Commercial Assistant

Job description

About Smiley

The Smiley Company is a globally renowned, award-winning licensor working with leading licensees and premier retail partners to bring our family of brands to life. Our presence spans across fashion, home, entertainment, lifestyle, and consumer goods categories. For over 50 years, Smiley has spread optimism and creativity through innovative, iconic products that remind people of the power of a smile. We are a dynamic team with a passion for creativity and storytelling, and we celebrate diversity in an inclusive, learning-focused environment.

Purpose of the Role

This is a sales-driven, outward-facing commercial role designed to actively fuel new business growth within the Fashion Division. As Commercial Assistant, you will play a key role in driving lead generation, outbound outreach, pipeline development, and revenue acceleration. You will not only support the VP of Business Development and sales team operationally, but also proactively identify, engage, and qualify new licensing opportunities across global markets. This role is ideal for someone commercially ambitious, target-motivated, and eager to build a career in international brand licensing and fashion partnerships.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Outreach (Primary Focus)

• Proactively identify and research potential new licensees, collaborators, and promotional partners across fashion and lifestyle categories.
• Build and execute targeted outbound outreach campaigns via email, LinkedIn, trade databases, and industry networks.
• Act as the first commercial point of contact for inbound partnership enquiries, qualifying and nurturing leads.
• Develop highly targeted shortlists of priority brands and retailers aligned with strategic category growth.
• Support the conversion of prospects into active commercial discussions.
• Track outreach performance metrics and continuously refine targeting strategies.

Sales Pipeline & Revenue Support

• Own the accuracy and progression of the Fashion Division pipeline across Salesforce and Flowhaven.
• Monitor monthly revenue targets, opportunity stages, and territory plans to ensure momentum.
• Proactively chase stalled opportunities and support follow-up strategies post-trade shows and key meetings.
• Prepare pitch materials, sales decks, and commercial proposals to support deal conversion.
• Provide actionable reporting and insights to improve sales efficiency and forecasting accuracy.

Trade Fairs & Market Engagement

• Capture and qualify new leads during events and ensure rapid post-event follow-up.
• Share market intelligence and competitor insights with the wider commercial team.

Cross-Functional Deal Execution

• Partner closely with Brand and Legal teams to accelerate deal progression.
• Prepare Deal Memos and ensure commercial terms are accurately documented.
• Track contract stages and proactively drive internal momentum to close deals efficiently.
• Maintain strong communication between departments to remove bottlenecks and improve speed to market.

Key Skills & Experience

Essential

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in sales, business development, or commercial support.
• Demonstrable experience in outbound prospecting or lead generation.
• Salesforce experience (essential).
• Strong CRM and data management capability.
• Commercially confident communicator with strong telephone and outreach skills.
• Highly target-driven and results-oriented.
• Excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple prospects simultaneously.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, high-performance environment.
• High interest in Fashion

Desirable

• Understanding of the global fashion, beauty, and lifestyle licensing landscape.
• Experience attending trade fairs or industry events.
• Familiarity with Flowhaven and/or Tableau.
• Multi-lingual

Salary & Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• 33 days holiday (including bank holidays)
• Pension scheme
• WFH Fridays
• Access to Perkbox and Vitality health insurance

Extra information

Status

Open

Education Level

Secondary School

Location

City of London

Type of Contract

Full-time jobs

Published at

01-03-2026

Profession type

Retail

Full UK/EU driving license preferred

No

Car Preferred

No

Must be eligible to work in the EU

No

Cover Letter Required

No

Languages

English