Director, Business Development - Lifestyle

Who We Are

Authentic Brands Group (Authentic) is a leading sports, media, entertainment and lifestyle platform. As the owner of some of the most iconic and beloved intellectual property in the world, Authentic acquires and invests in brands to create long-term value for all of its stakeholders.

A digital-first, asset-light platform, Authentic sits at the intersection of culture, commerce and technology. It brings brands to life and cultivates fandom through powerful storytelling, premium content and unforgettable live experiences. Together with nearly 2,000 best-in-class licensing partners across 150 countries and an expansive distribution network, Authentic’s brands drive more than $38 billion in annual systemwide retail sales worldwide.

Why Authentic

You’ll be able to access the resources and scale, while leveraging innovative technology and nimble environment. What we’re saying is, this isn’t your average day job. If you’re hungry to drive ideas into action and own your career, let’s chat. Our team is rapidly innovating to evolve and define the future of our brands. With the help of some of the brightest minds in retail, marketing, licensing, legal and more, we are building the intersection of digital and experiential marketing to help achieve that mission. We reimagine, evolve and transform brands! At Authentic, we foster an inclusive workplace where diversity of thought and expertise drive competitive advantage. Our global teams are built by go-getters who contribute unique perspectives and push the boundaries of creativity and innovation. Headquartered in New York City, Authentic has offices in major metropolitan cities including Los Angeles and Miami, as well as Toronto, Mexico City, London, and Shanghai.

What You’ll Do

As the Director, Business Development, Lifestyle - EMEA, you’ll be developing and executing strategies for expanding Authentic's base of licensing partnerships, increasing the footprint of the company’s brands, and ultimately delivering top-line revenue for the organisation. If you’re a strategic thinker with a creative spirit and are driven to win, we’d like to meet you. We’re proud to offer our BD Executives unlimited commission and are excited to welcome eager sellers to our team.

What you’ll be working on

Generate Qualified Leads

• Learn and understand Authentic’s brand strategies.
• Research the market and identify new licensing partners that map to your brand portfolio and meet Authentic's partner qualifications.
• Identify target contacts and decision makers inside target companies and establish contact via cold calling, email outreach, and other means, as necessary.

Build and Manage Sales Pipeline: 

• Continually drive prospects into leads through high-volume outbound sales activity.
• Utilise detailed discovery to learn about the prospect’s interests and capabilities.
• Partner with Business Development leadership and Brand Marketing to develop pitch decks that clearly align the brand value proposition with the prospect’s interests and capabilities.

Drive the Licensing Deal to Close:

• Work in partnership with the Brand Management and Business Development Leadership teams to develop business plans and formulate product licensing proposals.
• Lead and manage efficient and productive negotiations of deal terms, taking full ownership of the deal process.
• Assemble detailed term sheets with concise business terms. Work closely with legal counsel to draft licensing agreements.

Sales Management:

• Track sales activity in CRM consistently and accurately.
• Manage productive and goal-oriented deal processes.
• Prepare accurate sales forecasts per ABG’s sales reporting process.
• Prepare reports and presentations of sales performance as needed.
• Responsible for quota attainment in assigned business pillar

Compensation:

Sales Executives are eligible for Authentic's Uncapped Commission Plan. Commission is paid to Business Development Executives as royalty payments are received from the licensees with whom they closed deals – usually quarterly over the duration of the agreement.

Must Haves:

• Experience in new business development in licensing for Lifestyle, Sports, Fashion EMEA markets.
• Experience in full-cycle sales from lead generation through closing the deal
• Have knowledge and understanding of licensees and product categories
• Possess an eager demeanour with a fearless and professional drive to win; substantial cold calling and other forms of outreach are required
• Success at negotiating licensing contracts, creatively developing new business ideas
• Able to partner closely with licensees to understand their business needs and explore opportunities for growth.
• Understand licensing sales successes and challenges, key retail accounts, development plans and strategy
• Understand best practices for Licensees
• Has a bachelor’s degree
• Must be willing and able to travel occasionally as the role requires

Fraud Alert: Unauthorized Job Offers and Impersonations

We have been made aware of fraudulent job offers and interview requests being sent by individuals falsely claiming to represent Authentic. These scams are often initiated via email, employment websites and social media, and may include fake interview requests, offer letters or attempts to collect personal and financial information.

Please note:

• All legitimate Authentic job postings can be found only on our official website (authentic.com) or through our verified LinkedIn page (
• Authentic does not conduct interviews over Teams or Zoom without prior email correspondence from a verified @authentic.com email address.
• We will never ask you for sensitive personal information, payment or banking details as part of the hiring process.

If you believe you've been contacted by someone impersonating an Authentic team member, please report it immediately by emailing [email protected].

Authentic is an equal-opportunity employer and we value and embrace the diversity and inclusion of all Team Members. We do not discriminate on the basis of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, national origin, disability, age, marital status, protected veteran status, or other legally protected status.

For individuals with disabilities or religious obligations who would like to request an accommodation, please contact [email protected]

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