Business Development Manager

SF Partners are working exclusively with an established UK manufacturing and engineering business to recruit an experienced Business Development Manager as part of its continued growth across the UK and European markets.
Tamworth UK, Ireland & Europe
£65,000 - £75,000 + Performance Bonus (OTE £120,000 - £140,000) + Company Car or Car Allowance
4-Day Working Week - Monday to Thursday 7am - 5pm
This is a genuine new business development role. We are looking for someone who can identify opportunities, open doors and personally win new accounts - rather than simply manage an existing customer portfolio.
Reporting directly into senior leadership, this is a highly visible and commercially important role focused on developing new opportunities across a range of specialist vehicle, engineering and technical markets.
The Role
You will be responsible for building a strong and sustainable pipeline of new business, taking opportunities from initial engagement through to commercial agreement.
Key responsibilities will include:
Identifying, developing and winning new customers across the UK and Europe
Building relationships with key decision-makers within OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers and complex industrial organisations
Creating and maintaining a strong, evidence-based sales pipeline
Leading opportunities through the full sales cycle, from initial customer discovery and technical scoping through to RFQs, tenders, pricing, negotiation and contract award
Developing target-account plans and identifying future programmes and opportunities
Working closely with Engineering, Operations, Quality and Finance to develop commercially and technically viable proposals
Attending customer meetings, exhibitions and relevant industry events
Providing clear pipeline reporting and forecasting
Supporting the development of new products, partnerships and routes to market
Ensuring successfully won opportunities are effectively transitioned into the wider business
About You
We are particularly interested in speaking with commercially driven business developers who can clearly demonstrate where they have personally created, developed and converted new business.
You will ideally have:
At least 5 years' experience in business development or new-business sales
A proven track record of personally originating and winning significant new accounts
Experience selling engineered products, technical solutions or services into OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers or similarly complex industrial customers
Experience managing long and complex sales cycles
Strong experience of RFQs, tenders, technical proposals and commercial negotiations
Confidence engaging and negotiating with senior-level stakeholders
Good commercial understanding of costs, margins and development expenditure
Strong CRM, pipeline management and forecasting skills
A consultative approach with the ability to understand complex customer requirements
A full UK driving licence
Experience within automotive, specialist vehicles, defence, engineering, manufacturing or other technically led environments would be particularly advantageous.
The role will involve regular travel across the UK and Europe, including customer meetings, exhibitions and occasional overnight stays.
This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced business developer who enjoys the challenge of creating opportunities from scratch, developing strategic relationships and converting them into significant long-term business.
For further information or a confidential conversation, please contact SF Partners.