Business Development Manager

Sterling Kohler; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 68,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Car cash allowance

Private health care

Company bonus

Job summary

Kohler Co. in London is seeking a Field-based Business Development Manager to build and own relationships with key influencers of plumbing specifications, including hotel brands, architects, interior designers, developers and project owners across the UK, Europe, the Middle East and beyond.

You will win specifications, influence product selection early in design, convert specifications into orders with sales teams and partners, and represent Kohler at events, driving growth across hospitality,

Qualifications

• University degree in marketing, business or interior design.
• 7+ years’ sales experience in sales/specifications, including monitoring distributors and dealing with specifiers and investors.
• Proven track record securing specifications on large hospitality, residential and commercial projects.
• Product oriented with design sensibility.
• Comfortable with frequent travel within Europe and periodic travel to the Middle East and other Kohler offices.
• Based in London, UK on a permanent basis.
• Fluent in English; additional European languages an advantage.
• Holds a valid driving license.
• Strong regional understanding of the assigned geography.

Responsibilities

• Proactively engage with hospitality and residential developers, owners, architects, and designers to identify opportunities, build relationships, and drive specification growth across the Kohler portfolio.
• Develop and execute targeted customer engagement plans to maximise market coverage and opportunity generation.
• Identify and influence key decision-makers, managing stakeholder relationships from concept and design through to project completion.
• Lead and coordinate specification opportunities across hospitality, residential, and mixed-use developments to ensure Kohler products are considered at every stage.
• Build and maintain a healthy pipeline of specification projects and manage opportunities through the project lifecycle.
• Work closely with sales teams, distributors, contractors, and regional stakeholders to convert specifications into orders and protect specifications to completion.
• Collaborate with technical, product, marketing, supply chain, finance, and after-sales teams to deliver exceptional customer experiences.
• Represent Kohler at industry events, design weeks, conferences, and trade association forums to strengthen brand awareness.
• Identify new market opportunities, tools, and initiatives that support specification growth.
• Deliver customer presentations, specification meetings, and joint visits that showcase Kohler's portfolio and secure project opportunities.
• Provide accurate pipeline reporting, market intelligence, and business updates for strategic planning.

Skills

Sales experience

Specifications

Stakeholder management

Travel readiness

Fluent English

Education

University degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Business Development Manager

Field based London

Base salary circa £75K (subject to skills and experience) plus a fantastic benefits package including car cash allowance, private health care and company bonus.

In this specification-led role, you will be responsible for building and owning relationships with the key influencers of plumbing specifications, including major hotel brands, architects, interior designers, developers, and project owners. Your focus will be to secure the specification of Kohler products on prestigious hospitality, residential, and mixed-use developments across the UK, Europe, the Middle East, and wider global markets.

Success in this role starts with winning specifications and influencing product selection at the earliest stages of project design. Working closely with our sales teams and distribution partners, you'll then help convert those specifications into commercial success.

As a key ambassador for the Kohler brand, you'll represent our portfolio within the design and development community, cultivating lasting relationships while championing our values and ensuring compliance with local regulations.

What You'll Be Doing

• Proactively engage with hospitality and residential developers, owners, architects, and designers to identify opportunities, build relationships, and drive specification growth across the Kohler portfolio.
• Develop and execute targeted customer engagement plans that combine relationship-building with proactive business development activity to maximise market coverage and opportunity generation.
• Identify and influence key decision-makers, managing stakeholder relationships from concept and design through to project completion.
• Lead and coordinate specification opportunities across hospitality, residential, and mixed-use developments, ensuring Kohler products are considered at every stage.
• Build and maintain a healthy pipeline of specification projects, proactively managing opportunities through each stage of the project lifecycle.
• Work closely with sales teams, distributors, contractors, and regional stakeholders to convert specifications into orders and protect specifications through to completion.
• Collaborate with technical, product, marketing, supply chain, finance, and after-sales teams to deliver exceptional customer experiences and project outcomes.
• Represent Kohler at industry events, design weeks, conferences, and trade association forums, strengthening brand awareness and expanding your professional network.
• Identify new market opportunities, sales tools, and initiatives that support specification growth and long-term business development.
• Deliver customer presentations, specification meetings, and joint visits that showcase Kohler's market-leading portfolio and secure project opportunities.
• Provide accurate pipeline reporting, market intelligence, and business updates to support strategic planning and business performance.

Why You'll Love This Opportunity

This is a highly visible role where you'll have the opportunity to influence some of the most exciting hospitality and residential projects in the region. You'll work with leading architects, designers, developers, and hotel brands, helping shape world‑class spaces while driving significant growth for an iconic global brand.

Skills/Requirements

• University degree in marketing, business or interior design desired.
• More than 7 years’ sales experience in sales/specifications, including monitoring distributors and dealingwith specifiers and investors.
• A track record of securing specifications on large hospitality, residential and commercial projects, and an established network within the A&D and developer community, strongly preferred.
• Product oriented and sensible to design.
• Comfortable with frequent travel within Europe and periodic travel to the Middle East and other Kohler offices.
• To be based in London, UK on a permanent basis.
• Fluent in English; additional European languages an advantage.
• Skilled in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Holds a valid driving license (own transportation preferred).
• Good regional understanding and experience of the assigned geography.

Personal Attributes

• Self‑Motivated and Results‑Oriented: Demonstrates initiative, takes ownership, and operates effectively with minimal supervision while driving progress and delivering outcomes.
• Strong Remote Collaboration: Builds productive relationships across geographically dispersed teams and proactively engages the right stakeholders to advance opportunities and achieve objectives.
• Collaborative and Influential: Works effectively across technical, after‑sales, product, marketing, supply chain, finance, and sales functions to align resources and deliver successful project outcomes.
• Resilient and Adaptable: Remains effective in ambiguous environments, makes sound decisions with incomplete information, and sustains momentum through complex, long‑cycle projects.
• Analytical and Solution‑Focused: Applies structured thinking and commercial acumen to assess market opportunities, manage pipelines, evaluate project viability, and resolve challenges effectively.

We can offer you a lot in return!

We empower each associate to #BecomeMoreAtKohler with a competitive total rewards package to support your health and wellbeing, access to career growth and development opportunities, a diverse and inclusive workplace, and a strong culture of innovation. With a genuine commitment to creating better tomorrows, we’re driving meaningful change in our mission to help people live gracious, healthy, and sustainable lives.

About Us

At our EMEA Corporate Services we support Kohler businesses in our region, we have an excellent team of dedicated associates focused on delivering exceptional customer service and ensuring every interaction is a genuine, positive and rewarding experience for both our internal and external customers. We represent the Corporate Functions found in Kohler, Wisconsin here in the EMEA region – Finance, Tax, IT, Internal Audit, Procurement, Regional Operations for Global Shared Services, Environment Health & Safety, Legal, & HR. We all pride ourselves on adding value to the Kohler businesses we support in the region and work closely with our Kohler Corporate colleagues in Wisconsin on global initiatives and projects.

Beyond the competitive benefits and compensation, Kohler proudly offers a rich history, steeped in creativity and a commitment to our associates and communities. We invite you to learn more about our culture and company at www.kohlercompany.com/careers.

Kohler is an equal opportunity employer. It is Kohler’s policy to recruit, hire, and promote qualified personnel in all job classifications without regard to gender, age, disability, religion, belief, sexual orientation, marital status or race. If, as an individual with a disability, you require any adjustments during the recruitment process, please contact the HR department through [e-mail].

Note for Recruitment Agencies – the Kohler Talent Acquisition team is responsible for managing all current vacancies through direct hiring and referrals wherever possible. We do work with recruitment agencies and where we require external support, we will formally release those vacancies to the agencies on our Preferred Supplier List deemed best placed to assist us. Speculative CVs sent by any agency to Kohler Co. without a specific request by our Talent Acquisition Team will not be accepted and with no introduction fee applicable.

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