Business Development Manager

SBH Fashion; New York (NY); On-site; USD 102,000 - 138,000; Full time

Job summary

SBH Fashion is seeking a Business Development Manager to expand the brand’s global footprint through licensing, collaborations, and strategic partnerships. You will work closely with executive, brand management, creative and licensing teams to build long-term, commercially successful partnerships.

You will identify opportunities across apparel, accessories, beauty, home and lifestyle categories, negotiate terms, and manage partnerships from outreach to onboarding, including international

Qualifications

• 8–10 years of experience in business development, brand licensing, wholesale, or strategic partnerships.
• Established relationships with licensees, distributors, major retailers and industry partners.
• Proven track record of originating, negotiating and closing commercial agreements.
• Strong understanding of licensing economics, including royalties and territory rights.
• Experience developing international markets and cross-border partnerships.
• Ability to identify opportunities across multiple brands and product categories.
• Highly organized, entrepreneurial, and able to manage multiple transactions.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally.

Responsibilities

• Identify, develop and secure new licensing opportunities across apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty, home and lifestyle categories.
• Prospect and engage prospective licensees across domestic and international markets.
• Lead negotiations on royalties, minimum guarantees, territories, product categories and distribution rights.
• Develop strategic licensing plans identifying category gaps, market opportunities and potential partners for each brand.
• Manage the business development pipeline from outreach through negotiation, contract execution and partner onboarding.
• Identify and secure strategic brand collaborations and co-branded partnerships.
• Develop relationships with fashion brands, entertainment companies, cultural platforms and other potential collaborators.
• Work alongside creative and marketing teams to evaluate collaboration opportunities and ensure alignment with brand positioning and target consumer.
• Serve as liaison between licensing partners and major retail accounts to expand distribution.
• Identify international distribution partnerships and market-entry strategies.
• Manage agents and oversee relationships across territories.
• Monitor deal activity and evaluate agent effectiveness against targets.

Skills

Business development

Brand licensing

Wholesale

International distribution

Negotiation

Strategic partnerships

Travel willingness

Job description

Business Development Manager

Working closely with the executive, brand management, creative and licensing teams, this individual will play a key role in expanding the global footprint of the brand’s portfolio while building long-term, commercially successful partnerships.

Licensing & Strategic Partnerships

• Identify, develop and secure new licensing opportunities across apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty, home and other lifestyle categories.
• Prospect and engage prospective licensees across domestic and international markets.
• Lead commercial negotiations, including royalty rates, minimum guarantees, territories, product categories and distribution rights.
• Develop strategic licensing plans that identify category gaps, market opportunities and potential partners for each brand.
• Manage the business development pipeline from initial outreach through negotiation, contract execution and partner onboarding.

Brand Collaborations & Special Projects

• Identify and secure strategic brand collaborations, capsule collections and co-branded partnerships that drive brand awareness and incremental revenue.
• Develop relationships with fashion brands, entertainment companies, cultural platforms and other potential collaborators.
• Work alongside creative and marketing teams to evaluate collaboration opportunities and ensure alignment with each brand's positioning and target consumer.
• Negotiate commercial terms and coordinate with internal teams to bring partnerships from concept to execution.

Key Retail Account Development

• Serve as a key liaison between licensing partners and major retail accounts to facilitate product placement and expand distribution.
• Leverage existing relationships with department stores, specialty retailers, e-commerce platforms and other strategic retail channels.
• Identify new retail opportunities and make targeted introductions to support licensee sales and brand expansion.
• Work with licensees to develop retail strategies, identify priority accounts and coordinate presentations to prospective buyers.
• Maintain visibility into key retail relationships, upcoming launches and opportunities across the portfolio.

International Distribution & Market Expansion

• Identify, negotiate and secure international distribution partnerships across priority markets, including Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.
• Develop market-entry strategies, identifying the appropriate distribution, licensing or retail model for each territory.
• Build and maintain relationships with international distributors, regional retail groups and commercial partners.
• Coordinate with existing licensees to facilitate wholesale opportunities and ensure alignment on territory rights, product availability and pricing.
• Support international partners in identifying key retail accounts and expanding their local distribution networks.

Agent Management & Development

• Serve as the primary point of contact for the brand’s network of domestic and international licensing and sales agents, overseeing relationships and coordinating business development activities across territories.
• Establish clear commercial objectives, revenue targets and strategic priorities for each agent, ensuring alignment with the overall growth strategy of each brand.
• Manage agent pipelines, review prospective opportunities and oversee the progression of licensing, collaboration and distribution deals from introduction through execution.
• Coordinate with agents on commercial negotiations, partner introductions and market expansion opportunities, serving as the key liaison between agents and internal teams.
• Conduct regular performance reviews, monitor deal activity and evaluate agent effectiveness against established targets.
• Identify, recruit and onboard new agents in priority markets to expand the brand’s global network and accelerate business development.

Qualifications & Experience

• 8-10 years of experience in business development, brand licensing, wholesale, international distribution or strategic partnerships, preferably within fashion, accessories or lifestyle.
• Established relationships with licensees, distributors, major retailers and other relevant industry partners.
• Demonstrated experience originating, negotiating and closing commercial agreements.
• Strong understanding of licensing economics, including royalty structures, minimum guarantees and territory rights.
• Experience developing international markets and working with cross-border commercial partners.
• Ability to identify opportunities across multiple brands and product categories while maintaining distinct brand positioning.
• Strong commercial judgment, negotiation skills and financial acumen.
• Highly organized, entrepreneurial and comfortable managing multiple transactions simultaneously.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required.

Salary

$120,000 + Commission