Graduate Business Development Assistant 2027

Kier Group; Southampton; On-site; GBP 31,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Kier Places is seeking a Graduate Business Development Assistant to join the Southampton region. You will support the identification, development and securing of new business opportunities across public and private sector markets through a structured two-year programme.

Starting salary is £31,000 per annum plus car allowance on some contracts, with a permanent, full-time contract and a clear path to an assistant level role on completion, with potential around £38k. Starting date: September 2027.

Qualifications

• Degree in Business, Marketing, Management, Economics or related discipline.
• Strong interest in business development, client engagement and commercial growth.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with strong presentation abilities.
• Ability to conduct research, analyse information and present findings with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Identify and research potential clients, projects and market opportunities.
• Maintain client relationship management systems and conduct market research.
• Prepare client presentations, capability statements and BD materials.
• Coordinate client meetings, networking events and stakeholder engagement activities.

Skills

Communication skills

Presentation skills

Research & analysis

Driving licence (UK)

Education

Business/Marketing/Management/Economics degree

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

We're looking for a Graduate Business Development Assistant to join our Kier Places team based in the Southampton region.

Location: Southampton region
Hours: 40 hours per week
Starting Salary: £31,000 per annum + Car Allowance (on some contracts)
Pathway: Permanent, Full-time 2-year programme, leading to assistant level role upon completion with salary potential of CIRCA £38k
Starting date: September 2027

We are unable to offer certificates of sponsorship to any candidates in this role.

Kier Places is Kier's building, estate and propertymanagement business, delivering end-to-end solutions for places where people live and work. As a Graduate Business Development Assistant, you'll support the identification, development and securing of new business opportunities across public and private sector markets. This role is designed for a recent graduate looking to develop a career in business development, sales, marketing or strategic growth within the construction and property industry. Through a structured development programme, you'll build commercial awareness, develop stakeholder management skills and gain an understanding of how Kier Places creates value for clients and communities.

Whatwill you be responsible for?

As a Graduate Business Development Assistant, you'll be working within the Business Development team, supporting them in identifying and securing new business opportunities.

Your day to daywill include:

• Supporting the team in identifying and researching potential clients, projects and market opportunities
• Assisting in maintaining client relationship management systems and conducting market research
• Supporting the preparation of client presentations, capability statements and business development materials
• Coordinating client meetings, networking events and stakeholder engagement activities
• Working with Bid and Pre-Construction teams to support tender submissions and building effective relationships with colleagues, clients and partners

What are the benefits for you?

• Practical experience: gain valuable hands-on experience in your field.
• Skill improvement: develop technical and professional skills.
• Networking:build professional relationships and expand your network.
• Career insight: gain insights into your chosen industry and potential career paths.

What are we looking for?

This role of Graduate Business Development Assistant is great for you if:

• You have a degree in Business, Marketing, Management, Economics or a related discipline
• You have a strong interest in business development, client engagement and commercial growth
• You have excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong presentation abilities
• You can conduct research, analyse information and present findings clearly with excellent attention to detail
• You hold a full UK driving licence

Rewards and benefits

We're proud to be able to offer our brilliant people a wide variety of benefits that you can tailor to your needs. You can see more information of benefits here.

Diversity and inclusion

Making Kier a diverse and inclusive place to work is a huge priority for us. We're proud of the steps we've taken so far, but we know we must always do more. Our employees are key in shaping Kier's diversity and inclusion initiatives and our people have made a huge impact on how we work, by using their experiences to shape our policies. You can see our D&I action plan here.

As a Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this role will be offered an interview.

Due to the nature of this role, you will also be required to complete a Basic Disclosure and Barring Service Check (applicants with convictions will be treated on a case-by-case basis. We do not discriminate based on an applicant's conviction history or the details of any convictions disclosed to us). Some roles may also be subject to further pre-employment checks.

It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations we reserve the right to close adverts early

Application Timeline

October 2026: Initialapplications

November 2026: Application reviews

January 2027: Virtual/in-person assessment centres

• Places Graduate Business Development JD.docx