Business Director for New Brand Retailers – Activewear & Apparel | Hunter | U.S. Market

Business Development Director – U.S. Apparel MarketHunter Role | New Business Development | Activewear & AthleisureCompany: AOGU Apparel Location: United States — Remote initially, field-based with regular travel Employment Type: Full-time Compensation: $140,000–$220,000/year + performance incentives Role Type: New Business / Hunter About AOGU ApparelAOGU Apparel is a global apparel manufacturing partner specializing in activewear, athleisure, casualwear, loungewear, and lifestyle apparel. We support apparel brands and retail partners throughout the product lifecycle, including: Product development Design collaboration Fabric sourcing Pattern development Sampling Quality control Bulk manufacturing Production management Our goal is to become a long-term manufacturing and product development partner for apparel brands and retail businesses. As AOGU expands its presence in North America, we are looking for a highly experienced Business Development Director to lead new customer acquisition and open new business opportunities across the U.S. market. The Role: Hunter, Not Account ManagerWe are looking for a Hunter. This is a new-business-focused leadership position, not an account management or customer maintenance role. Your primary mission will be to identify, approach, win, and develop new customers that have never worked with AOGU before. You will be responsible for opening new business opportunities across the North American apparel market, with a particular focus on: Major activewear retailers Athleisure retailers Casualwear retailers Apparel brands Specialty boutiques Fashion retailers Wholesale distributors E-commerce apparel businesses Other strategic apparel channels You should already understand who the important players are, who makes the decisions, how buying organizations operate, and how to get a meeting with them. This role is designed for a commercially aggressive, relationship-driven business developer who can open doors and turn relationships into revenue. What You Will Own1. New Customer Acquisition — Core ResponsibilityYour number one responsibility is: Win new customers. You will proactively identify and approach high-potential apparel companies across North America. You will: Identify target retailers, brands, boutiques and wholesale channels Research decision-makers and buying organizations Develop account-entry strategies Initiate executive-level conversations Arrange meetings and presentations Conduct in-person client visits Present AOGU's manufacturing capabilities Develop new business opportunities Negotiate commercial terms Drive opportunities toward contract and production You will not wait for inbound leads. You create the opportunities. 2. Build & Manage the New Business PipelineBuild and manage a healthy new-business sales pipeline. You will be responsible for the entire acquisition process: Target Account → Decision Maker → Initial Contact → Meeting → Opportunity → Product Development → Sampling → Commercial Negotiation → Contract → First Order → Repeat Business You will: Build target-account lists Identify decision-makers Establish contact strategies Track opportunities Maintain accurate pipeline data Forecast potential revenue Identify stalled opportunities Develop strategies to move opportunities forward Report pipeline progress to company leadership The pipeline should be built around qualified opportunities and expected revenue, not simply the number of contacts. 3. Market StrategyDevelop market-entry and customer-acquisition strategies for North America. You will Analyze market opportunities Identify high-potential customer segments Research competitors Understand competitor positioning Monitor apparel market developments Identify emerging brands and retailers Track activewear and athleisure trends Identify potential gaps in the market Provide regular market intelligence to AOGU leadership and product development teams. Your feedback will help the company understand: What North American customers want, what products they are developing, what price points they are targeting, and what manufacturing capabilities they need. 4. Convert Relationships Into RevenueRelationships alone are not enough. The Business Development Director will be directly responsible for converting new relationships into measurable business results. You will drive opportunities from: First Conversation → Product Opportunity → Sample → Commercial Discussion → First Order → Long-Term Account You will work closely with AOGU's China-based: Design team Product development team Sourcing team Sampling team Production team Quality control team to ensure customer requirements are translated into commercially viable products. Performance & KPIsThis position is strongly revenue and new-customer driven. The Business Development Director will be accountable for key growth metrics including: New Customer RevenueRevenue generated from customers acquired through new business development. New Customer AcquisitionNumber and quality of new customers successfully acquired. Sales PipelineValue and quality of qualified new-business opportunities. ConversionPerformance across Prospect → Meeting → Opportunity → Development → Sample → Order Strategic AccountsNumber of high-value retail, brand and channel accounts developed. Market ExpansionGrowth of AOGU's presence within targeted North American market segments. Specific annual and quarterly targets will be established based on market conditions, territory and the candidate's experience. What You BringRequired ExperienceApparel Industry6+ years of experience in apparel sales, business development, sourcing, manufacturing or related commercial roles. Activewear / Athleisure5+ years of direct experience in Activewear / Athleisure. You should understand the products, customers, buying cycles and competitive landscape within this category. Proven Hunter Track RecordYou must have a verifiable track record of developing major customers from zero. We want to understand: Who you targeted How you gained access Who the decision-maker was How you developed the relationship How long the sales cycle took How you converted the opportunity What revenue the customer ultimately generated Candidates should be prepared to discuss specific examples during the interview. Critical Requirement: North American Industry NetworkEstablished relationships within the North American apparel industry are a hard requirement. Particularly valuable are existing relationships with senior decision-makers at: Major apparel retailers Activewear retailers Apparel brands Specialty retailers Boutiques Wholesale organizations Distribution companies Strong relationships in the Los Angeles / Southern California apparel market are particularly valuable. You should understand the local apparel ecosystem and be able to identify meaningful prospects without starting completely from scratch. Why Join AOGU Apparel?Build a New North American BusinessYou will play a key role in expanding AOGU's presence in the North American apparel market. Direct Access to ManufacturingYou will work directly with our China-based design, sourcing, development and production teams. Significant Growth OpportunityYou will have the opportunity to build relationships with major apparel brands and retailers and create a substantial new revenue channel for AOGU. High OwnershipYou will have significant autonomy in developing target accounts, building relationships and executing market strategies. Leadership OpportunityAs the U.S. organization expands, this role can evolve into a broader leadership position overseeing AOGU's North American commercial operations. Work EnvironmentInitial Setup: Remote The role will initially operate remotely while AOGU establishes its U.S. business infrastructure. However, this is fundamentally a field-based business development leadership position. Regular travel is expected for: Client meetings Retailer visits Brand visits Trade shows Industry events Business development activities AOGU is evaluating Southern California / Los Angeles as a potential future location for its U.S. office. Compensation$140,000 – $220,000 Annual Base SalaryAdditional performance incentives will be tied to new business development and revenue growth. Equal OpportunityAOGU Apparel is an equal opportunity employer. We value diverse professional backgrounds, experiences and perspectives and are committed to building a professional, collaborative and results-oriented North American team. How to ApplyPlease submit your resume and a brief introduction highlighting: Your total experience in the apparel industry Your Activewear / Athleisure experience Your U.S. / North American market experience Examples of major customers you personally developed from zero Your experience developing retail, brand or wholesale accounts Your existing relationships within the North American apparel industry Your experience generating new business revenue Your approach to developing a new market or territory Please include measurable results wherever possible, such as: New customers acquired | Revenue generated | Account growth | Sales targets achieved | Major accounts developed Candidates with strong North American apparel industry relationships and a proven Hunter track record are especially encouraged to apply.