Business Development Manager in Ipswich

The Opportunity eCoachManager is the UK's leading web-based SaaS platform for coach and bus operators — managing bookings, dispatch, compliance, driver scheduling, and back-office operations for hundreds of operators across the UK, Australia, and New Zealand. Personal relationships and genuine industry credibility close deals. We are now investing in that capability permanently. We are hiring a Senior Business Development Manager to own the UK market — someone who already has the network, the gravitas, and the genuine enthusiasm for software that this opportunity demands.

Why This Role Is Different

What our customers love about eCoachManager: Our founder built the platform himself. He knows bus and coach operations from the inside and loves technology — he builds with AI, ships product updates constantly, and brings genuine imagination to the platform. Operators respond to that combination of industry know-how and software enthusiasm. It is rare, and it closes deals.

We are not looking for someone to learn a demo script. We need someone who genuinely gets software, genuinely knows this industry, and can have a real peer conversation with an operator about how technology can transform their business.

The Role

You will own new business development across the UK & European coach and bus operator market. This is a field-based, relationship-first role — you will be on the road, in operator yards, building the kind of trusted relationships that convert to long-term SaaS contracts.

What you will be doing:

• Proactively prospecting and converting UK coach and bus operators onto the eCoachManager platform
• Using your existing network to open doors and generate warm introductions
• Running consultative product demonstrations — showing operators exactly how ECM transforms their day-to-day operations
• Attending industry events, trade shows, and operator gatherings — including Coach & Bus UK / Euro Bus Expo (NEC Birmingham, November 2026)
• Feeding market intelligence back to the product team — you will be our ears on the ground
• Managing your pipeline, forecasting accurately, and maintaining CRM discipline
• Working closely with our founder and global team, you will not be a lone wolf; you will have real support

The Person We Are Looking For

This is an unusual profile. We need someone who sits at the intersection of two worlds that rarely overlap.

Industry Credibility:

• Currently or recently selling face-to-face to UK coach and bus operators
• Welcomed by name in operator yards across multiple UK regions
• Strong network of decision-makers at 20+ and 50+ vehicle operators
• Proven track record of carrying and hitting a meaningful quota
• Comfortable doing 30,000+ miles a year — knows the UK motorway network

Software Credibility:

• Genuine enthusiasm for technology — not just comfortable with it, but excited by it
• Experience selling or working with SaaS or fleet technology platforms
• Can articulate how software creates operational value — not just feature-pitch
• Comfortable conducting live product demos and handling technical questions
• Specific ECM platform knowledge teachable, but software curiosity is not

Likely backgrounds:

We expect to find the right person in one of these sectors — but it is the combination that matters, not the box:

• Telematics and fleet technology
• Vehicle sales calling on fleet and coach operators (Volvo, Scania, MAN, Mercedes, Plaxton, Yutong, BYD)
• Fleet management software or competitor platforms
• Insurance, finance, or leasing with a technology-heavy product sold into coach operators
• A coach or bus operator who has moved into software sales and has retained their network

Non-negotiable criteria — in order of importance:

1. Currently or recently selling face-to-face into UK coach operators
2. Proven sales track record — has carried and hit a meaningful quota
3. Genuine software affinity — enthusiasm and credibility, not just tolerance

Once a year you will fly out to meet the global team, immerse yourself in the product roadmap, and spend time with the founder. Most UK field sales roles do not offer this. We think it matters for a distributed team.

About eCoachManager

eCoachManager is a web-based SaaS platform purpose-built for coach and bus operators. Unlike legacy client-server systems that require local infrastructure and constant maintenance, ECM is entirely cloud-based — accessible from any device, always up to date, with no servers to maintain or secure on-site.

The platform covers the full operational lifecycle: booking management, dispatch, driver scheduling, compliance, vehicle maintenance tracking, finance and back-office reporting. It is used by operators ranging from owner-drivers to multi-depot fleets across the UK, Europe, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.

We are a founder-led business with no VC pressure and a long-term outlook. The person we hire will have direct access to the founder, a genuine voice in product direction, and the opportunity to grow with the business as we take meaningful UK market share.

How to Apply

We are not running a traditional recruitment process. We are looking for the right person, and we are happy to be introduced to them by someone who knows them.

If this sounds like you: email with a brief note on your background and why this interests you. No covering letter required — just a conversation starter.

If you know someone who fits: please make an introduction. There is a referral thank-you of £500 (operator introductions) or £1,000 (supplier introductions) for any candidate who joins us and passes probation. All conversations are treated with complete discretion.