Senior Business Development Manager (In a leading performance agency) in Leeds

Business Development Manager (In a leading performance digital agency)

Leeds | Hybrid
Reports to: Managing Partner, Growth
Salary: £50,000–£60,000 DOE + Bonus
Full-time, Permanent

The Opportunity

Our agency partner is an ambitious, fast-growing digital and performance marketing agency helping leading brands accelerate growth through data, media and digital strategy.

They\'re looking for a commercially hungry Business Development Manager with one clear priority: generate and win net-new business.

This isn\'t a role where you\'ll simply manage inbound leads or wait for briefs to land. You\'ll be expected to create your own opportunities, identify target organisations, open doors and build a consistent pipeline through outbound activity, networking, events, referrals and relationship building.

You\'ll take opportunities from first conversation through to pitch and commercial close, working alongside the agency\'s digital and performance specialists to develop compelling solutions.

There will naturally be opportunities to grow existing relationships, but net-new client acquisition is the core focus.

What You\'ll Be Doing

Net-New Business & Pipeline Generation

• Personally build and maintain a strong pipeline of net-new agency opportunities.
• Identify target brands and senior decision-makers within them.
• Generate opportunities through direct outbound prospecting, networking, events, referrals and your own relationships.
• Create conversations yourself rather than relying on marketing-generated leads or intermediary briefs.
• Build relationships with senior Marketing, Digital, eCommerce, Performance and Commercial leaders.
• Reactivate dormant relationships and leverage your network to open new doors.
• Develop target-account strategies that turn prospects into qualified opportunities.

Winning New Business

• Own opportunities from initial outreach through to signed business.
• Understand prospects\' commercial challenges and identify where the agency can add value.
• Lead commercial conversations and keep opportunities moving through the sales process.
• Work with performance, media, digital and strategy specialists on proposals and pitches.
• Support commercial negotiations and convert opportunities into profitable client relationships.
• Deliver against clear pipeline, conversion and net-new revenue targets.

Pipeline & Commercial Management

• Maintain an accurate CRM, pipeline and revenue forecast.
• Take personal accountability for pipeline creation – not simply pipeline management.
• Track outbound activity, opportunities, conversion rates and revenue.
• Prioritise prospects with the greatest commercial potential.
• Provide clear visibility of future opportunities and expected revenue.

Market Presence

This is an externally focused role, so you\'ll be comfortable getting out and building relationships.

• Attend relevant digital, marketing, eCommerce and performance events.
• Build a strong network of senior brand-side decision-makers.
• Develop your profile within the digital and performance marketing community.
• Stay close to changing client challenges and emerging opportunities.
• Become a credible ambassador for the agency and its proposition.

What We\'re Looking For

Most importantly, we\'re looking for evidence that you can create opportunities yourself.

You\'ll ideally bring:

• Proven business development or new-business experience within a digital, performance, media or digital-first agency.
• A demonstrable track record of personally generating outbound pipeline.
• Evidence of opening new accounts and turning cold and warm prospects into commercial opportunities.
• Experience winning net-new agency clients and revenue.
• Strong knowledge of performance marketing, paid media and digital marketing.
• Experience selling sophisticated agency services rather than transactional products.
• Confidence engaging senior Marketing, Digital, eCommerce and Commercial decision-makers.
• Strong prospecting, networking, relationship-building and consultative selling skills.
• Commercial discipline around CRM, forecasting and pipeline management.

Crucially, you won\'t need opportunities handed to you – you\'ll know how to go out and create them.

About You

You\'re hungry, proactive and commercially driven.

You enjoy the chase – identifying the right organisation, finding the right person, getting the meeting and turning that first conversation into a genuine opportunity.

You\'re equally comfortable picking up the phone, running intelligent outbound, working a room at an industry event or leveraging your network to open doors.

You\'ll understand digital and performance marketing well enough to hold credible conversations with senior marketers while knowing when to bring the agency\'s specialists into the process.

What\'s In It For You?

• £50,000–£60,000 DOE + performance-related bonus.
• Join an ambitious and growing digital agency.
• Take real ownership of net-new business and pipeline generation.
• Build your profile through events, networking and senior client relationships.
• Work alongside experienced digital and performance specialists.
• Hybrid working with flexibility around your diary and client commitments.
• Clear opportunity to develop towards Growth Director level.

Ready to Make an Impact?

If you\'re an agency business developer who gets a buzz from opening doors, creating pipeline and winning new clients, we\'d love to hear from you.

This is a brilliant opportunity for an ambitious Business Development Manager who wants greater ownership, bigger opportunities and a genuine route into senior commercial leadership.

#J-18808-Ljbffr