Business Development Specialist

National Physical Laboratory (NPL); Teddington; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the UK is seeking a proactive Business Development professional to drive opportunities within the Environment pipeline. You will engage with potential customers, understand their scientific needs and support bids to meet requirements.

You will learn NPL’s environmental capability across atmospheric monitoring, emission measurements, climate and Earth Observation, while promoting NPL’s reputation and ensuring governance and health & safety compliance.

Qualifications

• Delivery-focused with ability to manage multiple opportunities.
• Background or experience in a relevant scientific or technical field desirable.
• Commercial mind-set with negotiation skills.
• Strong communication skills and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Develop and drive business development activity and account management towards targets within Environment
• Develop relationships with potential customers to understand their requirements using scientific and engineering knowledge
• Build and maintain relationships with internal stakeholders and external customers to identify leads and develop opportunities
• Support marketing strategies including maintaining lists of customer contacts, conferences and exhibitions
• Assist in production of quotations, proposals, tender responses, or bids to meet customer requirements
• Attend conferences, exhibitions, webinars and industry events to promote NPL capability
• Monitor tender platforms to identify opportunities and bid where feasible
• Champion the NPL Bid Governance process and report opportunity data into CRM
• Ensure health & safety responsibilities are fulfilled

Skills

Delivery focused

Curiosity in science

Business awareness

People skills

Job description

Addressing climate change, meeting targets such as net zero and creating a sustainable future for humanity are among the biggest challenges that society faces today. Scientific measurement plays a key role across the board, to understand the Earth system, to identify the potential for innovation, to assuring innovations do deliver as intended. To increase our understanding of the climate system, we need to measure it; to assess progress on greenhouse gas emissions, we need to measure them; and to assure that low carbon innovations are working, we need to measure them. Whether you’re talking about length, mass, time, temperature, electric current, amount or the brightness of light, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) sets the standards by which these things are all measured.

About the Role

Addressing climate change, meeting targets such as net zero and creating a sustainable future for humanity are among the biggest challenges that society faces today. Scientific measurement plays a key role across the board, to understand the Earth system, to identify the potential for innovation, to assuring innovations do deliver as intended. To increase our understanding of the climate system, we need to measure it; to assess progress on greenhouse gas emissions, we need to measure them; and to assure that low carbon innovations are working, we need to measure them. Whether you’re talking about length, mass, time, temperature, electric current, amount or the brightness of light, the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) sets the standards by which these things are all measured.

As the UK’s National Metrology Institute, NPL is an internationally respected and independent centre of excellence in research, development and knowledge transfer in measurement science. Its resources include over 900 scientific experts, 36,000m² of laboratories and a suite of unique facilities. We work with government, industry and other stakeholders to ensure that they can rely on what they are measuring.

The Environment team identifies and develops our Environment strategy through which we work with our scientists to engage stakeholders, identify new science opportunities, build our scientific capabilities and to support the delivery so that we create impact from science.

This role is a member of the Environment team in Partnerships Directorate, contributing to the development of a pipeline of opportunities and solutions and delivering growth in sales against targets set in the NPL business plan. The role holder will have a great opportunity in learning NPL’s capability across environmental science, with the potential to work across atmospheric monitoring and emission measurements, to climate and Earth Observation, most importantly contributing to a sustainable future.

About You

Key responsibilities

Develop and drive business development activity and account management towards targets within Environment

• Develop relationships with potential customers to ensure a deep insight into the customer’s requirements using scientificand engineering knowledge
• Build and maintain relationships with internal stakeholders and external customers to identify leads and develop opportunities. Share knowledge, contacts and opportunities to support wider Partnerships Directorate activities.
• Support the development of marketing strategies including creating and maintaining lists of customer contacts, conferences and exhibitions to support lead generation and opportunity development.
• Support the production of quotations, proposals, tender responses, or bids to meet customer specified requirements in compliance with the opportunity management procedure.
• Attend and possibly speak at conferences, exhibitions, webinars, industry events. Identify and attend key industry associations. Promote NPL capability and reputation, as well as acquire latest market news and insights.
• Monitor and review key tender platforms to identify NPL commercial opportunities and bid open tenders that within NPL capabilities.
• Act as a champion of the NPL Bid Governance process, ensuring all opportunities are taken through appropriate governance process. Accountable for reporting accurate and timely opportunity information into Client Relationship Management (CRM).
• Responsible for taking reasonable duty of care for Health & Safety.

Key Skills and Knowledge Required

• Delivery focused. Ability to efficiently manage multiple Business Development opportunities. Prioritise based on value, probability and impact.
• Curiosity in science and technology. Background or experience in a relevant scientific or technical field, desirable. Interest in learning NPL science and metrology.
• Business awareness. Commercial experience. Business finance. Commercial mind-set. Negotiation skills.
• People skills. Work with stakeholders with different background and level of experience. Ability to drive activity. Strong communication skills.

About Us

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world-leading centre of excellence that provides cutting-edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK. Find out more about what it is like working here - The measure of us - Overview

NPL and DSIT have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age, providing they meet the required criteria. Applications from women, disabled and black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular are encouraged. All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.

At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, as part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we ensure we’re creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome. More about this on our Diversity & Inclusion page.

We are committed to the health and well-being of our employees. Flexible working and social activities are embedded in our culture to create a positive work-life balance, along with a broad range of rewards, benefits and recognition. Our values are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success. To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss, please contact us.