Senior Business Development Manager

equipal is a UK fintech delivering faster, fairer, faff-free asset finance for business customers and their equipment vendors. We have built a proprietary tech platform that enables equipment vendors and their business customers to finance and manage equipment with clarity, convenience and speed. We have onboarded more than 80 equipment vendors and many trusted introducers—our primary routes to market—and we continue to expand our platform, customer base and lending capabilities. Our ambition is to become the UK's leading embedded platform for small and mid-ticket asset finance.

We are now looking for a Senior Business Development Manager to develop new origination channels and, where necessary, step in to drive our transaction funnel. Our philosophy: Investment in equipment and asset finance is a big decision for any business. We believe that the small business directors making those decisions require support and capability to cut through the noise so they can calmly structure the funding around their needs, understand their financial situation and with transparency and speed, secure the equipment and finance their business needs. Our tech is designed to empower those Customers and we work hand-in-glove with the manufacturers and distributors of the equipment to ensure that a sale on finance is as easy as possible.

Who are we looking for:

• We don't want high pressure sales people - we want high energy, flexible, highly empathetic and naturally supportive 'facilitators'.
• Must haves:
• A track record of high achievement and a drive for success however this has manifested.
• At least five years of professional, full-time experience.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen.
• Strong communication skills and confidence.
• Initiative, intuition and 'get up and go'.
• Commercially motivated with a desire for success for your Vendor and partner base.
• Emotional intelligence and an appreciation of team play.
• Nice to have but not essential:
• Experience in Asset Finance or SME Lending.
• Experience with equipment manufacturing and distribution across any of the verticals we cover - transport/logistics, manufacturing/engineering, logistics.
• Experience of hiring good talent.
• An understanding of SME Credit Analysis and what a solid underwriting process involves.

How we work:

We are a lean, collaborative team focused on maximising our impact to grow the business. We do this with an open and curious mind, an abundance of energy, and a commitment to putting the Customer (And Vendor!) first. We are concise in our communication and we are always chasing that extra stroke of efficiency. We liaise closely with Operations and Credit to ensure a smooth flow, while protecting all stakeholders and we work closely with Product and Engineering to help adapt and build new features. We are detailed in our approach and conscious of how our decisions impact our customers.

The role:

This is a senior business development and partnerships role. It is a full-time employee role with an expectation of 60% in-office time (we are London based). There is some flexibility depending on the profile of the hire but we expect the candidate to devote at least 70% of their time to developing partnerships with vendors and other qualified partners in financial services or the broader SME ecosystem. This will involve mapping and analysis utilising our tools and CRM, initial outreach, followed by relationship nurturing, execution and optimising flow post sign-up.

Success in the role will be measured by:

• New partnerships established, vendor or otherwise.
• Origination volume with consideration to quality.
• Team support.
• Contribution to product improvement.

For exceptional candidates who come on board and conclusively exceed their KPIs, we will lay a path towards consideration for the role of Chief Commercial Officer.

Working arrangement:

This is a hybrid role, ideally 3 days in, 1 day on the road and 1 day working from home. The candidate must be able to travel to our office in Islington (London N1). The exact attendance pattern can be agreed based on location and circumstances, but candidates should not apply if they seek a fully remote role or if they are seeking work as a contractor or if they are seeking to sell their services. Applicants must be based in the UK with full working rights.

What we offer:

• A clear path for career growth to senior commercial management.
• £60,000–£75,000 base salary depending on experience.
• A performance plan offering attractive commission structure (OTE £90k) and equity options (up to 0.75% of equity).
• Pension contribution.
• Private medical insurance contribution.
• Up to £1,000 annual home office and equipment allowance.
• Up to £1,500 annual learning and development budget.
• Up to 10% of working days are fully flexible.
• 21 days annual leave plus public holidays.
• Team events, socials and other company perks.

Diversity & Inclusion:

equipal wants to hire the best people it can source whoever they are. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and we particularly encourage candidates from any group that has been historically underrepresented in finance and technology. If you are talented, motivated and customer-orientated you will be welcome here.

WE ARE NOT WORKING WITH RECRUITERS UNTIL 2028. Unsolicited agency introductions will not be considered.