Business Development Manager - Brand Acquisition - Fashion Retail

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Business Development Manager with a strong background in luxury retail and brand acquisition to support the growth and development of our retail portfolio.

This role will be responsible for identifying and evaluating new international and emerging brands, building relationships with brand owners and partners, leading commercial negotiations and coordinating the end-to-end acquisition process through to onboarding and launch.

The ideal candidate will combine strong business and financial acumen with excellent negotiation, communication, interpersonal and stakeholder management skills. You will be comfortable working across multiple functions, managing complex projects and translating market and commercial insights into compelling business recommendations for senior management.

What You Will Do

1. Brand Acquisition & Scouting

• Identify, research and proactively source relevant international, luxury and emerging brands aligned with the company's strategic direction, customer profile and market opportunities.
• Build and maintain a pipeline of potential brand acquisition opportunities.
• Conduct initial brand assessments and develop a clear understanding of the brand's proposition, positioning, target customer and growth potential.
• Establish relationships with relevant brand owners, founders, agents and international representatives.

2. Commercial Evaluation & Business Planning

• Assess potential brands through market research, competitive analysis, financial modelling, brand positioning, pricing and distribution strategy.
• Evaluate the overall commercial potential and strategic fit of prospective brands.
• Develop detailed business cases, financial assessments and commercial recommendations for senior management.
• Assess commercial terms, margins, targets, investment requirements and potential return.
• Work closely with Finance and other relevant functions to validate financial assumptions and business plans.

3. Relationship Management & Negotiations

• Build and manage strong relationships with brand owners, founders, agents, brand principals and international partners.
• Lead commercial discussions and negotiations relating to distribution, exclusivity, commercial terms, margins, targets and contracts.
• Develop long-term strategic relationships while ensuring commercial objectives are achieved.
• Manage competing priorities and interests between internal stakeholders and external brand partners.
• Work closely with Legal and Finance to ensure commercial agreements are aligned with business requirements.

4. Market & Portfolio Development

• Monitor fashion and retail trends, competitor activity, consumer behaviour and market gaps to identify new growth opportunities.
• Maintain strong awareness of the international luxury retail landscape and emerging brands.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen, diversify and continuously develop the company's brand portfolio.
• Provide market insights and recommendations to senior management to support portfolio strategy.
• Track developments within relevant markets and proactively identify brands with potential for the region.

5. Project Management & Cross-Functional Execution

• Lead the end-to-end brand acquisition process, from initial brand contact and evaluation through negotiation, onboarding and launch.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams including Retail, Marketing, Finance, Legal, Operations, Buying/Merchandising and other relevant stakeholders.
• Establish project timelines, key milestones, deliverables and responsibilities to ensure successful execution.
• Manage multiple workstreams and competing priorities while maintaining visibility of project progress.
• Track risks, issues, actions and decisions and ensure timely resolution and escalation where required.
• Ensure all stakeholders remain aligned throughout the acquisition and launch process.
• PMO/project governance experience is preferred, with the ability to apply structured project management and reporting disciplines.

6. Presentation & Business Storytelling

• Develop compelling presentations, pitch decks, business cases and management reports for senior management and external brand partners.
• Translate market insights, brand positioning, commercial opportunities and financial potential into clear, compelling and persuasive recommendations.
• Present business opportunities confidently to senior stakeholders and decision-makers.
• Develop compelling brand acquisition proposals that clearly articulate the strategic and commercial rationale.
• Ensure presentations and recommendations are supported by robust research, commercial analysis and financial data.

What We're Looking For

• Minimum 5 years of experience in luxury retail brand acquisition, business development, commercial partnerships or a closely related field.

• Proven experience in identifying, scouting and acquiring international or emerging luxury/fashion brands.

• Strong understanding of the luxury fashion and retail industry, including brand positioning, distribution models, pricing and commercial dynamics.

• Proven experience working directly with brand owners, founders, principals, agents and international partners.

• Strong business and commercial acumen, with the ability to assess strategic opportunities and understand their commercial implications.

• Strong financial acumen, including experience with financial modelling, business cases, margins, commercial terms and financial analysis.

• Strong negotiation and influencing skills, with the ability to negotiate effectively while maintaining strong long-term relationships.

• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and interpersonal skills.

• Proven ability to coordinate and influence cross-functional teams without direct authority.

• Strong project management, planning and organisational skills.

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

• Strong presentation and business storytelling skills.

• Advanced proficiency in MS Excel and PowerPoint.

• PMO / project governance experience is preferred.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Management, Marketing or a related discipline preferred.

The ideal Candidate

You are a commercially driven luxury retail professional with a strong network and understanding of the international fashion and luxury brand landscape.

You have a proven ability to spot promising brands, assess their commercial potential, build relationships with brand principals and negotiate partnerships.

You are equally comfortable developing a financial business case, presenting an opportunity to senior management, negotiating with an international brand owner and coordinating multiple internal teams to bring the opportunity to life.

You are a strong communicator, confident negotiator and relationship builder, with the commercial judgement and organisational discipline required to manage an acquisition from initial scouting through to successful launch