Senior Director, Retail Business Development – Entertainment

Overview

In this role you will lead retail business development for Authentic’s Entertainment portfolio in the EMEAI region, shaping wholesale partnerships and DTR licensing. You will work with Brand Management and cross-functional teams to align retail initiatives with brand strategy, onboard and manage licensee relationships, and drive rapid growth across distribution channels. You will analyze performance data and collaborate with Marketing, Finance and Legal to craft innovative strategies that expand brand reach. This position offers a high-impact opportunity to influence retailer collaboration and multi-year partnerships in a fast-paced, global environment.

Responsibilities

• Establish and grow relationships with retailers to advance Authentic’s brand portfolio
• Develop and negotiate Direct-to-Retail licensing opportunities to drive category and geography growth
• Enhance growth across retail functions such as customer experience, loyalty, product, and merchandising
• Collaborate with licensees to unlock new retail opportunities and broaden distribution
• Prepare data analyses and present insights to retailers
• Conduct regular sales performance reviews and analyze analytics (sell-through, on-order, best-sellers, advertising)
• Coordinate with Marketplaces team to align retail and marketplace development strategies across brands
• Support day-to-day needs of licensee partnerships and onboard new retailer partners
• Manage end-to-end sales cycles and complex multi-year partnership negotiations
• Create client presentations and maintain robust account management processes

Key requirements

• Experience in business development within a fast-growth organization
• Proven relationships with key retail accounts
• Ability to independently engage decision-makers to close complex deals
• Track record of negotiating and closing complex partnerships
• Strong attention to detail, organization, and execution
• Consumer-focused mindset with ability to develop creative business ideas
• Results-oriented with clear targets and metrics
• Experience outlining sales cycles, handling objections, and identifying qualified partners
• Experience negotiating, structuring, and closing multi-year partnerships
• Proven success in achieving sales or business development goals
• Ability to ideate and implement detailed BD strategies and meet deadlines
• Experience in account management and creating client presentations

• relationship management
• creativity in business ideation
• attention to detail
• retail analytics
• data presentation
• sales cycle management

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