Head of Business Development

Yee Lee Group; Johor Bahru; On-site; MYR 200,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

Yee Lee Group in Johor Bahru/Kuala Lumpur is seeking a senior Business Development leader to drive the company’s growth strategy and new opportunities in FMCG channels and partnerships.

You will build business cases, lead commercial negotiations and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver profitable initiatives and expansions across markets and channels.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Finance, Economics, Commerce or related discipline.
• Approximately 8-12 years of relevant commercial experience.
• Strong experience in one or more areas: Business Development, Commercial Strategy, Sales, Strategic Partnerships, Market Development, Distribution, New Business / New Ventures.
• Preferably 3-5 years of people-management or functional leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall business development strategy and growth planning.
• Identify and develop new growth opportunities aligned with the company's objectives.
• Build strategic partnerships with customers, distributors and principals.
• Develop business cases, feasibility assessments and commercial proposals.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration with Sales, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain and Operations.
• Monitor opportunity pipeline and performance of new initiatives.

Skills

Business Development

Commercial Strategy

Sales

Strategic Partnerships

Market Development

Distribution

New Ventures

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

POSITION TO BE BASED IN: JOHOR BHARU/KL

About the Role

• Lead the overall Business Development function and growth strategy.
• Identify and develop new business opportunities that support the company's long-term growth objectives.
• Evaluate opportunities across new markets, channels, products, partnerships and business models.
• Build strategic partnerships with customers, distributors, principals and other business partners.
• Develop business cases and commercial proposals for new growth initiatives.
• Work closely with senior management and cross-functional teams to convert opportunities into sustainable and profitable businesses.
• Balance strategic planning, commercial analysis, relationship management and hands-on business development.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development Strategy & Planning

• Develop and lead the overall business development strategy.
• Identify new growth opportunities aligned with the company's business objectives.
• Develop short-term and long-term business development plans.
• Identify opportunities across:
• New markets.
• New channels.
• New customer segments.
• New products and categories.
• Strategic partnerships.
• Distribution opportunities.
• New business models.
• Assess industry trends, market developments and competitive activities.
• Develop market-entry and go-to-market strategies for new business opportunities.
• Present business opportunities and recommendations to senior management.

New Business & Opportunity Development

• Identify, evaluate and prioritize potential business opportunities.
• Build a structured pipeline of new business opportunities.
• Develop business cases, feasibility assessments and commercial proposals.
• Evaluate potential revenue, profitability, investment requirements and risks.
• Lead commercial discussions with potential customers and business partners.
• Negotiate commercial terms and partnership arrangements.
• Convert viable opportunities into executable business plans.
• Monitor new initiatives from concept through implementation and commercialization.

Strategic Partnerships & Business Relationships

• Identify and develop relationships with potential strategic partners.
• Build strong relationships with key customers, distributors, principals and other business partners.
• Explore collaboration opportunities that can expand the company's market presence.
• Lead commercial negotiations for new partnerships and business arrangements.
• Maintain strong relationships with existing strategic partners.
• Identify opportunities to expand existing partnerships into new categories, channels or markets.
• Represent the company in relevant business discussions, networking activities and industry engagements.

Market & Commercial Analysis

• Conduct market assessments to identify growth opportunities.
• Analyse market size, competitive landscape, customer trends and industry developments.
• Assess the commercial attractiveness of potential markets, products and partnerships.
• Develop revenue, margin and profitability projections for new opportunities.
• Evaluate potential investment requirements and expected returns.
• Translate market and commercial data into actionable business recommendations.
• Monitor the performance of newly developed businesses and initiatives.

Business Case & Financial Evaluation

• Develop comprehensive business cases for proposed initiatives.
• Establish clear commercial assumptions, investment requirements and expected financial returns.
• Work closely with Finance to evaluate:
• Revenue potential.
• Gross profit.
• Operating costs.
• Investment requirements.
• Break-even period.
• ROI.
• Conduct scenario and sensitivity analysis where required.
• Recommend whether opportunities should be pursued, modified or discontinued.
• Monitor actual performance against approved business cases.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Work closely with Sales, Marketing, Trade Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain and Operations.
• Coordinate the implementation of approved business development initiatives.
• Ensure new opportunities are operationally and financially feasible.
• Align commercial opportunities with supply chain and operational capabilities.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration during new product, channel or market launches.
• Act as the key coordinator between external business partners and internal stakeholders.
• Ensure clear ownership, timelines and deliverables for strategic initiatives.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and manage the Business Development team.
• Set clear objectives, priorities and performance expectations.
• Coach and develop team members.
• Build team capability in:
• Opportunity identification.
• Market research.
• Commercial analysis.
• Business-case development.
• Financial evaluation.
• Partnership management.
• Negotiation.
• Project management.
• Establish clear KPIs for business development activities and outcomes.
• Build a commercially driven and opportunity-focused Business Development function.

Business Performance & Governance

• Establish measurable KPIs for new business initiatives.
• Track opportunity pipeline, conversion and business performance.
• Monitor the financial performance of newly launched initiatives.
• Conduct regular reviews of business development projects.
• Identify potential commercial, operational and financial risks.
• Recommend corrective actions when initiatives are not achieving expected results.
• Provide regular business development updates and recommendations to senior management.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Finance, Economics, Commerce or related discipline.
• Approximately 8-12 years of relevant commercial experience, preferably within the FMCG, consumer goods, distribution or related industries.
• Strong experience in one or more of the following areas:
• Business Development.
• Commercial Strategy.
• Sales.
• Strategic Partnerships.
• Market Development.
• Distribution.
• New Business / New Ventures.
• Preferably 3-5 years of people-management or functional leadership experience.
• Strong understanding of the Malaysian FMCG and distribution landscape.
• Proven experience identifying and developing new business opportunities.
• Strong experience in commercial negotiation and partnership development.
• Experience preparing business cases, financial projections and commercial proposals.
• Strong understanding of revenue, margin, profitability, ROI and investment evaluation.
• Strong analytical and strategic-thinking capabilities.
• Ability to convert opportunities into practical and executable business plans.
• Strong stakeholder-management and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Strong networking, relationship-management and negotiation skills.
• Strong leadership and team-development capabilities.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Strategic thinker with strong commercial acumen and hands‑on execution capability.

Why Join Us

• Lead the Business Development function within an established FMCG organisation.
• Play a key role in identifying and building the company's next areas of growth.
• Influence new market, channel, product and partnership strategies.
• Work closely with senior management and cross‑functional business leaders.
• Build strategic relationships with key customers, partners and industry stakeholders.
• Lead the development of new revenue streams and commercial opportunities.
• Develop and strengthen Business Development capabilities within the organisation.
• Play a key role in driving sustainable and profitable long‑term business growth.