Business Development & Expansion Lead (F&B)

We are hiring Business Development & Expansion Lead (F&B) at Upartners.

Role Overview: Drive outlet expansion from location sourcing and commercial evaluation through leasing, fit-out coordination, and opening handover, ensuring each site fits the brand, business model, and investment criteria.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop the expansion pipeline: Identify and prioritize potential locations across malls, office buildings, transit hubs, campuses, hospitals, and neighborhood commercial areas.

• Define and apply location criteria: Work with management to establish site requirements, including target customers, traffic, visibility, accessibility, outlet size, utilities, and rental affordability.

• Evaluate site potential: Conduct site visits and assess customer behavior, relevant footfall, competition, neighboring tenants, and demand across different times of day.

• Prepare commercial recommendations: Build site proposals covering estimated sales, rent and service charges, investment requirements, outlet economics, and projected payback, together with Finance.

• Manage leasing relationships: Build and maintain relationships with landlords, mall leasing teams, property agents, and other location partners.

• Negotiate commercial terms: Negotiate rent, fit-out periods, escalation, lease duration, and other terms; coordinate agreement review with management and legal support.

• Coordinate design and fit-out: Manage designers, contractors, equipment vendors, and landlord teams to deliver outlets according to the approved layout, budget, and timeline.

• Assess technical feasibility: Coordinate checks on electricity, water, drainage, exhaust, storage, delivery access, and other requirements before committing to a site.

• Manage opening requirements: Track landlord approvals, relevant permits, documentation, and project milestones; resolve issues that could delay opening.

• Deliver outlet handover: Coordinate with Operations on equipment testing, defect rectification, site readiness, and handover before launch.

• Support pre-opening operational activities: including equipment and supplies requirements. 

Candidate Criteria

• Ideally 4–6 years of relevant experience in F&B or retail expansion, leasing, business development, or outlet development.

• Proven experience taking outlet projects from site sourcing and lease negotiation through fit-out and opening.

• An established network with mall leasing teams, landlords, property agents, or commercial property operators, particularly in the intended expansion areas.

• Strong judgment in evaluating locations based on customer fit and commercial viability.

• Able to prepare and assess basic outlet financial models, including occupancy costs, capital expenditure, break-even sales, and payback.

• Strong negotiation and relationship management skills, with the ability to secure workable commercial terms.

• Practical understanding of retail fit-out processes, contractor management, project schedules, and budget control.

• Able to coordinate technical requirements with Operations, designers, and contractors; an engineering background is not required.

• Organized and proactive, with the ability to manage multiple site opportunities and opening projects simultaneously.

• Willing to conduct frequent site visits, travel, and work closely with external partners.