Business Development Leader- (6 to 9 Months FTC) in Manchester

Forty1 is the employee experience and internal communications consultancy within Inizio Engage XD. Grounded in behavioural science, powered by creativity, and strengthened by technology, we help organisations foster the mindsets, motivation, skills and culture that elevate impact and enrich working lives.

We have around 40 talented, creative and passionate consultants, researchers and project managers across Europe and North America. Together, we turn employee insight into ideas that connect; deliver communications that cut through the noise; empower managers to be champions of change; and design unforgettable experiences that become the fuel for the highest-performing teams.

With a strong track record, long-standing client partnerships and a suite of innovative solutions, we are entering a new chapter. As we help our clients navigate an AI‐driven world, we are expanding our presence across sectors including healthcare, technology, defence, manufacturing, and professional and financial services.

This new role is central to helping us write that next chapter. You will report into the Chief Growth Officer of Inizio Engage XD and work directly with Forty1's Managing Director in the UK. This role can be fully remote.

The Opportunity

We are looking for an experienced Business Development Leader who can build on our foundations and unlock our next wave of growth. You will understand the worlds of employee communication, culture, learning, leadership and change—and bring the sales capability to turn meaningful conversations into high‐value opportunities.

You enjoy opening doors, connecting the right people and helping clients clarify what they need. You know how to turn early interest into a well‐formed brief, identify where Forty1 can create the most value, and move opportunities forward with pace, clarity and confidence.

If you are energised by creating momentum, challenging convention and helping a high‐potential creative consultancy scale its impact, this role offers exactly that platform.

What will you do...

• Lead sales and business development activity across priority sectors, identifying where Forty1 can add meaningful value and securing new opportunities.
• Build trusted relationships with senior HR, Communications, Talent, Learning and Transformation leaders.
• Activate and expand your network to open doors, ignite conversations and generate a healthy pipeline of high‐quality opportunities.
• Broker conversations between client stakeholders and Forty1 teams to uncover needs and define the problem to solve.
• Shape early or unformed challenges into actionable briefs aligned with Forty1's strengths.
• Represent Forty1 confidently in the market, clearly articulating our offer, insights and point of view.
• Support the UK Managing Director in developing and executing sector‐specific growth strategies.
• Partner with the Forty1 Consulting, Project Management and Creative Teams to develop compelling, competitive proposals.
• Maintain accurate forecasting and pipeline reporting to ensure visibility of opportunity flow and commercial performance.

What do you need to have...

We are looking for someone who brings a sharp eye for opportunity and the drive to convert it into meaningful growth. It means you are likely to have:

• A strong business development mindset and existing network.
• Excellent sales skills to spark conversations and build new, trusted relationships.
• 5+ years of experience in employee brand/communications, culture, learning or change - and the credibility to engage senior leaders.
• Sharp commercial instincts to spot opportunities and convert interest into action.
• The ability to shape client needs into clear, compelling briefs.
• A collaborative mindset and the confidence to broker the right conversations.
• Energy, drive and a genuine belief in the impact of great employee experiences.

Just a few of our benefits...

• 25 days' annual leave plus public holidays, company closure over Christmas plus a personal day.
• Private Medical Insurance.
• Life Insurance.
• Pension Scheme.
• Group Income Protection.

A bit about us...

Engage XD is an unusually shaped communications group that creates experiences that inspire lasting change. We partner with clients to provide employee engagement, learning and training solutions, scientific engagement and capability building, all underpinned by applied behavioural science. We engage internal and external audiences through the creation and delivery of live and virtual experiences, film, digital, and immersive content.

Our family of brands is made up of: Emota, Forty1 and Nazarѐ. We believe in our values: We empower everyone | We rise to the challenge | We work as one | We ask what if | We do the right thing and we will ask you how your personal values align to our values.