Distilleri Hiring! Full Time Business Development Manager - Based in Malaysia in Federal Territory - Ricebowl

About Distilleri

Distilleri is an independent strategic communications group, built on a simple idea: distil each challenge to its essence, then craft the sharpest solution. From our Singapore base, the group brings together four specialist brands – Distilleri (strategic communications, creative, and PR), Double Exposure (content production), Foray (brand experience and activation), and SilverStreak (media and consultancy for the silver generation) – working seamlessly across strategy, creative, PR, social, experiential, content, and publishing. As members of the ICOM and OAC networks, we are connected to over 150 firms worldwide. We are now building Distilleri Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, and are looking for the person who will open its doors to new clients.

The Role

The Business Development Manager is Distilleri Malaysia's first dedicated new-business hire – the person who builds the client base of a young office in a market where the Distilleri name is still being made. Working directly with the Head of Creative & Founding Partner, you find and open opportunities across Malaysian corporates, multinationals, government-linked companies, and public-sector agencies; run pitches and tenders from first conversation to signed client; and build the pipeline, process, and reputation the office will grow on. You also connect Malaysia to the wider group – bringing in Double Exposure, Foray, and SilverStreak where clients need them, and working with Singapore on regional and cross-border opportunities. This is a hands-on, entrepreneurial role for a well-networked hunter who wants to help build a business from the start.

Key Responsibilities Market entry & prospecting

•   Map the Malaysian market – priority sectors, target clients, competitors, and decision-makers – and turn it into a focused prospect plan with the Founding Partner.

•   Open doors through outreach, industry events, associations, referrals, and the group's ICOM and PROI networks.

Pitches, proposals & tenders

•   Coordinate pitches and tenders end to end – timelines, briefings, creative and strategic inputs, and submission.

•   Write proposals, credentials, and tender documents in English and, where needed, Bahasa Malaysia.

•   Prepare scopes and MYR cost estimates with the Founding Partner and group Finance, and help negotiate terms.

Pipeline & reporting

•   Set up and maintain the office's pipeline in the group CRM, logging every opportunity, contact, and next step.

•   Report pipeline, forecast, and win/loss results to the Founding Partner and the Group Business Development Director.

Group & cross-border growth

•   Bring in Double Exposure, Foray, and SilverStreak capabilities to build integrated proposals for Malaysian clients.

•   Work with the Singapore growth team on regional clients, cross-border referrals, and shared pitches.

Brand-building in Malaysia

•   Build Distilleri Malaysia's profile through events, thought leadership, case studies, and its own social channels.

•   Localise the group's credentials and case studies so they speak to Malaysian clients.

What You'll Bring

•   Malaysian network: Established relationships with marketers and communications leads across Malaysian corporates, MNCs, or GLCs.

•   Hunter instinct: The drive and confidence to open doors for a brand that is new to the market.

•   Pitch & tender craft: Experience running pitches and preparing proposals and tenders that win.

•   Language: Excellent written and spoken English and Bahasa Malaysia.

•   Commercial sense: A good grasp of scopes, pricing, and agency economics in the Malaysian market.

•   Entrepreneurial spirit: Comfort in a small, fast-growing team where you help build the process as well as follow it.

Nice to Have

•   5–8 years in business development, new business, or client servicing at a Malaysian agency or consultancy.

•   Familiarity with integrated communications across PR, creative, social, content, and experiential.

•   Experience helping launch or grow a new office or business.

•   Mandarin or another additional language.

How We'll Measure Success

•   A growing base of Malaysian clients and new-business revenue won against target.

•   A healthy, accurate pipeline with a rising win rate.

•   Integrated and cross-border wins that bring in the wider group.

•   A rising profile for Distilleri Malaysia in its target sectors.