← All roles

Director, Business Development, ESCO

Complex· ESCO /
Apply on company site
Hybrid (Los Angeles)$150k - $180kFull-timePosted 1mo ago

About the role

Director-level role driving growth through strategic partnerships, licensing, and new business opportunities at ESCO, a premium trading card brand focused on music and pop culture.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and execute ESCO's business development strategy with a focus on driving revenue, expanding distribution, developing strategic partnerships, and creating new growth opportunities.
  • Identify, evaluate, and pursue new business opportunities across music, entertainment, sports, fashion, retail, consumer products, collectibles, media, and culture.
  • Build and maintain relationships with record labels, music publishers, artist management companies, agencies, entertainment companies, brands, retailers, distributors, licensors, and other strategic partners.
  • Identify opportunities for artist, talent, brand, and intellectual-property partnerships that can translate into compelling trading card and collectible products.
  • Source and develop new licensing opportunities that expand ESCO's portfolio of artists, cultural properties, and collectible categories.
  • Develop strategic partnerships and collaborations that extend ESCO beyond traditional trading card products and introduce the brand to new audiences.
  • Identify and pursue opportunities across retail, hobby, direct-to-consumer, e-commerce, live events, and other distribution channels.
  • Lead partnership discussions from initial outreach and pitch development through negotiation, contracting, launch, and ongoing relationship management.
  • Develop compelling presentations, proposals, partnership concepts, and business cases for prospective partners.
  • Evaluate the commercial potential of new opportunities, including revenue potential, economics, strategic value, audience, market demand, and operational requirements.
  • Negotiate key business terms in partnership with leadership, Finance, and Legal.
  • Build financial models and deal structures that support profitable, sustainable partnerships.
  • Maintain a robust pipeline of prospective partners and opportunities and provide regular reporting on pipeline activity, deal status, revenue potential, and next steps.
  • Track industry trends, emerging categories, competitors, artists, cultural moments, and consumer behavior to identify opportunities for ESCO.
  • Represent ESCO at relevant industry events, conferences, meetings, and partner presentations.
  • Partner closely with Product, Creative, Marketing, Licensing, Sales, Operations, Finance, and Legal to ensure partnerships can be successfully executed.
  • Work with internal teams to transition signed partnerships from business development into product development and launch.
  • Develop long-term relationships with partners and identify opportunities to expand successful partnerships into additional products, properties, or revenue streams.
  • Help define and build scalable business development processes as ESCO continues to grow.
  • Take on additional strategic projects and growth initiatives as opportunities arise.

Qualifications

  • 7+ years of experience in business development, strategic partnerships, licensing, sales, or a related commercial role.
  • Demonstrated track record of sourcing, negotiating, and closing meaningful partnerships and revenue-generating opportunities.
  • Strong network and/or experience within music, entertainment, collectibles, consumer products, licensing, retail, media, or related industries.
  • Exceptional relationship-building and communication skills.
  • Strong negotiation skills with experience navigating complex partnership and commercial agreements.
  • Excellent presentation and pitching skills, with the ability to communicate a compelling vision to prospective partners.
  • Strong commercial and financial acumen with the ability to evaluate deal economics and revenue opportunities.
  • Ability to develop an opportunity from an initial idea through execution rather than simply managing existing relationships.
  • Highly entrepreneurial, proactive, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
  • Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage a significant pipeline of opportunities simultaneously.
  • Ability to collaborate effectively across creative, operational, financial, legal, and executive teams.
  • Comfortable interacting and negotiating with senior executives, talent representatives, brands, and other high-level external stakeholders.
  • Ability to travel from time to time for live events.

Skills

Required:Business developmentPartnership negotiationFinancial modeling

Benefits

  • Best in class health, dental, and vision insurance
  • Healthcare FSA
  • Dependent Care FSA
  • Commuter Benefits FSA
  • Short-term/long-term disability and life insurance
  • Paid Parental leave
  • 401k with 4% match
  • Pet Insurance
  • Legal and Identity Theft Plans
  • Flexible PTO
Last updated Oct 21, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Complex

Rap Music, Sneakers, Streetwear Style, Internet Culture News

Find the latest entertainment news and the best in rap music, pop and internet culture, sneakers, style and streetwear, and sports culture.

Rap MusicSneakersStreetwearInternet CulturePop CultureSports
Company profileWebsite

More open roles at Complex