Director International Business Development

International Business Development Director – Protective & Corporate Workwear | Europe (France-based)

A well‑established, family‑owned European manufacturer with over 75 years of heritage in protective clothing, corporate uniforms and specialist workwear. Operating across more than 15 countries with factories and commercial operations throughout Europe, they supply some of the largest corporations, government bodies and public‑sector organisations on the continent. The business has doubled in size over the last five years and is now entering the next phase of international growth, with a clear mandate to expand its custom workwear division across key European markets. This is a newly created senior hire to lead that mission.

The Role

You will own the international expansion of the custom workwear business across Europe, with France as the primary market and the UK, Benelux, Nordics, Germany and Italy as near‑term targets. This is a genuine market‑building role, not account management of an existing portfolio.

You will define the go‑to‑market strategy by country, identify the right entry routes (direct, distributor, agent, partnership), personally lead business development with large corporate and public‑sector accounts, and build the relationships and commercial infrastructure to deliver sustained revenue growth.

You will report directly to the Managing Director of the division and will work in a lean, high‑accountability environment where your results will be visible and your contribution directly rewarded.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and execute the international growth strategy for the custom workwear division across European markets
• Personally lead senior‑level BD activity with large multinationals and public organisations
• Identify and establish local partnerships, agents and distributors where appropriate
• Manage international tenders, commercial proposals and pricing strategy by country
• Collaborate with design, marketing and operations teams to adapt the product and value proposition for each market
• Own sales forecasts, budgets and profitability by country, reporting to the MD

The Person

• 10 or more years of international business development experience, with at least 5 in custom‑made professional workwear, corporate uniforms or protective clothing
• A proven track record of opening new markets from scratch, not just managing existing accounts
• Experience selling into large corporate and public‑sector organisations at senior level
• Fluent English and French are mandatory; additional European languages are an advantage
• Based in France, Benelux or the UK, with a willingness to travel extensively across Europe
• Comfortable operating as a senior individual contributor in a lean structure, with the maturity to build a business case for resource and team growth over time

Watch‑points for candidates (in the spirit of transparency)

This is a newly created role with no existing international pipeline to inherit in most target markets. The right person will relish that as an opportunity rather than see it as a risk. If you are looking for a well‑trodden sales territory with warm accounts, this is not the right move. If you want to build something from the ground up with the backing of an established and growing business behind you, this role is a great fit for you.