Business Development Manager - Brand Expansion

GMG Gulf; Dubai; On-site; AED 223,000 - 391,000; Full time

Job summary

GMG is seeking a Business Development Manager - Brand Expansion in Dubai to drive brand acquisition and route-to-market expansion across the UAE. You will own the end-to-end commercial cycle from identifying brands to contract signing and market launch, building profitable distribution networks and strategic partnerships.

You will analyze categories, negotiate terms, manage pricing, landed costs, and regulatory readiness, while coordinating with Legal, Finance, and Supply Chain to ensure timely

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years in Sales or Business Development.
• At least 3 years of commercial experience in the UAE.
• Proven experience acquiring brands, principals, customers, or distribution rights.
• Strong understanding of distribution economics and route-to-market development.
• Able to prepare landed-cost, pricing, margin, and working-capital models.

Responsibilities

• Build and prioritize a pipeline of target brands and principals.
• Analyze categories, price tiers, pack formats, and underserved market segments.
• Develop proposals and manage negotiations through contract signature.
• Review export readiness, certifications, compliance, regional agreements, and channel conflicts.
• Define coverage, listings, launch sequences, and required trade investment.
• Coordinate item-master and ERP setup after contract signing.
• Establish supply plans, warehousing, cold-chain requirements, and initial order quantities.

Skills

Brand acquisition

Principal development

Business development

UAE market expansion

Landed-cost modeling

Margin analysis

Pricing architecture

Route-to-market strategy

Tools

SAP

CRM

ERP

Job description

Role Snapshot

Role: Business Development Manager - Brand Expansion

Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Industry: Consumer Goods

Function: Business Development-New Accounts

Experience: Minimum 5 years, including 3 years in the UAE

Job Type: Full-time

Position Overview

The Business Development Manager - Brand Expansion position in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is a commercial growth opportunity within the Consumer Goods industry. GMG seeks an experienced professional to acquire new brands, build profitable routes to market, develop sub-distributor coverage, and create business-to-business revenue streams across the UAE.

Job Details

Country: United Arab Emirates

City: Dubai

Industry: Consumer Goods

Function: Business Development-New Accounts

Salary: AED 20000-35000 per month

Estimated salary range based on similar jobs in Dubai; please confirm the final offer with the employer.

Gender: Any

Candidate Nationality: Any

Job Type: Full-time

Role Context

The Business Development Manager owns the commercial cycle from brand identification through contract signing and market launch. The role validates each opportunity through due diligence, cost and margin analysis, regulatory readiness, business planning, negotiation, supply-chain setup, and post-launch performance management.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and prioritize a pipeline of target brands and principals.
• Align acquisition targets with category strategy, portfolio gaps, and margin objectives.
• Analyze categories, price tiers, pack formats, and underserved market segments.
• Maintain current intelligence on available and underperforming regional brands.
• Initiate contact with prospective brand owners and manufacturers.
• Present GMG 's capabilities and quantify relevant UAE market opportunities.
• Develop proposals and manage negotiations through contract signature.
• Assess prospective principals for financial strength and production capacity.
• Review export readiness, certifications, compliance, regional agreements, and channel conflicts.
• Calculate the complete landed cost for each proposed brand and stock-keeping unit.
• Include freight, insurance, duty, customs clearance, handling, storage, distribution, and returns.
• Develop pricing across principal, GMG, sub-distributor, retailer, business customer, and consumer levels.
• Protect margins and validate recommended retail prices against competitors and consumer thresholds.
• Evaluate minimum-order quantities, lead times, shelf life, stock cover, and working-capital requirements.
• Quantify cash exposure before committing to a new brand.
• Coordinate registration, labeling, halal, shelf-life, and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure products are prepared for timely first-shipment clearance.
• Select appropriate direct, sub-distributor, hybrid, or business-to-business routes to market.
• Define coverage, listings, launch sequences, and required trade investment.
• Coordinate item-master and ERP setup after contract signing.
• Establish supply plans, warehousing, cold-chain requirements, and initial order quantities.
• Hand approved brands over effectively to Sales and Category teams.
• Identify opportunities involving local co-packing, shipment consolidation, alternative sourcing, and duty optimization.
• Develop three-year brand plans covering volume, value, gross profit, real margin, investment, and break-even timing.
• Negotiate distribution and agency agreements.
• Agree territory, exclusivity, contract term, renewal, purchase commitments, and pricing mechanisms.
• Negotiate marketing support, listing contributions, credit terms, intellectual-property rights, and exit protection.
• Coordinate agreement completion with Legal and Finance.
• Maintain a contract register covering obligations, renewals, and compliance triggers.
• Lead annual joint business planning with brand principals.
• Renegotiate underperforming agreements or manage structured brand exits.
• Identify and scale new business-to-business channels.
• Develop tailored commercial propositions for target customers.
• Negotiate supply agreements, annual contracts, tenders, and commercial terms.
• Maintain a weighted pipeline with stages, conversion rates, and revenue forecasts.
• Establish service reviews, contract governance, and growth plans for key accounts.
• Develop GMG 's UAE sub-distributor network.
• Define territories, margins, stock commitments, and performance KPIs.
• Lead, coach, and evaluate assigned team members.

Ideal Profile

• Minimum 5 years of experience in Sales or Business Development.
• At least 3 years of commercial experience in the UAE market.
• Proven experience acquiring brands, principals, customers, or distribution rights.
• Strong understanding of distribution economics and route-to-market development.
• Able to prepare landed-cost, pricing, margin, and working-capital models.
• Knowledge of logistics, warehousing, cold chains, and inventory planning.
• Familiarity with export documentation and UAE regulatory requirements.
• Experienced in commercial negotiation and contract development.
• Strong knowledge of Middle East and Africa markets.
• Able to manage business-to-business pipelines, tenders, and key accounts.
• Commercially analytical and confident presenting investment cases.
• Skilled at coordinating Legal, Finance, Supply Chain, Marketing, Quality, and Sales teams.
• Strong leadership, mentoring, and performance-management capabilities.
• Excellent communication, persuasion, and relationship-building skills.
• Proficient in ERP systems, SAP, CRM platforms, and business reporting tools.

Skills Set

• Brand acquisition
• Principal development
• Business development
• UAE market expansion
• Portfolio-gap analysis
• Due diligence
• Landed-cost modeling
• Margin analysis
• Pricing architecture
• Working-capital analysis
• Route-to-market strategy
• Sub-distributor management
• Business-to-business sales
• Contract negotiation
• Agency agreements
• Joint business planning
• Product registration
• Regulatory Affairs
• Halal compliance
• Export documentation
• Supply-chain planning
• Cold-chain requirements
• ERP
• SAP
• CRM
• Market intelligence
• Pipeline management
• Tender management
• Financial analysis
• Project management

Why Join Us

This position offers end-to-end ownership of new commercial opportunities, from identifying brands to building the value chain that takes them to market. The successful candidate will influence GMG 's UAE portfolio, distributor network, business customer channels, revenue growth, and real-margin performance while working directly with international principals and senior cross-functional teams.

About the Company

GMG is a global well-being company that retails, distributes, and manufactures international and home-grown brands across sports, everyday goods, health and beauty, property, and logistics. Owned and managed by the Baker family for more than 45 years, GMG operates across the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia. Its portfolio includes more than 120 brands across 12 countries, including Sun and Sand Sports, Dropkick, Supercare Pharmacy, Farm Fresh, Klassic, Nike, Columbia, Converse, Timberland, Vans, Mama Sita 's, and McCain.