Head of International New Business

**About Matalan**:
From humble beginnings to disruptive innovations in the retail industry, find out about how Matalan is ever-evolving here.

We know as a team, we are stronger together - we champion equality for all and make lasting connections that go beyond work. We thrive off our inclusive culture, encouraging our colleagues to bring their true selves to work and contributing to collective creativity, open-mindedness and growth.

**About the role**:
As the Head of International New Business, you will lead Matalan’s global expansion strategy and explore new international growth opportunities. In this role, you will create and implement a comprehensive roadmap for sustainable growth, working cross-functionally and with external partners to expand Matalan’s footprint through new markets and business models.

You will be accountable for assessing new market potential, strengthening our international offering and build the capabilities needed for growth across different regions and partnerships. This is a key strategic element of our business turnaround growth plan at Matalan, reporting directly to the Chief Retail Officer.

**Key Responsibilities**

**International growth strategy and market expansion**:

- Define and execute a phased global growth strategy aligned with Matalan’s 5-Year Plan, assessing where to play, how to win and how to enter.
- Identify and prioritise new territories, evaluating them for market size, partner appetite and manageable risk.
- Identify potential wholesale opportunities to grow our international business.
- Lead discovery sprints to understand potential new models (e.g., e-commerce-led entry, alternative franchise formats) and region-specific nuances.
- Shape and present strategic business cases for new international initiatives, backed by data, competitor insights and partner feedback.

**Franchise and partner model development**:

- Stabilise and develop our existing franchise network, strengthening performance, capability and trust.
- Explore and implement alternative partnership models to diversify growth routes beyond the current ‘cost plus’ franchise structure.
- Build and manage a pipeline of prospective partners and markets, supported by clear evaluation criteria and partner fit assessments.
- Launch and oversee a partner development portal to enable streamlined onboarding, support and governance.

**Commercial and operational excellence**:

- Lead the performance management of international operations driving profitability, brand consistency and scalability.
- Collaborate cross-functionally to adapt product assortments, formats and pricing for local markets.
- Introduce and manage KPIs across international operations, using data-driven insight to optimise store and partner performance.

**Leadership**:

- Act as a key partner to senior leadership and functions (Buying, Legal, Finance, Marketing) to ensure readiness for new models and international complexities.
- Build Matalan’s international brand reputation by ensuring a consistent and compelling customer experience globally.

**About You**:
**Leadership and growth planning**:

- Proven experience leading multiple existing and new partnerships in tandem preferably within a fashion brand.
- Experience in building and executing long-term, phased market entry strategies that balance ambition with pragmatism.
- Strong strategic and commercial acumen, with ability to present cases at an executive level and boards.

**Franchise and business models**:

- Deep understanding of franchise operations, including commercial structuring, regulatory considerations and cultural adaptation.
- Experience evolving or introducing new business models in global markets (e.g., e-commerce-led entry, wholesale, hybrid franchise models).
- Experience of new business relationships and onboarding.

**Collaboration and stakeholder management**:

- Skilled in leading and influencing cross-functional teams and external stakeholders across diverse geographies.
- Strong interpersonal and communication skills to manage complex stakeholder environments, both internally and externally.

**Analytical and data-driven**:

- Proficient in market and competitor analysis, financial modelling and opportunity assessment.
- Ability to use insights to inform strategy and adjust course as needed in response to performance or market dynamics.

**Benefits**:
In addition to competitive salaries, we also offer the below core benefits:

- 20% staff discount, which increases with length of service
- Thrive Recognition Scheme
- Wellbeing support provided by the Retail Trust
- Life Assurance
- Retail Rewards platform offering discounts for other retailers
- Pension Scheme
- Access to a wide range of career development