Business Development Manager

Boffin Recruitment; Brentwood; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Boffin Recruitment is seeking an experienced Business Development Manager for a modular construction contractor near Brentwood. You’ll develop new business, own incoming enquiries and help convert early ideas into commercially viable projects.

Ideally you have main contractor experience delivering turnkey projects in education, healthcare or public sector, and a network within construction/public sector. Car required for site visits.

Qualifications

• Modular construction industry experience.
• Experience with public sector frameworks and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Qualify enquiries and establish budgets for upcoming projects.
• Own incoming enquiries and respond promptly, capturing requirements and budgets.
• Assess viability and prioritise opportunities by value and readiness.
• Identify cost drivers and work with estimating to draft budgets.
• Guide clients from initial concepts to fixed-price proposals and awards.
• Attend client meetings and site visits as the main commercial contact.

Skills

Modular construction

CRM management

Commercial awareness

RIBA Plan of Work

Public sector tenders

Tools

CRM software

Job description

Salary: c. £50,000 depending on experience

Site office near Brentwood (car required)

About the opportunity

Combine your modular construction knowledge with business development in an ambitious, growing business. Our client is seeking an experienced Business Development Manager to develop new business, take ownership of incoming enquiries and help clients turn early ideas into commercially viable construction projects.

Appointed to three major public sector frameworks, the business delivers permanent and temporary modular buildings across education, healthcare, commercial and public sector markets. As a small main contractor, it provides full turnkey solutions, from concept and feasibility through design, planning, manufacture and installation to handover.

This is more than a traditional sales role. Working closely with estimating, design and pre-construction colleagues, you’ll qualify opportunities, establish realistic indicative budgets and guide clients towards fixed-price proposals and contract award. Your focus will be on improving conversion while ensuring estimating resources are directed towards genuine, well-developed opportunities.

Ideally, you’ll bring main contractor experience delivering complete turnkey projects, particularly in education, healthcare or the public sector. Experience with public sector frameworks and monthly reporting returns, alongside familiarity with planning portals and identifying early-stage opportunities, would be valuable.

An established construction or public sector network and experience using cost benchmarks or preparing preliminary project budgets would also help you make an impact.

What you’ll do

Qualify enquiries and establish realistic budgets

• Own incoming enquiries and respond promptly, establishing requirements, scope, building size, budget, funding, programme and likelihood of proceeding.
• Assess commercial viability and fit with the business, prioritising opportunities by value, funding, readiness and conversion potential.
• Identify cost drivers, including specification, site access, ground conditions, foundations, utilities, drainage and external works. Work with estimating to develop indicative budgets using previous costs, benchmark rates and standard specifications.
• Explain budget assumptions, exclusions and risks, challenge unrealistic expectations constructively and discuss alternative options. Prepare structured enquiry briefs so only suitably qualified opportunities progress to detailed pricing.

Guide clients through early project development

• Help clients develop initial concepts into deliverable, fully costed projects, drawing on the RIBA Plan of Work, particularly Stages 0-4. Discuss feasibility, planning, design development, procurement routes and programmes.
• Explain the need for topographical, utility and drainage surveys, ground investigations and other site assessments, and how these reduce uncertainty and support reliable fixed-price proposals.
• Recognise site constraints and project risks, involve internal specialists where needed and coordinate with estimating and pre-construction to ensure projects are ready for formal pricing.
• Attend client meetings and site visits, remaining the main commercial contact from initial enquiry to contract award and supporting the handover into delivery.

Develop business and manage framework opportunities

• Generate opportunities through networking, existing relationships, outbound approaches and market research. Build relationships with clients, consultants, architects, local authorities and public sector organisations.
• Monitor planning portals across the South of England, procurement portals, public sector tenders and framework pipelines to identify opportunities for early engagement. Follow up quotations to maximise conversion.
• Support business development through the company’s appointed frameworks, monitoring client engagement and upcoming procurement requirements.
• Prepare and submit monthly framework returns covering live projects, awards and pipeline opportunities. Coordinate information from project and commercial teams, maintain accurate records and meet provider reporting requirements and deadlines.

Maintain pipeline visibility and support marketing

• Work with marketing on targeted Mailchimp campaigns, social media and other business development initiatives.
• Keep CRM records current, capturing enquiries, client interactions, visits, quotations and progression from budget assessment to contract award.
• Report enquiry volumes, qualification and conversion rates, pipeline values and forecasts to senior management, highlighting priorities, risks and growth opportunities. Help improve enquiry management and sales processes.

What you’ll bring

• Modular construction industry experience, a solid general construction background and proven success in construction business development, sales or client-facing commercial roles. Turnkey or design-and-build experience is ideal.
• Commercial awareness to assess project viability, discuss indicative construction budgets and qualify opportunities before committing estimating resources.
• A working understanding of the RIBA Plan of Work and early-stage project development, including the surveys, design information and site investigations needed for reliable quotations.
• An understanding of construction tenders, procurement processes and public sector frameworks.
• Confidence on site and in discussions with clients and consultants, with strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to explain technical matters clearly to non-technical clients.
• Experience managing sales pipelines, maintaining CRM records and producing management reports.
• A proactive, organised and self-motivated approach, with the ability to work independently, take ownership and contribute ideas within a small, hands-on team.

You don’t need to be a qualified designer, engineer or quantity surveyor. You do need enough practical construction knowledge to ask the right questions, recognise challenges and coordinate with specialists while giving clients a positive, supportive experience.