Business Development Manager (Clothing Technologist) 

A young clothing brand from Dubai, targeting a youth audience, approached us. They needed a Business Development Manager to work with manufacturing in China. The key point was they weren't looking for a "pure" salesperson, but a specialist with expertise in sewing and garment production (education as a constructor, fashion designer, or similar). This person needed to understand fabrics, cost optimization, and supplier sourcing, and have a grasp of the Chinese mentality. The brand's product was in the "above average" segment (mass-market+), adding to the quality requirements.

The search geography was strictly limited: the candidate had to either already live in Dubai or be ready to relocate. An important condition was knowledge of Russian (at least a basic level) for communication with the founders. The pool of professionals with this rare combination of skills – technologist/constructor + international B2B procurement specialist + knowledge of Chinese specifics – turned out to be extremely narrow in the UAE. The market of openly available candidates was practically non-existent.

We conducted a targeted search, shifting our focus from "universal" managers to relocants from related industries. We scoured LinkedIn and databases of graduates from Moscow specialized universities (textile, technological) who had recently moved to Dubai. The main difficulty was the technical filter: we manually processed a large volume of profiles to find not just Russian-speakers in Dubai, but specifically specialists with the right hard skills – knowledge of fabrics, sewing technology, and experience working with China.

Despite the high requirements and complex geography, the vacancy was closed. Three strong candidates made it to the final pool. The choice fell on a woman who had the ideal profile. She successfully started working with the brand, taking on the development of the manufacturing direction in China.