensing and sales agents, overseeing relationships and coordinating business development activities across territories.
• Establish clear commercial objectives, revenue targets and strategic priorities for each agent, ensuring alignment with the overall growth strategy of each brand.
• Manage agent pipelines, review prospective opportunities and oversee the progression of licensing, collaboration and distribution deals from introduction through execution.
• Coordinate with agents on commercial negotiations, partner introductions and market expansion opportunities, serving as the key liaison between agents and internal teams.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, monitor deal activity and evaluate agent effectiveness against established targets.
• Identify, recruit and onboard new agents in priority markets to expand the brand’s global network and accelerate business development.

Qualifications & Experience

• 8-10 years of experience in business development, brand licensing, wholesale, international distribution or strategic partnerships, preferably within fashion, accessories or lifestyle.
• Established relationships with licensees, distributors, major retailers and other relevant industry partners.
• Demonstrated experience originating, negotiating and closing commercial agreements.
• Strong understanding of licensing economics, including royalty structures, minimum guarantees and territory rights.
• Experience developing international markets and working with cross-border commercial partners.
• Ability to identify opportunities across multiple brands and product categories while maintaining distinct brand positioning.
• Strong commercial judgment, negotiation skills and financial acumen.
• Highly organized, entrepreneurial and comfortable managing multiple transactions simultaneously.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.

Salary $120,000 + Commission