Business Development Manager

The William Reed Group; Guildford; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global media group seeks an experienced Business Development Manager to drive revenue in the food and drink sector. Responsibilities include building client relationships, closing high-value deals, and coordinating with marketing teams for growth opportunities.

Benefits

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Cultural celebration day or birthday leave

Volunteer day for charity

Contributory Pension

Health care cash plan and wellbeing resources

Electric Car Scheme

Qualifications

• Strong B2B sales experience, preferably in media or events.
• Proven track record in building high-value client relationships.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Identifying new revenue opportunities and managing key accounts.
• Approaching and closing deals with senior executives.
• Developing and maintaining a robust sales pipeline.

Skills

Sales experience

Networking

Negotiation skills

Commercial acumen

Communication skills

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

We are a global media group delivering exceptional content through events, digital, data & insight.

From agribusiness, ingredients and food processing, to retail, hospitality & fine dining – we provide the inspiration, insight and connections to power our customers’ success.

We have offices in Gatwick, Brighton and London, UK; Montpellier, France; Singapore and Chicago, US. In line with the Company’s current Agile Working Policy, the successful candidate would be eligible to work part of the week from our Gatwick office and to work remotely for the rest of the week.

Position

Position: Full time – permanent

Location: Gatwick / Hybrid

Are you a proactive, results-driven sales professional who excels at building strong relationships? Are you passionate about identifying new opportunities and driving business growth? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment, working with dynamic teams to achieve ambitious goals?

If so, we have an exciting opportunity for a Business Development Manager to join our award-winning exhibitions team on the UK Food & Drink Shows. The Business Development Manager will be responsible for identifying new revenue opportunities and initiating contact with senior level executives from key brands within the sector. With a strong sales background, the role will excel at targeting key players, managing high-value accounts, and securing new business to meet or exceed financial and strategic targets.

What you’ll be doing:

• Approaching, pitching, negotiating and closing senior level executives, utilising a mix of telephone-based sales and face-to-face engagement through industry meetings and trade shows
• Developing and maintaining a robust sales pipeline across new business and existing clients, through Google, LinkedIn, social media, press releases, and other resources to gain insights into prospects
• Nurturing and managing key accounts to increase revenue opportunities
• Re-engaging with lapsed clients to explore renewed opportunities
• Writing detailed commercial proposals, based on client’s requirements, incorporating costs and timelines
• Delivering a personal contribution to achieving new business sales targets across the portfolio and providing input and execution of the strategic direction of the brands
• Demonstrating in-depth knowledge of Food & Drink industry and keeping up with the latest trends
• Working with the content and marketing teams and the wider business to support existing and developing new commercial opportunities
• Attending international and national conferences and networking events to build relationships and uncover new sales leads
• Maintaining accurate and up-to-date records in CRM systems
• Supporting onsite at the UK Food & Drink Shows and the London Coffee Festival

Requirements

What you’ll need:

• Strong sales experience in a B2B environment is essential, preferably within media, exhibition or event sales, though specific sector experience is not essential
• A proven track record of building, nurturing, and expanding high-value client relationships, with strong networking skills and a natural ability to influence and engage senior stakeholders
• Strong commercial acumen and a strategic mindset, with the ability to identify growth opportunities, develop tailored solutions, and confidently close complex deals
• An advance sales approach, with the ability to match product capabilities to client business needs, clearly articulate value propositions and offer innovative solutions
• Exceptional communication, presentation and negotiation skills, both written and verbal, with experience engaging at a C-Suite & Senior Executive level
• A proactive and results-focused approach, demonstrating high levels of initiative, drive and determination in a fast-paced, target-driven environment
• A collaborative mindset and the ability to work cross-functionally, contributing to both individual and team success
• Excellent organisational and time management skills to effectively manage multiple priorities
• Experience using sales software such as Salesforce or similar is desirable
• Willingness to travel both internationally and nationally to events and flexibility in working hours

Other information

Company Benefits and Initiatives Include:

• 25 days annual leave in addition to bank holidays – increasing by one additional day after 6 years, up to a maximum of 30 days.
• An additional day of leave for you to take on a cultural celebration day or on your birthday if you like. A day for you! At William Reed, we call this our “MeDay”.
• A volunteer day to take for supporting a chosen charity and giving back to the community.
• Opportunity for hybrid working
• Contributory Pension
• Life Assurance Scheme
• Group Income Protection
• Enhanced family-friendly leave pay entitlements
• Wellbeing benefits, including: A health care cash plan, Employee assistance programme, Virtual GP service and Access to health & wellbeing resources and tools.
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Electric Car Scheme

Why work for us

We provide a supportive work environment and are committed to maintaining a healthy work/life balance for all of our employees. Working for William Reed means that you will be joining a stable organisation that is committed to developing its employees and brands.

We warmly welcome and encourage applications from talented individuals of all backgrounds and characteristics.

If you need any support in accessing this opportunity, please do not hesitate to discuss this with us.