Business Development Manager

Manchester Digital; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading digital agency in Altrincham seeks a Business Development Manager (BDM) to enhance their Sales and Marketing team. The role focuses on building relationships, identifying new opportunities, and embodying company values. With a salary of around £45k plus uncapped commission, candidates should possess strong communication skills and a hunger for sales.

Benefits

Uncapped commission

Hybrid working: 2 days in office

Flexitime

Birthday off

Carbon offsetting with The Dark Forest

Learning from fantastic colleagues

Other perks and small benefits

Responsibilities

• Build a pipeline of new business opportunities across digital services.
• Help clients grow and achieve clear targets.
• Pitch, win, and renew business.

Skills

Strong relationship-building skills

Excellent written and verbal communication

Understanding of digital channels and their integration

Organizational and time management skills

Basic knowledge of Google and Facebook advertising

Confidence and passion to collaborate with internal and external teams

Commercial awareness and understanding of client metrics (B2B and B2C)

Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines

Motivated by targets and earning commissions

Proactive activity leads to more sales and earnings

Good sense of humor

Job description

The most important part of any business. This is not a customer success, account manager or growth hacking title. It’s BD. Sales. We will shout that from the rooftop. Sales is to be celebrated, not camouflaged. The most important part? It’s not accounts, HR or community managers. It’s rarely the health and safety officers that go on to be CEOs. Be appreciated. Dark Horse tells the truth. Sometimes it’s not comfortable.

We are based in Altrincham, so you can hobnob at the trendy market and be all Cheshire set. It is, of course, pretence; we are still on the tram map. It’s Manchester, however you cut it. You are never too far from rats and spice whatever quarter you are in.

We are recruiting for a BDM to expand the Sales and Marketing team. Dark Horse is becoming renowned for client services and ambitious growth plans. We are looking for someone with a hungry mindset, keen to deliver, keen to raise awareness of what the team can achieve. We have everything in place to succeed.

Is this you?

The successful candidate will join our expanding sales team, reporting directly to the Sales Director or MD. They will be responsible for identifying new business and development opportunities through LinkedIn, Email, Phone, and face-to-face interactions. We need someone who can embody our company values and is driven to make an impact. This role is about being a key voice and central cog in the business, learning from colleagues, and helping create the best search marketing agency in the country.

You’ll be the main contact with Senior Marketing Managers, Business Owners, and Directors across various sectors. You will have a high level of autonomy in building lasting relationships.

You’ll identify opportunities and win new business from a mix of self-generated pipeline and marketing-supported activities.

You love understanding client problems, the digital landscape, consumer behavior, brand strategies, and the competitive environment. Your execution plans will span multiple industries, focusing on SEO, PPC, and Paid Social. You know how to leverage our team’s capabilities to achieve results and are always looking for new ideas.

This role isn’t about quick closing or clever sales pitches. It’s about building relationships, trust, and professionalism. Be active, smart, trustworthy, and demonstrate integrity. The right candidate will embody puzzle-solving and team representation to succeed.

You will never have to resort to clichéd sales tactics like "sell me this pen".

Key skills and attributes

• Strong relationship-building skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Understanding of digital channels and their integration
• Organizational and time management skills
• Basic knowledge of Google and Facebook advertising
• Confidence and passion to collaborate with internal and external teams
• Commercial awareness and understanding of client metrics (B2B and B2C)
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines
• Motivated by targets and earning commissions
• Proactive activity leads to more sales and earnings
• Good sense of humor

Responsibilities

• Build a pipeline of new business opportunities across digital services
• Communicate the Dark Horse difference at every touchpoint
• Help clients grow and achieve clear targets
• Manage communication, account management, and reporting with senior managers
• Identify opportunities for client growth
• Pitch, win, and renew business

What’s on offer?

We believe we’ve built a great place to work, rewarding effort with:

• Salary: c45k Basic DOE
• Uncapped commission
• Location: Altrincham
• Hybrid working: 2 days in office
• Flexitime
• Birthday off
• Carbon offsetting with The Dark Forest
• Learning from fantastic colleagues
• Other perks and small benefits (excluding superficial office amenities)

This is about making a difference—to clients, to us, and to YOU.