Business Development Associate

Paragon Banking Group PLC; Southampton; Hybrid; GBP 36,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday allowance 25–30 days

Share Save Scheme

Profit Related Pay

Pension Plan

Family Friendly policies

Employee Discounts

Volunteering Day

Life Assurance

Job summary

Paragon Banking Group PLC is seeking an SME External Sales support professional in the UK to proactively attract, negotiate and convert customer proposals into new business. You will manage introducers, support the external sales team, and drive improvements across the portfolio.

The role requires understanding asset finance products, experience in financial services, and strong communication and organisational skills. Hybrid working and competitive benefits are offered.

Qualifications

• Understanding of Asset Finance products.
• Experience in a Financial Services or Internal Sales environment.
• Good communication skills.
• Good organisational skills.
• Good time management skills.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain relationships with introducers such as brokers, accountants, vendors, and lenders.
• Support SME External sales to grow performance of allocated introducer accounts.
• Complete risk templates for sanctioning facilities and chase outstanding paperwork.
• Develop knowledge of asset-based finance, Paragon products, and market sectors.
• Create contact strategies to deliver effective communications based on customer feedback.
• Provide support to the wider Internal Sales team and contribute to performance.
• Ensure interactions align with the group competency framework and QA standards.

Skills

Asset Finance products

Financial Services experience

Clear communication

Organisational skills

Time management

Job description

About The Role

Purpose of the role

Working with the SME external sales team, to proactively attract, negotiate and convert customer proposals into new business to Paragon. To support the wider SME external sales team, develop and manage specific allocated introducers / prospects / customers. Deliver an accurate, consistent, efficient & knowledgeable service to our SME External Sales channel customers / External sales team. To support and drive change delivery initiatives to achieve improved business performance which maximises business opportunities.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Support SME External sales Build and maintain new and existing relationships with introductory sources for example Financial brokers, Accountants, Vendors, Client referral, other lenders or direct
• Support SME External sales to achieve an increase in the performance of the allocated portfolio of Introducer accounts in partnership with the assigned External Sale team
• Complete risk templates for sanction of the facility, chase outstanding enquires and paperwork on deals, maintain CRM system, attend sales team meetings
• Develop knowledge and understanding of the asset-based finance industry including Paragon products and services, competitors, introducers, risks, client industry, market and sectors
• Providing and establishing calculated contact strategies to ensure effective communications are delivered in line with customer feedback
• Proactively support and contribute to the wider performance of the Internal Sales Team
• Ensure all interactions and behaviors are in line with the group competency framework
• Ensure work and quality achieve the Quality Assurance standards underpinned by 'Right First Time' delivery

About You

Essential criteria

• Understanding of Asset Finance products
• Experience in a Financial Services or Internal Sales environment
• Good communication skills
• Good organisational skills
• Good time management skills

Desirable criteria

• Good teamworking and interpersonal skills
• Basic fluency with credit analysis
• Basic numerical skills and fluency with financial analysis
• Basic business analytical skills
• Will have already attained or be willing to attain Paragon Credit Accreditation Level 1. Interpersonal skills will be every bit as important as formal qualifications and the successful candidate will be able to demonstrate and articulate the benefits of both.

Further information on the role can be found in the Purpose and Performance Profile (PPP), which is downloadable on this page.

Please note, applicants must have the right to work in the UK. We do not offer visa sponsorship.

Working hours

37.5 hours a week, 8:30am t o 5:00pm. H ybrid working with 2 days per week in the office.

Training

Relevant training will be provided.

Inclusion

As a Disability Confident Employer, we want to ensure that our vacancies are accessible for everyone. If you have a disability, long term health condition or are neurodiverse and need us to adjust our recruitment process please get in touch with our recruitment team.

About Us

What can we offer you?

• Generous Holiday Allowance: Starting from 25 days and climbing to 30, you also get to enjoy a day off for your birthday, Christmas Eve, and New Year's Eve. You can also buy or sell up to a week's leave
• Share Save Scheme: Annually, you have the opportunity to buy shares in Paragon at a discounted rate
• Profit Related Pay: We share some of our annual profit with our eligible employees
• Pension Plan: We contribute up to 10% of your annual salary towards your pension
• Family Friendly policies : We offer enhanced parental pay and paid time off for fertility treatment
• Employee Discounts: Enjoy exclusive discounts on entertainment, travel, shopping, motoring and more
• Volunteering Day: Contribute to causes you care about with one volunteering day per year
• Life Assurance and Personal Accident Cover

Be flexible

We promote flexibility around how and where we work so that you can achieve a healthier work-life balance. We operate hybrid working, splitting our week between the office and home.

Be yourself

As an equal opportunities employer, we welcome diversity and care about inclusion. That's why we want you to be your whole self at work. We believe an inclusive workplace is good for each of us, great for our customers and better for our business. Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Network meets regularly to share challenges, experience, and ideas to build a more equal, diverse, and inclusive business.

Be heard

We listen to your point of view, with our People Forum and regular employee surveys making sure you can use your voice and influence our future.

Be well

We will give you access to a range of tools and resources to support your wellbeing. This will include a digital GP service via our free Employee Assistance Programme, access to our Wellbeing team to connect you with the help you need to get more out of life and our Vitality at Work programme to provide you with discounted gym membership, fitness equipment and another multitude of wellbeing services.

Be better

We want you to reach your potential and, as a Platinum Investors in People employer, we'll encourage you to learn and develop by building a personalised development plan together with your manager.