Senior Business Development Manager

Simply Business; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading insurance technology firm in London is looking for a Senior Business Development Manager to lead sales and business development. In this role, you will negotiate contracts, drive placement strategy, and maintain strategic relationships with insurers to achieve the best financial outcomes. A successful candidate will have strong negotiation skills and deep connections in the UK insurance market. Join a diverse and inclusive team that prioritizes work-life balance and personal development.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Private medical insurance

Annual bonus potential

Learning and development programs

Qualifications

• Track record of achieving results in complex negotiations.
• Deep connections and strong product knowledge in insurance.
• Ability to use data to drive insights.

Responsibilities

• Lead sales and business development activities.
• Negotiate contracts for new partners.
• Drive placement strategy for business lines.
• Horizon scan for competitor activity.

Skills

Complex commercial negotiations

Networking in the UK insurance industry

Strategic thinking

Analytical skills

Creativity

Confidence under pressure

Self-motivation

Job description

Here’s what you’ll be doing:

This is a senior role reporting directly to the Head of Insurer Markets, where you will act as a subject matter expert on insurers and the wider market. You will lead on delivering commercial income with your defined panel of partners, taking ownership of the best financial outcomes for the business while maintaining strong, lasting relationships.

What sets this role apart is the balance between driving financial performance and championing the best outcomes for our customers. You won't just be following a process; you will use your expertise to influence placement strategy, horizon scan for future trends, and challenge the status quo to support our core and new market strategies.

As one of our Senior Business Development Managers, you’ll:

• Lead sales, business development, and relationship management activities with a defined panel of prospective and existing insurers.
• Negotiate commercial terms and contracts to onboard new partners, ensuring the best financial results for Simply Business.
• Drive placement strategy for all business lines, ensuring the best arrangements for customers, insurers, and the business.
• Horizon scan for competitor activity and future trends to inform our strategic direction and internal thinking.
• Act as the business owner for tenders and book transfers, delivering initiatives that unlock capacity.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to resolve day‑to‑day issues and support the best outcomes for the business.

We’re looking for someone who is:

• Highly skilled in complex commercial and contractual negotiations, with a track record of achieving results.
• A skilled networker with deep connections within the UK insurance industry and strong product knowledge.
• Strategic and analytical, capable of using data and insurance metrics to drive insights and inform actions.
• Creative and solution‑oriented, ready to bring new ideas to the table to support pipeline building.
• Assertive and confident, able to remain calm under pressure while working with stakeholders at all levels.
• Self‑reliant and motivated, consistently delivering against objectives even during periods of uncertainty.

We know it's tough, but please try to avoid the confidence gap. You don't have to match all the bullet points above to be considered for this role.

We encourage people of all different backgrounds and identities to apply. We are committed to maintaining an inclusive, supportive place for you to be you and do your very best work.

Ready to join us? Apply today.

About Simply Business

We insure small businesses and enable big dreams – not just for our customers, but for our people and communities too. With over 1,000,000 active insurance policies, we protect builders, bakers, landlords and more than 1,200 other trades.

We’re a technology company as well as one that sells insurance. That means we build, we fail, we learn and we improve. We’re a B Corp too, which recognises our strong track record of having a positive impact on people, society and the environment.

Why not check out our advert on YouTube: Simply Business TV advert 2024: 'Simply the Best'

What are the benefits of working at Simply Business?

We offer a great work‑life balance where every team member has a manageable workload and the flexibility to work hybrid.

On top of the 25 days annual leave (plus bank holidays), we offer leave that suits your needs. Plus the option to buy five more days of holiday with your flexible benefits.

Our flexible parental leave allows you to approach an important time how you want – with six months full pay to the primary caregiver and four weeks full pay if you’re the secondary caregiver.

Our life event leave is an extra days leave every two years for those big moments in your life like moving house or your birthday. And as a thank you to our long‑serving employees we offer a two week paid sabbatical after five years of service, then four weeks off after ten years of service.

And our core benefits can put your mind at ease with private medical insurance through BUPA, that covers any pre‑existing condition. And a health cash plan that covers your everyday medical expenses.

We also make sure you’re compensated fairly with a competitive salary based on your experience and the market we’re in. Plus the potential to earn an annual bonus based on performance.

There’s access to the tools to support your personal development with programmes on our dedicated learning platform. As well as support for your mental health with access to counselling.

We’ll match what you put into your pension up to five per cent. And pass on a tax‑free sum that’s four times your basic salary with our life assurance policy, with the option to increase it to ten times through our flexible benefit scheme.

Our salary sacrifice car scheme gives you the option to buy a brand new, fully insured, and maintained car for a convenient fixed monthly amount taken from your gross salary (after 6 months service).

And our flexible benefits scheme gives you an allocated amount to use each year on benefits like critical illness cover, dental insurance, travel insurance, or a gym membership.

Ready to join us and drive our success as a high‑performing team? Apply today.