Senior Business Development Manager

Institute of Grocery Distribution; Watford; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Market-leading pension

Bonus scheme

Buy/sell annual leave

Medical insurance

Job summary

Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) is seeking a Senior Business Development Manager to spearhead new client acquisition and lead the end-to-end sales cycle. You will build relationships with both cold and warm leads, qualify opportunities, and propose the right first steps after understanding client challenges.

You will engage with C‑suite level clients, manage complex sales processes, and drive sustainable growth through strategic, consultative selling while collaborating with a

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in a high value quota role.
• 3+ years in B2B with FMCG/retail clients, preferably enterprise clients.
• Strategic, consultative approach to sales and robust pipelines.
• Experience navigating long sales cycles and closing opportunities.
• Confidence talking with C-Suite and decision makers, in person or virtually.
• Self-motivated, proactive and collaborative team player.
• Able to adapt to change and embrace new products/services.
• Strong commercial acumen and understanding of business issues.

Responsibilities

• Build rapport and relationships with both cold and warm leads.
• Own the sales process from first contact to close.
• Understand client challenges and propose the right first steps.
• Contribute to sustainable growth while winning new clients.

Skills

Sales targets

B2B sales

FMCG/retail experience

Pipeline management

C-suite communications

Strategic selling

Relationship building

Problem solving

Job description

At IGD, we’re proud to be a Great Place to Work, where our people are empowered to grow, inspired to lead and ready to make a difference. At the heart of that experience is how we attract, welcome, and support new colleagues to join us.

That’s where you come in.

We’re looking for a Senior Business Development Manager who will Report into the Head of Business Development.

What you’ll do

• Customer Acquisition - You’ll be building rapport and creating relationships with both cold and warm leads.

• You will take ownership of the sales process, from first contact to conversion.

• Getting under the skin of a client’s challenges will be second nature and you will be passionate about proposing the right first step for each of the clients you engage.

• Whilst on your mission to win new clients, you will also understand the bigger picture and the importance of sustainable growth.

What we’re looking for

• You have a proven track record of meeting and exceeding sales targets with 5 years + experience in a high value quota role.

• You will have at least 3+ years’ experience in a B2B and extensive experience of working with FMCG and/or retail clients, specifically enterprise clients.

• You have a strategic, consultative approach to sales and demonstrable skills in both building and managing robust pipelines.

• Demonstrable experience navigating complex, lengthy sales cycles and successfully converting opportunities through to close.

• You will have the confidence to talk with C-Suite and decision makers,in-person and virtually.

• You are self-motivated, comfortable working on your own initiative whilst also being a keen collaborator and team player.

• You are proactive, resilient and tenacious with a ‘can do’ attitude, adept at creative problem solving both internally and externally.

• You have excellent networking skills and ideally have an existing network of contacts in the FMCG/Retail space.

• Experience of a high-performance and customer-focused culture.

• Proven ability to adapt to change and embrace new products and services.

• Strong commercial acumen with a good understanding of business issues.

• You are looking for a company in which to make a real difference and take your career to the next level.

The rewards

We offer a range of benefits, including a market leading pension, a bonus scheme, the ability to buy and sell annual leave plus a generous medical insurance package. You will have a great work-life balance, where you are empowered & trusted to manage your time.

The location

We are operating a hybrid approach to working with a mix of home and office-based working. We are based in a very accessible location within the M25, just 20 miles from Central London.

Our behaviours

We’re hungry for better

We solve it together

We make it happen

We say what needs to be said

More about our people

We’re looking for inspiring professionals; talented people who seek personal and career growth and are ambitious to develop their potential and unlock opportunities for society, for our clients and themselves. We seek and attract the very best people and create an environment that supports and includes them. We aim to encourage a culture where people can be themselves and be valued for their contribution. We welcome applications from diverse candidates. Please discuss any adjustments that you may require throughout the selection and assessment process.

More about IGD

We are a strategic insight foresight and learning organisation. Here to unite the industry and benefit society. We invest all our profit into Social Impact. We foster collaboration through a broad range of forums, bringing together businesses, policymakers, and thought leaders. By providing evidence-based insights, credible research, and strategic foresight, we help organisations make informed decisions that benefit their operations and contribute to the collective good of society.