Business Development - German Speaking

Harrington Starr; Greater London; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Commission plan

Location-based benefits

Job summary

Harrington Starr in London is seeking a German-speaking Business Development professional to lead new client growth across the DACH region from their London base.

You will open doors, manage the full sales cycle for enterprise software or SaaS, and build pipelines with senior stakeholders in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

Qualifications

• 7+ years selling enterprise software or SaaS with consistent top performance.
• Fluent German with strong professional English.
• Proven track record of opening new accounts from a standing start.
• Familiarity with doing business in Germany and Switzerland buying cultures.
• Experience managing long, multi-party sales cycles involving IT, security, compliance and procurement.

Responsibilities

• Build a territory plan to identify and convert new client opportunities across Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
• Manage the full sales journey in German — from first contact to closing.
• Present a credible case to senior decision-makers on security, data residency and compliance benefits.
• Nurture untapped opportunities within existing accounts and expand into new divisions or regions.
• Maintain accurate CRM data and deliver monthly and quarterly forecasts.

Skills

German fluency

English proficiency

New business development

Enterprise software sales

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Tools

CRM software

Job description

Business Development – German Speaking

London

£120,000 x2 OTE uncapped + benefits

Our client is a fast-growing technology company providing secure, AI-enabled communication tools to major financial and regulated organisations worldwide. As they continue to expand their footprint across German-speaking Europe, they're looking for a driven, German-fluent business development professional to lead that charge from their London base.

This is a new-business role at heart. You'll be responsible for opening doors that haven't been opened before - winning first-time clients and growing the company's presence in accounts across Germany, Switzerland and Austria that remain largely untapped. Success here depends on genuinely understanding how business gets done in the DACH region: the compliance expectations, the stakeholder dynamics, and the cultural nuance that comes with selling into complex organisations.

The Role

Winning New Business Across DACH

• Build and drive a territory plan that identifies, qualifies and converts new client opportunities across Germany, Switzerland and Austria.
• Manage the full sales journey in German — first contact, discovery conversations, product walkthroughs, commercial negotiation and closing.
• Present a clear, credible case to senior decision-makers on how the company's security, data residency and compliance capabilities solve their problems.

Growing Relationships That Already Exist

• Spot untapped potential in accounts the company already works with, and build the case for expanding into new divisions, subsidiaries or regions.
• Work sensitively within local organisational structures, including engaging appropriately with employee representative bodies (works councils) where relevant.

Owning Your Pipeline

• Draw on your own network and relationships to keep a steady flow of qualified opportunities coming in.
• Keep your CRM data accurate and current, and give reliable monthly and quarterly forecasts.

What They're Looking For

Must-haves

• At least 7 years selling enterprise software or SaaS, with clear evidence of consistently hitting or beating an individual revenue target (around €1M+ / CHF 1M+ annually is typical).
• Fluent, native-level German alongside strong professional English.
• A genuine track record of opening new accounts from a standing start — this is about creating opportunities, not just maintaining them.
• Real familiarity with how business gets done in Germany and Switzerland — the etiquette, the decision-making process, the buying culture.
• Comfort running long, multi-party sales processes that touch IT, information security, compliance, legal and procurement stakeholders.

Nice-to-haves

• Existing relationships and a sales background within Wealth Management, Private Banking or Insurance in the German or Swiss markets.
• Working knowledge of relevant financial regulation such as BaFin, FINMA, MiFID II and GDPR.

Pay & Benefits

• Base salary in the region of £100,000–£120,000 per year, plus a commission plan tied to performance.
• Benefits package tailored to your location.
• A flexible, build-your-own benefits allowance.
• Regular team and development events.