International Business Development Manager

HR GO Recruitment; West End; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension plan

Health cash back

25 days leave (+ BH)

Job summary

HR GO Recruitment is seeking an International Business Development Manager to lead export growth from London, managing distributor partnerships across Europe and other territories. The role involves opening markets, driving sales, and protecting profitability while coordinating marketing and logistics with global teams.

The ideal candidate will have at least 5 years in international/export roles, strong negotiation and forecasting skills, and a willingness to travel.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years' experience in international/export account management or international business development (FMCG essential).
• Proven track record building distributor-led business across Western & Eastern Europe.
• Strong commercial acumen with forecasts, budgets and profitability.
• Excellent communication, influencing, negotiation and presentation skills.
• Self-starter with ownership, collaboration and project delivery discipline.

Responsibilities

• Identify, evaluate and appoint top-performing distribution partners in priority international markets.
• Deliver sales and profit targets through distributor management and joint business planning.
• Track in-market sales and stock levels, taking corrective action to stay on budget.
• Analyse sales and brand performance to unlock new opportunities for profitable growth.
• Build and deliver annual marketing calendars with distributor partners.
• Partner with International and local Brand Managers to ensure activity aligns to brand strategy.
• Oversee campaigns and launches; track funded activity and market intelligence.
• Own customer/distributor P&L, including marketing investment management.
• Produce forecasts, sales plans and budgets; lead quarterly business reviews.
• Monitor market profitability, report monthly on performance and variances.
• Allocate marketing budgets and verify invoices; ensure governance of spend.
• Motivate and support distributors to maximise sales, profit and market share.
• Review partner performance and recommend changes including business transfers.

Skills

International business dev

Distributor management

Forecasting & budgeting

Negotiation & presentation

Data-driven decisions

MS Excel

Tools

MS Excel

Job description

International Business Development Manager

International Business Development Manager

(Export / International Accounts)

Type: Permanent |

Location: London (Hybrid)

Working hours: Monday-Thursday 9:00am-5:00pm, Friday 9:00am-4:30am

Salary: Depending on experience

The opportunity

Are you a commercially driven export specialist who thrives on opening new markets and building high-performing distributor partnerships? This is a high-impact, hands-on role where you'll take ownership of international growth, driving sales, protecting profitability and strengthening brand presence across key export territories. Expect autonomy, variety and frequent travel (often with overnight stays).

What you'll be doing

Business Development

• Identify, evaluate and appoint top-performing distribution partners in priority international markets
• Deliver sales and profit targets through strong distributor management and joint business planning
• Track in-market sales and stock levels, taking corrective action to stay on budget
• Analyse sales and brand performance to unlock new opportunities for profitable growth

Marketing

• Build and deliver annual marketing activity calendars with distributor partners
• Partner with International and local Brand Managers to ensure activity aligns to brand strategy
• Oversee execution of campaigns and support new product development / launches
• Track and report funded activity and provide relevant market intelligence
• Own customer/distributor P&L, including marketing investment management
• Produce forecasts, sales plans and A&P budgets; lead quarterly business reviews
• Monitor and control market profitability, reporting monthly on performance and variances
• Allocate marketing budgets, verify invoices and ensure transparent governance of spend
• Motivate, challenge and support distributors to maximise sales, profit and market share
• Review partner performance and recommend change where needed (including business transfers)
• Set and control pricing (subject to internal approval) and oversee brand/SKU launches

Logistics

• Input monthly demand forecasts and liaise with Export Customer Service and Logistics to ensure on-time fulfilment

About you

• Minimum 5 years' experience in international/export account management or international business development (FMCG essential)
• Proven track record building distributor-led business across Western & Eastern Europe (wider global exposure advantageous)
• Strong commercial acumen with confidence managing forecasts, budgets and profitability
• Solid marketing and brand-building capability; multi-channel FDM experience desirable
• Excellent communication, influencing, negotiation and presentation skills
• Self-starter with strong ownership, collaboration and project delivery discipline
• Proficient in MS Office; comfortable working with data and performance reporting
• Flexibility to travel frequently, often involving overnight stays
• Competitive salary (DOE)
• 9% company matched pension plan
• Health cash back plan
• 24 days annual leave + Bank Holidays (option to buy/sell up to 3 additional days)

All applicants will be assessed solely on their suitability for the role, without regard to age, gender, disability, ethnicity, religion, belief, or sexual orientation.