Development Manager jobs in United Kingdom

With our recent transition into a primarily digital brand, we're revolutionising the online department store experience. In 2024, we have over 10,000 brands and have expanded into multiple new categories, providing unparalleled opportunities for retailers, brands and manufacturers to showcase their products to millions of customers through one of the UK's most recognisable brands. The most exciting thing is that we're just getting started! Join us in shaping the future of fashion, beauty, and home retailing - together, we'll redefine the shopping experience for generations to come.

We are looking for a Business Development Manager to join our Marketplace team and help us expand our clientele. You will focus on growing and scaling our partner portfolio across all categories. You will report into the Head of Community and lead a team of associates & assistants with even further growth on the horizon. You will be the front of the company you and will have the dedication and passion to create and develop strong relationships with new partners. You will be identifying, negotiating, and providing support to new sellers onto Debenhams.

As an established and much-loved household name, you know all about our high street roots and bricks and mortar stores. In some way shape or form we've always had a concessionary offering. Now, we're looking to the future. We have over 10,000 partners live on our site and constantly striving for more becoming the number one destination for fashion, beauty, and home. Our growing marketplace proposition plays a crucial role in fulfilling our vision. That's why we need you. The team's mission is to make Brand Partners successful on Debenhams and for us to be the Brand Partner of choice.

• Front line representation of the business to prospective seller partners and service providers
• Identifying brand gaps and hunting strategies across multiple categories
• Responsible for outreach/ negotiation: Promoting the company and signing of new partners/ sellers.
• Work closely with Aggregator partners and service providers, building joint growth plans.
• Identify business levers/ automation/ processes to accelerate category and brand signing acceleration & overall marketplace turn over.
• Build and/or improve scalable processes and implement them in community development daily operations.
• Liaise with the Onboarding and Account Management teams to successfully transition sellers from signed to full launch
• Coordinate seller/ category growth projects across various Debenhams business functions (legal, finance, IT, ecommerce, supply chain, operations, tech) and communicate with internal and external parties, while meeting tight deadlines for high visibility projects.
• Attend trade fairs/Marketplace Seminars/ Presenting at Lunch and Learns and conferences etc
• Manage, train and mentor the team- ensure everyone is meeting their KPIs and Goals

• Experienced business development manager with exposure to marketplace ideally or brand/category management in ecommerce or consulting background.
• Can-do' entrepreneurial attitude
• Strong commercial awareness and a good understanding of retail is beneficial.
• Exceptional communication skills to build productive relationships with a history of establishing key partnerships and influencing at senior stakeholder level.
• Experience in managing a team with strong leadership skills
• Ability to manage the detail as well as the bigger picture, especially by working collaboratively as a team and being a team player at all costs.

Please take note of our PACTT Behaviours to enable us to build our culture the way we like to:

• Passion - Positivity, commitment, and a can-do mindset.
• Agile - Embrace change, act fast, and stay flexible.
• Commercial - Trust instincts, make bold choices, and use data to drive actions.
• Creative - Think outside the box, bring new ideas, and embrace initiative.
• Team - One team, one family - appreciate and support each other.

• You'll get the opportunity to take part in our various share schemes
• Core hours enable you to flex your working times around your needs on an ad hoc basis
• Benefits that support your health and wellbeing
• There's up to 40% discount off our all of our brands
• Our social calendar? Next level
• With HQs in Manchester and London and offices across the globe (some are dog friendly!), we offer a buzzing atmosphere and the boohoo family culture wherever you work