Business Development Executive

About First Mile

First Mile is one of the UK’s leading recycling and waste management companies, serving over 30,000 businesses including brands such as PretAManger,Netflixand Zara.

We help organisations reduce their environmental impact through smarter waste and recycling services, combining operational delivery with commercial flexibility and service quality.

Our customers range from independent restaurants and retailers through to national hospitality groups, commercial estates,universitiesand public sector organisations.

As environmental regulation tightens and sustainability becomes a core business priority, demand for scalable, high-quality recycling solutions continues to grow.

We are continuing to expand our commercial team to support growth across mid-tier, multi-site customers.

The Role

This is a new business role focused on winningrepeatable, multi-site and mid-tier customers.

You willbe responsible foridentifying,developingand closing opportunities typically ranging from£15k–£100k per year.

These deals are often multi-site and operational in nature but do not require full tender processes. Success in this role comes fromstrong pipeline discipline, consistentexecutionand commercial judgement.

You will manage the full sales cycle frominitialengagement through to proposal,negotiationand contract signature.

Key Responsibilities

Win New Business (Mid-Tier Focus)

• Identifyand secure new business opportunities across multi-site and operational customers

• Build relationships with decision makers including operations managers, facilitiesteamsand business owners

• Lead meetings, sitevisitsand commercial discussions

• Develop clear, structured proposals aligned to customer needs

• Negotiate pricing and service structure to secure new contracts

Pipeline Generation & Management

• Build andmaintaina strong pipeline of qualified opportunities

• Work closely with SDRs to convert qualified leads into active opportunities

• Proactively generate your own pipeline through outreach,networkingand sector focus

• Manage all opportunities through Salesforce withaccuratevalues,stagesand close dates

• Maintain momentum across multiple deals simultaneously

Deal Ownership & Execution

• Own the full sales cycle for £15k–£100k opportunities

• Progress deals efficiently from qualification through to close

• Ensure all deals are commerciallyviableand aligned to service delivery

• Engage internal teams whererequired(pricing, operations) without over-complicating the process

Commercial Discipline

• Apply pricing guidance andmaintainmargin discipline

• Prioritise high-quality opportunities over low-probability deals

• Demonstrate sound judgement in deal qualification and negotiation

Sector FocusYou will target sectors where First Mile has strong demand, including:

• Food & Beverage operators

• Restaurant and hospitality groups

• Retail chains and shopping centres

• Hotels and leisure venues

• Universities and education campuses

• Commercial property and estate operators

Many of these customersoperateacross multiple sites and require consistent, scalable service delivery.

WhatWe’reLooking For

We are looking for commercially driven sales professionals who can consistently win new business in competitive B2B environments.

You are likely to have experience selling operational or service-based solutions rather than purely transactional products.

Relevant backgrounds include

• Waste management

• Facilities management

• Energy and utilities

• Property or building services

• Hospitality,retailor multi-site operations

• Logisticsor outsourced services

You will bring

• Proven experience in B2B new business sales

• Ability to manage multiple opportunities at once

• Strong pipeline management discipline

• Confidence in managing mid-level stakeholders

• Good commercial awareness and negotiation ability

• High levelsof personal ownership and drive

This role is not suited to

• Candidates who rely entirely on inbound or SDR-generated leads

• Individuals who struggle to manage pipeline consistently

• Purely transactional sellers with no commercial awareness

Skills & Attributes

• Structured and organised approach to sales

• Resilient,proactiveand self-motivated

• Clear and confident communication

• Ability to balance volume with deal quality

• Comfortable working in a performance-driven environment

Key Metrics

• New business revenue won

• Pipeline coverage and conversion

• Average deal value (£15k–£100k range)

• Forecast accuracy

• Activity and progression of opportunities

• Competitive base salary from £40,000+ with bonus structurethat can get up to 50% of your base salary.

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, increasing with service

• 4 weeks paid sick leave following probation completion

• Enhanced maternity and paternity scheme

• Monthly wellbeing allowance

• Regular company events and team socials