Location: Beirut, Lebanon

Company: Samer Khouzami Cosmetics (SKC)

About Samer Khouzami Cosmetics

Samer Khouzami Cosmetics is a premium beauty brand built on artistry, innovation and uncompromising quality. Since its launch, the brand has established a growing international footprint through premium distributors and strategic retail partnerships, with an ambitious vision to become one of the leading prestige beauty brands originating from the Middle East.

As the company enters its next stage of growth, we are looking for an experienced business development professional who can identify the right partners, open new markets and advance opportunities into sustainable distribution agreements across the GCC.

Position Overview

The Business Development & Market Entry Manager – GCC will be responsible for identifying, approaching and qualifying potential distributors and strategic partners across priority GCC markets.

The role requires a proactive relationship builder with strong regional connections, persuasive negotiation skills and the persistence to progress opportunities from initial contact through to signed agreement.

The successful candidate must also have practical operations and supply-chain experience. This will enable them to properly assess prospective distributors and coordinate the operational requirements of entering new markets, including product registration, importation, logistics, forecasting and launch readiness.

The role will collaborate closely with the Commercial Manager to ensure new partnership opportunities are aligned with the company’s commercial objectives and can be successfully transitioned into sustainable market growth.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development

• Identify and approach potential distributors and strategic retail partners across the GCC.
• Build and maintain a qualified pipeline of new business opportunities.
  
• Leverage existing regional connections to reach owners, senior executives and key decisionmakers.
  
• Introduce and present Samer Khouzami Cosmetics to prospective partners.
  
• Generate opportunities proactively rather than relying solely on inbound interest.
  
• Maintain structured and persistent follow-up throughout the development process.
  
• Advance qualified opportunities from initial engagement through to formal partnership discussions.
  
• Represent the company at distributor meetings, industry events and relevant trade exhibitions

Distributor Assessment and Due Diligence

• Conduct structured evaluations of prospective distributors, including:
  • Market coverage and retail network
  • Prestige beauty and cosmetics experience
  • Existing brand portfolio and potential conflicts
  • Financial strength and business reputation
  • Sales, marketing, beauty-advisor and training capabilities
  • Warehousing and logistics infrastructure
  • Importation and product-registration capabilities
  • Forecasting, reporting and replenishment processes
  
• Assess whether prospective partners can support the brand commercially and operationally.
  
• Identify potential financial, operational or reputational risks.
  
• Prepare distributor assessment reports and partnership recommendations.
  
• Present findings to the Founder & CEO in collaboration with the Commercial Manager.

Partnership Development and Deal Progression

• Build strong relationships with prospective distributors and retail partners.
  
• Coordinate meetings, presentations, information requests and follow-up actions.
  
• Understand each prospective partner’s needs, capabilities and expectations.
  
• Support the development of partnership proposals in collaboration with the Commercial Manager.
  
• Lead relationship management and deal progression throughout the acquisition process.
  
• Participate in negotiations concerning territory, exclusivity, commitments, payment conditions and performance requirements.
  
• Ensure proposed terms remain aligned with the company’s approved pricing, margins and commercial framework.
  
• Coordinate internal approvals, documentation and contract finalization.
  
• Maintain momentum until the partnership is formally concluded.

Market Entry and Operational Readiness

• Assess the operational requirements of entering each proposed market.
  
• Evaluate product-registration, importation, customs, warehousing and logistics requirements.
  
• Verify that selected distributors have the necessary infrastructure and capabilities.
  
• Coordinate the operational setup required for new market launches.
  
• Support initial product assortments, opening forecasts and orders, registration plans, stock requirements, launch timelines and operational responsibilities.
  
• Establish clear market-entry checklists and launch milestones.
  
• Identify operational risks that may affect product availability, launch timing or execution.
  
• Coordinate with distributors, manufacturers, warehouses and relevant service providers.
  
• Support distributor onboarding and ensure operational readiness before launch.
  
• Complete a structured transition to the Commercial Manager for ongoing commercial management following launch.

Success Measures – First 12 Months

• Build a qualified pipeline of prospective GCC distributors.
  
• Establish access to relevant owners and senior decision-makers.
  
• Progress qualified opportunities into formal partnership discussions.
  
• Complete comprehensive due diligence on shortlisted distributors.
  
• Secure new distribution agreements within approved company parameters.
  
• Expand the brand into priority GCC markets.
  
• Ensure the operational readiness of newly appointed distributors.
  
• Complete market-entry requirements within agreed timelines.
  
• Support successful launches and structured partner transitions.
  
• Contribute to building a repeatable distributor-acquisition and market-entry process.

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, International Trade, Supply Chain, Operations or a related field.
  
• Minimum 7–10 years of experience in business development, international sales, distributor acquisition or regional market expansion.
  
• Proven experience developing and closing distributor or retail partnerships.
  
• Strong network within GCC beauty, cosmetics, luxury, premium retail or FMCG.
  
• Ability to access senior decision makers and progress complex partnership discussions.
  
• Practical supply-chain experience, including forecasting, inventory, logistics, importation and fulfilment.
  
• Experience evaluating the operational capabilities of distributors.
  
• Understanding of GCC product registration and market-entry requirements.
  
• Experience preparing presentations, distributor assessments and market entry plans.
  
• Fluent English and Arabic.

Skills and Competencies

• Business development and opportunity creation
  
• GCC networking and relationship building
  
• Persuasion, negotiation and closing ability
  
• Persistence and disciplined follow-up
  
• Distributor assessment and due diligence
  
• Operational and supply-chain understanding
  
• Market-entry coordination
  
• Risk identification and problem-solving
  
• Executive communication and presentation
  
• Accountability and results orientation

Who We Are Looking For

• Creates opportunities rather than waits for them.
  
• Has the confidence and persistence to open doors.
  
• Builds trusted relationships with senior regional decision-makers.
  
• Can move discussions forward and maintain momentum until closure.
  
• Understands how to assess the right distributor beyond initial sales potential.
  
• Combines strong relationship building abilities with operational understanding.
  
• Balances expansion ambitions with disciplined partner selection.
  
• Can confidently represent a premium beauty brand.
  
• Focuses on partnerships capable of delivering sustainable long-term growth.