Overview

As the Business Development Manager for Wanderlust + Co, you will be responsible for driving the company’s growth across new markets, business channels, and physical retail presence. This includes identifying and executing strategic opportunities such as new store openings, partnerships, collaborations, and cross-functional initiatives. You will also oversee retail performance at a strategic level, ensuring alignment with brand and business goals.

The ideal candidate is commercially minded, proactive, and solution-oriented — someone who can work independently while collaborating with key departments to turn strategy into results. You should be confident leading projects, spotting opportunities, and making data-informed decisions to grow the business.

40% - Business Development & Expansion

• Identify and develop new revenue streams including pop-ups, new store formats, third-party platforms, and wholesale channels.
• Evaluate and lead partnerships, collaborations, and market entry opportunities in alignment with brand growth plans.
• Build business cases and manage execution plans for new ventures — including forecasting, investment models, and go-to-market strategies.
• Stay ahead of competitor and category trends, identifying actionable growth opportunities.

35% - Cross-Functional Projects & Commercial Planning

• Drive and manage high-impact projects across departments (e.g. store openings, partnership launches, retail innovations).
• Work closely with the MD and department leads on budget planning, pricing strategies, and resource allocation.
• Monitor commercial performance (sales, margin, sell-through), recommending data-driven actions to optimize results.
• Facilitate collaboration across retail, marketing, product, and operations — ensuring timely execution and cross-team accountability.

25% - Retail Strategy & Performance Oversight

• Oversee retail channel performance with a focus on strategic KPIs, team development, and long-term store planning.
• Partner with store leadership to uphold service standards, staff training frameworks, and operational excellence.
• Use retail insights to inform wider business decisions including customer experience, assortment planning, and service upgrades.
• Visit stores as needed to gather on-ground feedback and ensure HQ and frontline alignment.

Minimum Qualifications

• 6–10 years in business development, retail expansion, or commercial strategy roles — ideally in a consumer-facing industry.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience in financial modeling, new market analysis, and strategic partnerships.
• Project leadership skills — able to drive cross-department initiatives with clarity and urgency.
• Confident decision-maker with a proactive, entrepreneurial mindset.
• Experience in retail is a plus but not mandatory if you bring strong commercial growth experience.
• Digitally savvy and fluent in using data to inform business decisions.
• Fluent in English with strong written and verbal communication skills.

Location

Kuala Lumpur