Head of Brand Sales & Marketing

Summary

At [Employer hidden], we are seeking an entrepreneurial and visionary leader to take on the role of ‘Head of Brands Sales & Marketing’, focused on our licensed and direct brands portfolio. This role will be based in the Next Head Office in Leicester, UK, with frequent travel required to Market Harborough and London. If you are a professional seeking an opportunity to excel in one of the fastest-growing sectors within the Next Group, this role presents an exciting prospect. In this capacity, you will lead a team of Sales Managers.

The Role

We are looking for a passionate and experienced leader to head our License & Direct Brands Sales team, driving growth and partnerships exclusively for licensed and direct brands, while excluding the Next-owned brand. Some of our existing licence partner brands include Ted Baker Kids, All Saints Kids, Ted Baker Women’s Non Clothing, Little Bird, Clarks Kids, Laura Ashley Women’s & Women’s Non Clothing and existing direct & partner brands include The Set, Joules, Victoria’s Secret, Gap Kids, Jojo Maman Bebe and Reiss. As the ‘Head of Brands Sales & Marketing’ you will be at the forefront of driving’ [Employer hidden] Brands’ sales, by marketing our offers to both existing and potential new brand clients. This is an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact and be an integral part of our growth story.

What You’ll Take On

• Formulating and executing effective sales and marketing strategies that will drive sales forward for our company.
• Leading a team of Sales Managers, monitoring sales performance and providing guidance, motivation and support to improve results.
• Tracking and analysing sales targets to measure the effectiveness, identifying areas for improvement, and reporting to senior management.
• Leading the promotion of [Employer hidden]’s offerings, and providing ongoing updates to existing and potential brand clients, clearly communicating our capabilities, value proposition, and competitive advantages to drive engagement and growth.
• Engage in frequent travel to Market Harborough and London to meet with customers, clearly communicating our product capabilities and strengths.
• Effectively manage and cultivate relationships with our customers & sourcing offices, ensuring their ongoing satisfaction and success.
• Provide leadership and oversight on customer and sourcing office exceptions, ensuring a solutions-focused approach to issue resolution while maintaining overall accountability and influencing stakeholders to deliver successful outcomes.
• Leading the sales teams in collaborating closely with sourcing teams to ensure product feasibility, accurate costing, and timely delivery.
• Keep up-to-date with industry trends, market dynamics, and emerging technologies to stay ahead of the competition and adapt strategies accordingly.
• Inspiring, mentoring, and developing your team to reach their full potential.

What You’ll Bring

• Proven experience in leading brand partnerships and sales teams, with strong negotiation and communication skills.
• A deep understanding of sourcing and manufacturing operations, including product development, production processes, garment costing, production timelines, and factory-level constraints.
• Strong negotiation and communication skills, which are essential for fostering successful collaborations and alliances.
• Outstanding analytical and strategic thinking abilities to identify and capitalise on market opportunities.
• The ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, working collaboratively with diverse teams.
• Exceptional organisational and project management skills to ensure successful execution of initiatives.
• Passion for brands, market trends, and innovation, with a track record of delivering growth.

This is an exciting opportunity to take overall accountability for both driving sales and shaping marketing strategy, while leading a talented team at the forefront of [Employer hidden] Brands growth.

Sponsorship

Candidates wishing to apply who would require sponsorship for this role will be required to meet the Home Office sponsorship requirements. For further information please see: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.

*We encourage early applications for our roles, as our recruitment process begins as soon as the role is advertised. If we successfully fill the position, this advert may close earlier than planned.*

#LI-Onsite

Benefits

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Profit-related bonus - based on company performance
• Management share options
• Company car or car allowance
• Private medical insurance
• Sharesave scheme - make savings from your net pay to buy NEXT shares at a discount
• Pension - fixed contribution rates from both an employer and employee perspective, but you're also able to make additional voluntary contributions (AVCs) if you wish to save more.
• Life assurance
• Group income protection
• Wagestream - helping you make the most out of your money
• Salary finance - offers access to affordable loans repaid through salary, simple savings and free financial education.
• 25% staff discount on most NEXT products - plus discount on other products
• Direct to work - NEXT orders delivered free to the office for collection
• VIP sale - early access to the NEXT sale
• Access to NEXT staff shops
• Octopus energy - like cycle-to-work, but for electric vehicles
• Free parking (excluding London locations)
• Travel2NEXT - bus services dependent on location
• On site dining facilities (excluding London locations)
• National and local discounts on goods and services - this includes things like discounted cinema tickets
• Wellhub - includes access to discounted gym membership
• Simply health - a healthcare subscription service
• Aviva Digicare Workplace+ healthcare service - 7 Free services including Digital GP appointments and an annual health check.
• Onsite GP - Leicester Head Office
• Onsite Physio - Leicester Head Office
• A range of dedicated 3rd party wellbeing partners
• Free eye testing - voucher to use at specific locations

Conditions apply to all benefits. These benefits are discretionary and subject to change.

We aim to support all candidates during the application process and are happy to provide workplace adjustments when necessary. Should you need support with your application due to a disability or long-term condition, feel free to get in touch with us by email [contact hidden] (please include 'Workplace Adjustments' in the subject line), or call us on [contact hidden] and leave a voicemail.

What's Next?

Apply

Show us what you can do. Submit your application online and our recruitment team will take a first look at your experience and strengths.

Inform

Let’s talk. We will get in touch for an initial conversation by phone or video to learn more about you and share what the team is looking for.

Review

If you are invited to an interview, you may be asked to present an interview task or portfolio and talk through your experience in a competency based interview. It is also your chance to ask questions and get to know us.

Offer

If it’s the right match, our recruitment team will be in touch with a job offer and next steps. This is where your journey with NEXT begins.

Team Overview

This is where ideas become incredible collections. Designers, Buyers, Merchandisers, and Technologists collaborate to create products our customers love. You'll spot global trends, strategically balance our range plans and meticulously test quality so every season feels fresh, inspiring and exceptional.

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Our brands

You’ve probably heard of NEXT, but did you know about our portfolio? Every brand in our offering brings a distinct story, attitude and community. Spanning contemporary lifestyle brands, established high street names and timeless collections, together they showcase the vibrancy of today’s retail world.

About NEXT

You know Next, but did you know we’re a FTSE-100 retail company employing over 35,000 people across the UK and Ireland. We’re the UK’s 2nd largest fashion retailer and for Kidswear we’re the market leader. At the last count we have over 500 stores, plus the Next Online and it’s now possible to buy on-line from over 70 countries around the world! So we’ve gone global!