Business Development Manager

Connect It Utility Services Limited; Southampton; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Connect It Utility Services Limited is seeking a commercially focused Business Development Manager to drive new business, strengthen customer relationships and secure profitable opportunities across key markets. Location: Foundation House, Hedge End, Southampton.

You will develop territory plans, build relationships with developers, contractors and commercial clients, and manage opportunities from enquiry through to award and handover.

Qualifications

• Experience in business development, sales or account management within utilities, infrastructure, construction or related technical environments.
• Proven track record of winning new business and developing customer relationships.
• Experience managing opportunities through a tender-led sales process.
• Strong understanding of pricing, margin management and negotiation.
• Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Strong communication, presentation and negotiation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple opportunities, priorities and deadlines.
• Experience using CRM platforms and maintaining accurate sales pipeline information.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Strong organisational, forecasting and planning skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with Commercial, Estimating, Technical and Operational teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop and deliver territory and account plans to generate new business opportunities.
• Build relationships with developers, contractors, consultants and commercial clients.
• Generate enquiries through networking, referrals, customer meetings and industry engagement.
• Develop existing customer relationships to secure repeat business and identify future opportunities.
• Promote the full range of Connect it services across target markets.
• Qualify opportunities to ensure alignment with business objectives, capabilities and commercial requirements.
• Gather and coordinate information required for estimating and tender submissions.
• Work closely with Estimating, Commercial, Technical and Operations teams to support successful bid development.
• Manage customer engagement throughout the tender process, including clarifications and proposal reviews.
• Ensure opportunities progress efficiently through the sales cycle.
• Drive the conversion of quotations, tenders and proposals into awarded projects.
• Conduct structured follow-up activities with customers and key stakeholders.
• Support commercial negotiations in line with approved pricing, margin and governance requirements.
• Develop a clear understanding of project scope, customer requirements and delivery expectations.
• Ensure customer commitments are accurately captured and communicated.
• Maintain accurate opportunity, customer and forecasting information within Salesforce and CRM systems.
• Monitor pipeline performance, expected award dates and sales activity.
• Provide accurate forecasts and updates on opportunities, risks and conversion progress.
• Capture customer feedback and lessons learned to improve future performance.
• Coordinate effective handovers of secured projects to delivery teams.
• Produce sales activity reports, forecasts and performance updates.
• Monitor pipeline coverage, conversion rates, new customer acquisition and repeat business opportunities.
• Maintain accurate and complete CRM records.
• Identify opportunities to improve sales processes, customer engagement and performance.
• Support the achievement of business growth and profitability objectives.

Skills

Business development

Account management

Tendering

Negotiation

CRM (Salesforce)

Stakeholder management

Relationship building

Forecasting

Education

Business/Marketing degree

Commercial management training

Tools

Salesforce

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

As part of our continued growth, we are looking for a commercially focused Business Development Manager to help drive new business, strengthen customer relationships and secure profitable opportunities across our key markets.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced sales professional who thrives on building relationships, winning work and managing opportunities from initial enquiry through to award and handover.

Location: Foundation House, Hedge End, Southampton

• Develop and deliver territory and account plans to generate new business opportunities.
• Build relationships with developers, contractors, consultants and commercial clients.
• Generate enquiries through networking, referrals, customer meetings and industry engagement.
• Develop existing customer relationships to secure repeat business and identify future opportunities.
• Promote the full range of Connect it services across target markets.

Opportunity Qualification and Tender Coordination

• Qualify opportunities to ensure alignment with business objectives, capabilities and commercial requirements.
• Gather and coordinate information required for estimating and tender submissions.
• Work closely with Estimating, Commercial, Technical and Operations teams to support successful bid development.
• Manage customer engagement throughout the tender process, including clarifications and proposal reviews.
• Ensure opportunities progress efficiently through the sales cycle.

Sales Conversion and Commercial Management

• Drive the conversion of quotations, tenders and proposals into awarded projects.
• Conduct structured follow-up activities with customers and key stakeholders.
• Support commercial negotiations in line with approved pricing, margin and governance requirements.
• Develop a clear understanding of project scope, customer requirements and delivery expectations.
• Ensure customer commitments are accurately captured and communicated.

Pipeline Management and Handover

• Maintain accurate opportunity, customer and forecasting information within Salesforce and CRM systems.
• Monitor pipeline performance, expected award dates and sales activity.
• Provide accurate forecasts and updates on opportunities, risks and conversion progress.
• Capture customer feedback and lessons learned to improve future performance.
• Coordinate effective handovers of secured projects to delivery teams.

Reporting and Continuous Improvement

• Produce sales activity reports, forecasts and performance updates.
• Monitor pipeline coverage, conversion rates, new customer acquisition and repeat business opportunities.
• Maintain accurate and complete CRM records.
• Identify opportunities to improve sales processes, customer engagement and performance.
• Support the achievement of business growth and profitability objectives.

Qualifications

• Experience in business development, sales or account management within utilities, infrastructure, construction or a related technical environment.
• A proven track record of winning new business and developing customer relationships.
• Experience managing opportunities through a tender-led sales process.
• Strong understanding of commercial principles including pricing, margin management and negotiation.
• Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Strong communication, presentation and negotiation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple opportunities, priorities and deadlines simultaneously.
• Experience using CRM platforms and maintaining accurate sales pipeline information.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• Strong organisational, forecasting and planning skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with Commercial, Estimating, Technical and Operational teams.

Educational Requirements

• Relevant experience in business development, sales, account management or a commercial role.
• Qualification in Business, Sales, Marketing, Commercial Management or a related discipline is desirable.
• Experience within a multi-utility, infrastructure, construction or ICP environment would be advantageous.
• Knowledge of utility connections, adoption arrangements and associated industry processes is desirable.
• Experience using Salesforce or an equivalent CRM system would be beneficial.