Senior Manager - Business Development - Retail Expansion

Location: Mumbai

Function: Business Development / Retail Expansion

Experience Required: 10-15 years

Employment Type: Full-time

Role Overview

We are seeking a strategic and execution-focused Senior Manager - Business Development to lead retail expansion and drive new store rollouts across key markets. The ideal candidate will have strong exposure to location strategy, real estate negotiations, project management, and cross-functional leadership within the lifestyle, fashion, or apparel sector.

This is a high-impact role that directly shapes the brand's offline footprint and long-term growth.

Key Responsibilities

1. Retail Expansion Strategy

- Identify and evaluate potential retail locations across major cities (high-street, malls, premium retail clusters).

- Develop and maintain a robust pipeline of new store opportunities aligned with brand and business goals.

- Conduct market scans, feasibility studies, and competition benchmarking.

- Negotiate and finalize lease agreements ensuring commercial viability and strategic placement.

2. End-to-End Project Management

- Lead the full store development cycle-from site selection to launch.

- Coordinate with architects, contractors, and external vendors to ensure timely and cost-effective fit-outs.

- Manage project budgets, timelines, procurement, and quality control.

- Collaborate with internal teams (design, VM, operations, IT, and marketing) to ensure seamless pre-opening readiness.

3. Analytics & Reporting

- Build and monitor KPIs related to capex efficiency, store performance, and new location viability.

- Present insights, risks, and recommendations to leadership.

- Track project timelines, costs, and deviations with transparency.

Candidate Profile:

Must-Have Qualifications:

- 10-15 years of experience in retail expansion, business development, or project management within lifestyle, fashion, or apparel categories.

- Proven track record in lease negotiations and signing high-value real estate deals.

- Hands-on experience in store rollouts, fit-out management, and vendor coordination.

- Strong relationships with mall developers, IPCs, real estate consultants, and retail property partners.

- Excellent project management, financial acumen, and stakeholder management skills.

Good-to-Have:

- Exposure to D2C or omnichannel retail.

- Experience in scaling retail footprints for high-growth brands.

- Franchise development exposure.

Personal Attributes:

- Strategic thinker with strong execution capability.

- Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.

- Detail-oriented, organized, and deadline-driven.

- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.