Commercial Assistant

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.

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.

• 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, Linked In, 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.
• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in sales, business development, or commercial support.
• Demonstrable experience in outbound prospecting or lead generation.
• 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
• Understanding of the global fashion, beauty, and lifestyle licensing landscape.
• Experience attending trade fairs or industry events.
• Familiarity with Flowhaven and/or Tableau.

• 33 days holiday (including bank holidays)
• WFH Fridays
• Access to Perkbox and Vitality health insurance