Vice President, Business Development

Job Description 

VP of Business Development will lead the highly visible development of Global Brand Partnerships, reporting to the EVP of Corporate Strategy & Business Development, and is a pivotal part of our Corporate Services leadership team.  This role requires close collaboration with senior leaders, all cross-functional departments, and Regions’ management teams to ensure that our new business strategies are not only brand-led, but also seamlessly integrated into our organization.  The VP will drive the identification, development, and execution of all Product Licensing, Franchise Operating, and other new venture partnership strategies.  This leader will negotiate commercial terms, ensuring that partnerships are revenue-maximizing, profit-generating, and in perfect sync with our brand DNA. 

Responsibilities include developing external 3rd party partnerships, negotiating contractual terms to drive brand-right business growth, providing foundational onboarding and immersive education for the brand and operational processes, and ultimately the integration of the partnership into the organization. As the most senior leader of the Development team, you'll need exceptional communication and influencing skills, particularly as you'll be partnering with various internal Brand stakeholders across Design, Merchandising, and Marketing as well as key Operations stakeholders within Finance, Supply Chain, Digital Technology, and Legal. Experience leading in a highly matrixed global brand-led enterprise organization and ensuring delivery of globally consistent Brand Experience is essential for success in this role. This would include managing the onboarding processes, ensuring successful operations, commercial terms, logistics, and sales performance.

The right candidate will be a proven leader, with excellent executive communication skills and the ability to inspire external partners and craft a vision of what is possible.  A strong understanding of business fundamentals and prior experience with an international retailer are a must.   In addition to your strategic acumen, a deep understanding of the competitive landscape, especially regarding brand and product development, is a must. We're looking for someone with a track record of successfully managing internal stakeholders and external strategic partnerships. 

This job is located at our Global Home Office in Columbus, Ohio.  
 

What Will You Be Doing? 

• Represent the company with product license and franchise partnerships, influencing strategic decisions 
• Develop brand-right partnerships to support company initiatives, drive market share, and ensure financial results 
• Collaborate with EVP Global Strategy and Chief Product Officer to enhance license portfolio and support long-term planning 
• Lead contract negotiations and execution with internal and external stakeholders 
• Monitor licensee financial performance and identify growth opportunities 
• Support transitions between in-house and licensed operations 
• Manage team to create an engaging, productive, and balanced work environment where team members are encouraged and motivated to collaborate and excel.
• Aid in development of new business model opportunities to supplement our Long-Range Plan, with a specific mandate to recommend when and how we should address these opportunities. 
• Build brand and regional strategies to help realize the ambitions of our corporate Long-Range Plan by providing market intelligence leadership informed by  market and competitor research
• Partner with our customer insights and analytics teams which oversee quantitative and qualitative customer research studies, omnichannel shopping analytics, and loyalty/CRM to derive and articulate actionable business recommendations for new and existing partnerships
• Negotiating partnership agreements to ensure the longevity and success of the partnerships.
• Lead the integration and implementation of new partners into the Abercrombie & Fitch organization. 
• Lead communication efforts to onboard new channels, advocate for new partners, and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders. Drive best practices, define solutions, and build consensus with Sales, Marketing, Product Management, and Merchandising to achieve goals and ensure alignment with sales objectives and channel profitability. 

What we are looking for: 

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively communicate complex information in a straightforward way to our Partners’ teams at various levels
• Demonstrated ability to engage with and influence decision-making at all levels of the organization (CEO, ELT, Brand, Operations, functional leaders and other functional counterparts).   
• Ability to work collaboratively and openly with cross-functional business partners in a non-hierarchical, ‘titles at the door’ business environment
• A lifelong learner who is eager to grow and innovate
• Entrepreneurial, self-starter who is comfortable with change and ambiguity and able to handle significant 

What Do You Need To Bring? 

• 10-15+ years of experience in brand development/product licensing and international growth, with a focus on retail, apparel, DTC brands, or ecommerce.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or a related field; MBA preferred
• Understands trends in retail, brand and apparel industry, aware of competitor strategies, knowledge of dynamics in both the US and a global business with globally distributed teams
• Experience in a highly strategic retail or brand organization with international markets and Wholesale, Franchise, Licensing retail business segments preferred
• Experience in global matrix organizations and contributing to globally networked projects. 
• Expertise in contract negotiation and operations management. Exposure to global operations and experience developing global business strategies
• Strong strategic, analytical, and implementation skills. 
• Tenacity and urgency in delivering growth and change plans. 
• Experience in growth, new business development, and market penetration initiatives. 
• Demonstrated business acumen and ability to develop and communicate creative strategies. 
• Exceptional leadership with the ability to inspire, motivate, and rally teams. 
• Outstanding interpersonal skills for influencing and collaborating effectively. 
• Proactive problem solver addressing strategic challenges. 
• Strong financial and legal acumen 
• Exceptional brand-building experience 
• Willingness to travel – international and domestic travel
   

Our Company 

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F Co.) is a global retailer of five iconic, omnichannel lifestyle brands catering to the kid through millennial customer: Abercrombie & Fitch, abercrombie kids, Hollister, Gilly Hicks and Social Tourist. At A&F Co., we’re here for our associates, customers and communities on the journey to being and becoming who they are – and because no journey is the same, we strive to create an inclusive culture, where everyone is free to share ideas.  

Our Values 

We lead with purpose and always put our people first, which is evidenced by our Great Place to Work™ Certification, as well as being a 2021 recipient of Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Retail, and named a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign for 16 consecutive years. We’re proud to offer equitable compensation and benefits, including flexibility and competitive Paid Time Off, as well as education and engagement events, including various Associate Resource Groups, volunteer opportunities and additional time off to give back to our global communities.  

What You'll Get

As an Abercrombie & Fitch Co. (A&F Co.) associate, you’ll be eligible to participate in a variety of benefit programs designed to fit you and your lifestyle. A&F is committed to providing simple, competitive, and comprehensive benefits that align with our Company’s culture and values, but most importantly – with you! We also provide competitive incentives to reward the commitment our associates have for moving our global business forward:  

• Incentive bonus program
• 401(K) savings plan with company match
• Annual companywide review process
• Flexible spending accounts
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life and disability insurance
• Associate assistance program
• Paid parental and adoption leave
• Access to fertility and adoption benefits through Carrot
• Access to mental health and wellness app, Headspace
• Paid Caregiver Leave
• Mobile Stipend
• Paid time off & one paid volunteer day per year, allowing you to give back to your community
• Work from anywhere (Mondays and Fridays are “work from anywhere” days for most roles & six work from anywhere weeks per year)
• Seven associate wellness half days per year
• Onsite fitness center
• Merchandise discount on all of our brands
• Opportunities for career advancement, we believe in promoting from within
• Access to multiple Associate Resource Groups
• Global team of people who will celebrate you for being YOU!

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH CO. IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER