Business Development Executive

IRIS Software Group; Manchester; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

IRIS Software Group in Manchester is expanding its New Business Sales team and seeking someone who loves speaking to people, building relationships and creating new opportunities.

You’ll be part of our New Business team, responsible for identifying and engaging prospective customers, understanding their needs and creating opportunities for IRIS. This role offers training and opportunities to progress within a growing software business.

Qualifications

• Confident communicating with new people.
• Naturally curious and comfortable asking questions.
• Target-driven and motivated by achieving results.
• Resilient and comfortable working in a proactive sales environment.
• Organised and able to manage multiple prospects and conversations.
• Coachable, ambitious and keen to develop.
• A great team player with a positive approach.

Responsibilities

• Proactively reach out to prospective customers through phone, email and LinkedIn.
• Research and identify new business opportunities.
• Build relationships with key decision-makers.
• Have engaging conversations to understand customer needs and challenges.
• Generate and qualify opportunities for the wider sales team.
• Manage and develop your own pipeline.
• Work towards individual and team targets.
• Keep accurate records of activity and opportunities within our CRM.
• Collaborate with colleagues across Sales and Marketing.
• Develop your commercial knowledge and understanding of the IRIS product portfolio.

Skills

Communication

Prospecting

Relationship building

Questioning

Target-driven

Resilience

Organization

Team player

Coachable mindset

Job description

About IRIS

IRIS Software Group is one of the UK's largest privately held software companies, trusted by 100,000+ businesses, schools and accountancy firms to keep their operations running.

Our software pays 1 in 6 UK employees, supports over 12,000 schools, and is relied on by 91 of the top 100 UK accountancy firms.

We're a Great Place to Work® certified employer, recognised for our commitment to well-being, inclusion and development - and we're growing fast.

Are you ambitious, commercially minded and ready to build a career in sales?

We’re growing our New Business Sales team at IRIS Software Group and looking for someone who loves speaking to people, building relationships and creating new opportunities.

This is a brilliant opportunity for someone who wants to develop their sales career within a growing software business, with plenty of support, training and opportunity to progress.

What you’ll be doing

As part of our New Business team, you’ll be responsible for identifying and engaging prospective customers, understanding their needs and creating opportunities for IRIS.

• Proactively reach out to prospective customers through phone, email and LinkedIn
• Research and identify new business opportunities
• Build relationships with key decision-makers
• Have engaging conversations to understand customer needs and challenges
• Generate and qualify opportunities for the wider sales team
• Manage and develop your own pipeline
• Work towards individual and team targets
• Keep accurate records of activity and opportunities within our CRM
• Collaborate with colleagues across Sales and Marketing
• Develop your commercial knowledge and understanding of the IRIS product portfolio

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone with energy, resilience and a genuine desire to succeed in sales.

You’ll Ideally Be

• Confident communicating with new people
• Naturally curious and comfortable asking questions
• Target-driven and motivated by achieving results
• Resilient and comfortable working in a proactive sales environment
• Organised and able to manage multiple prospects and conversations
• Coachable, ambitious and keen to develop
• A great team player with a positive approach

Why You’ll Love Working Here

• Impact: Your work will influence millions globally.
• Growth: Continuous learning and career development opportunities.
• Belonging: A culture that celebrates diversity and empowers every individual.

What To Expect From Our Hiring Process

Our process is designed to be fair, transparent and straightforward. Stages vary depending on the role — more senior positions may involve additional steps, and some areas include role-specific assessments such as a technical test or case study — but typically you can expect:

• Application review — we assess your experience and potential
• Initial call — a short conversation to learn about you and share more about the role
• Skills assessment — tailored to the position, e.g. case study, coding challenge or portfolio review
• Final interview — meet the team and explore how you'll make an IMPACT at IRIS

We'll always walk you through the specific stages at the start of the process so you can prepare with confidence.

If you need any adjustments or accommodations during the process, let us know, we’re committed to making this experience accessible for everyone.