Head of Business Development

Jobstreet Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 150,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in market development is seeking a senior leader to define and lead business development and marketing strategies. This role involves managing market expansion initiatives, providing strategic input to executive leadership, and building relationships with key stakeholders. The ideal candidate has a Bachelor’s and preferably a Master’s degree, with 12-15 years of experience, including at least 5-7 years in senior leadership roles within F&B, Retail, or Hospitality sectors.

Qualifications

• 12-15 years of progressive experience in Business Development or Marketing roles.
• 5-7 years in a senior leadership role.
• Strong background in F&B, Retail, FMCG, or Hospitality.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead business development and marketing strategies.
• Provide strategic input on expansion plans and investment decisions.
• Own market expansion strategies and portfolio growth.
• Build and manage senior-level relationships with stakeholders.

Skills

Business Development

Market Expansion

Stakeholder Management

Financial Oversight

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration or related discipline

Master’s Degree (MBA or equivalent)

Job description

Define and lead long-term business development and marketing strategies aligned with corporate vision and growth objectives.

Provide strategic input to executive leadership and board on expansion plans, investment decisions, and market opportunities.

Establish governance frameworks, policies, and KPIs to ensure disciplined execution and performance accountability.

Business Growth & Market Expansion

• Own market expansion strategy including new market entry, portfolio growth, and optimisation of existing assets.
• Evaluate and approve business cases, feasibility studies, and ROI models for new developments and strategic initiatives.
• Lead high-value commercial negotiations with landlords, developers, and strategic partners.
• Drive portfolio optimisation initiatives including restructuring, relocation, and exit strategies for underperforming assets.
• Set overall brand vision and integrated marketing strategy to drive revenue, customer acquisition, and brand equity.
• Oversee ATL, BTL, digital, experiential, and local store marketing strategies across markets.
• Ensure marketing investments deliver measurable commercial outcomes through performance tracking and ROI optimisation.
• Champion innovation in brand communication, customer engagement, and go-to-market strategies.

Regional & Cross-Market Leadership

• Lead regional business development and marketing initiatives across KL City Center and Selangor.
• Ensure brand consistency while adapting strategies to local market conditions and consumer behaviour.
• Support market entry, organisational setup, and leadership capability development in new territories.

Stakeholder & Strategic Partnership Management

• Build and manage senior-level relationships with landlords, developers, franchise partners, media owners, and key suppliers.
• Identify, structure, and govern strategic partnerships, joint ventures, and co-branding opportunities.
• Represent the company in high-level negotiations, industry engagements, and strategic forums.

Financial & Performance Management

• Provide oversight on budgets, commercial terms, and marketing investments with strong cost and margin discipline.
• Monitor portfolio performance, revenue trends, and marketing effectiveness against agreed KPIs.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance profitability and operational efficiency.
• Lead, mentor, and develop senior managers and functional heads across business development and marketing.
• Build high-performing, collaborative teams with clear succession planning and leadership pipelines.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and commercial excellence.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Management, Economics, or a related discipline.
• Master’s Degree (MBA or equivalent) is highly preferred.
• Professional certifications in Strategy, Marketing, Commercial Management, or Leadership are an added advantage.
• Minimum 12–15 years of progressive experience in Business Development, Marketing, Commercial, or Growth roles.
• At least 5–7 years in a senior leadership role (Head / Director / Regional Lead level).
• Strong background in F&B, Retail, FMCG, Hospitality, or Consumer Brands.
• Proven experience managing multi-brand and/or regional portfolios.
• Exposure to board-level reporting and executive stakeholder engagement.