European Business Development Manager

For a quarter of a century, the Jellycat family have brought joy, wonder and playful fun to people of all ages, in every part of the world. Utterly original and in a class of their own, they are currently among the most loved and collected toys of their kind. How has this gentle tribe endeared themselves to so many? Perhaps it is their whimsical expressions. Or the deliciously soft fabrics. Or the beautiful way in which they sit in your hand. Whatever it is, there is something magical and unmistakeable about each one of them.

As we continue to significantly grow our EU business, we have identified the need for a strategic Business Development Manager to join the growing EU Sales Team.

As part of the rapid expansion/growth plan over the next 5 years our Head of EU Sales and Chief Commercial Officer will need support in identifying and researching new business opportunities and developing and implementing our go-to-market sales strategies.

Reporting directly into the Head of EU Sales (based in the UK Head Office), you’ll be responsible for all EU distributors, main focus being the Nordics, as well as growing all EU regions excluding DACH and France. Unlocking all untapped growth opportunities via luxury & premium channels on & offline, including in-store branding executions, pop-up activations and shop in shop installations . Working closely with your account managers, distributors, agents and Marketing team building the brand for long-term future growth and ensuring longevity.

You'll be;

• Building and executing a clear strategic plan for the Nordic region in line with Jellycats pillars of growth
• Working closely with the Head of EU Sales to develop a 5 year growth strategy for key regions Italy, Benelux and Iberia
• Setting goals and monitoring progress and performance of agents and Key accounts in each region
• Identifying key market retailers and new business opportunities, assigning clear objectives and timelines to your team
• Project managing the execution and delivery of shop-in-shop executions, pop-up’s and brand activations
• Working cross functionally with the UK/ROW/USA/CN teams to share best practice across the business
• Working with your team to build out robust go-to-market plans for each pillar of our Brand – Loveables, Amuseables, Accessories, Baby and Books
• Presenting monthly/quarterly/annual strategy performance updates back to the Head of EU Sales and the Leadership Team
• Analysing market trends, competitor activities and customer and consumer needs
• An integral part of the EU sales leadership team – working closely with the Head of EU Sales, Chief Commercial Officer and Country Managers (France & DACH) to explore and maximise the opportunities for Jellycat

You'll have;

• Minimum of 5 years international sales experience (ideally in the EU/Nordic markets)
• Team management experience
• Experience or knowledge of Luxury Brand positioning
• Excellent Powerpoint and Excel skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential
• A collaborative approach with much face to face interaction with the team
• Ability to be creative, tactical and able to influence across all areas of the business and all levels of management
• Ideally has experience within a Luxury brand to understand the premium positioning
• P&L Knowledge
• Additional EU/Nordic language desirable, not essential