Business Development Manager

Co-op; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 63,000 - 77,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private healthcare

Company car

Annual bonus

28 days holiday (rising to 32) plus BH

Job summary

Co-op Wholesale is seeking a Business Development Manager - North to lead expansion with independent retailers across the North of the UK, with occasional travel to the Scunthorpe office for team meetings. You’ll build partnerships, drive new business and shape our wholesale offer in your region.

In this role you’ll manage a strong pipeline, onboard partners, and contribute to a growth strategy while enjoying benefits such as private healthcare, a company car, and an annual bonus.

Qualifications

• Experience delivering business development strategies.
• Knowledge of the independent retail sector is advantageous.
• Strong relationship-building and partner-management skills.
• Commercial know-how and an understanding of profitability drivers.
• Proactive approach and problem-solving abilities.
• Clear communication with influence and inclusivity.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage a strong pipeline of new business opportunities in your region.
• Onboard new partners and set them up for long-term success.
• Share insights to improve the new business acquisition strategy.
• Represent the Nisa brand with confidence in your region.
• Look for opportunities to strengthen community presence and support growth of Co-op Wholesale.

Skills

Business development

Retail partnerships

Relationship building

Commercial acumen

Strategic thinking

Job description

Business Development Manager - North
Up to £70,000 plus private healthcare, company car and more great benefits (Work Level 5)
Location: Field-based covering the North of the UK, with occasional travel to our Scunthorpe office for team meetings.

Co-op Wholesale is growing, and we're looking for people who want to shape what comes next. As a Business Development Manager, you'll play a key role in building strong partnerships with independent retailers across your region. You'll spot new business opportunities, bring the right partners on board, and help them make the most of everything our wholesale offer brings.

This is a great opportunity to drive our growth and increase our presence amongst local retailers in your region. If you're ready to take on the challenge, we'd love to hear from you.

Why this role matters

We're building something big at Co-op Wholesale. With a refreshed structure and exciting plans ahead, we're creating new opportunities to strengthen our proposition for our independent retailers, key accounts, and a growing corporate client base.

You'll join our Business Development and Growth team, which is expanding to take on some of our biggest and boldest acquisition targets. This team is all about collaboration, growth, and driving our business forward. From identifying new markets to shaping trusted partnerships, they're helping take us to the next level. This is where you come in.

This is your chance to bring new ideas to life and make a real impact across Co-op Wholesale. Be part of it.

What you’ll do

• Build and manage a strong pipeline of new business opportunities in your region
• Work closely with colleagues to onboard new partners smoothly and set them up for long-term success
• Share insights and ideas to help improve our new business acquisition strategy
• Represent our Nisa brand with confidence and credibility in your region
• Look for opportunities to strengthen our community presence and support the growth of Co-op Wholesale

What you’ll bring

We're committed to making our roles as accessible as possible, so we only ask for the minimum criteria. To thrive here, you'll need to bring:

• Experience delivering business development strategies
• Knowledge of the independent retail sector
• Great relationship-building and partner management skills
• Commercial know-how and an understanding of what drives profitability
• A proactive approach and strong problem-solving skills
• Good communication skills, with the ability to influence and challenge others inclusively

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we're owned by our members. And because we're owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you're not just taking a job, you're joining a movement. We're an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we're powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you'll also receive:

• Private healthcare
• Company car
• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands
• Stream - early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice
• 24/7 colleague support service
• Training and support for your development and career progression
• Cycle-to-work scheme

A place you’ll belong

We're building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve.
We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We're proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we'll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion

As part of your application, you'll need to complete an online assessment. This assessment typically takes up to 50 minutes. If you're a current Co-op colleague, this does not need to be completed.