Business Development Manager in Watford

Help grow IGD’s impact by opening new conversations with the food industry’s most influential businesses. We’re looking for an ambitious, proactive communicator to join our Business Development team and help IGD continue its mission to inspire change and drive growth in the food and consumer goods industry. You’ll play a key role in supporting our growth strategy by generating new business opportunities across IGD’s portfolio of insight and thought leadership services. If you’re hungry to learn, excited by the idea of working in a mission-led organisation, and love making connections – this is a great opportunity to develop your B2B sales career.

The role IGD is the trusted partner to the food and consumer goods industry – providing expert insight, data and foresight that helps our clients thrive, and delivering social impact that drives change across the food system. With over 400 global subscribers and growing, our insight platform supports some of the biggest names in FMCG and retail. You’ll be helping new clients understand how our work can support their commercial priorities – and help them join the IGD community.

What you’ll be doing

• Generate leads and book discovery calls: Identify new prospects through research, LinkedIn, events and other channels.
• Outreach and engagement: Run personalised, multi-channel outreach (email, LinkedIn, phone) to start meaningful conversations and book meetings for the business development team.
• Qualify leads: Understand business challenges and assess if they’re a good fit for IGD’s services.
• Support pipeline growth: Work closely with senior team members to support sales activity and help build strong pipelines.
• CRM upkeep: Maintain accurate records of activity and client data in our CRM (we use Salesforce).
• Learn the IGD proposition: Build your knowledge of how IGD delivers value – so you can confidently talk about it with prospective clients.

What we’re looking for

• Experience in a B2B sales, lead generation or outreach role – or strong transferable skills from another customer-facing role.
• A proactive and curious mindset – you enjoy researching, asking questions and learning fast.
• Great written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to approach new contacts.
• A structured, organised approach to managing your time and priorities.
• An interest in the food, grocery or FMCG industries is a bonus – but not essential.
• Hungry & Proactive, Creative approach to opening doors with key new business targets.

What you’ll get

• Structured training and ongoing support to help you grow into a more senior sales or account role.
• A collaborative team environment where your input is welcomed.
• A chance to work with a unique organisation that combines commercial impact with a strong social purpose.

The rewards

We offer a range of benefits, including a market leading pension, a bonus scheme, the ability to buy and sell annual leave plus a generous medical insurance package. You will have a great work-life balance, where you are empowered & trusted to manage your time.

The location

We are operating a hybrid approach to working with a mix of home and office-based working. We are based in a very accessible location within the M25, just 20 miles from central London.

Our behaviours

• We're hungry for better.
• We solve it together.
• We make it happen.
• We say what needs to be said.

More about our people

We’re looking for inspiring professionals; talented people who seek personal and career growth and are ambitious to develop their potential and unlock opportunities for society, for our customers and themselves. We seek and attract the very best people and create an environment that supports and includes them. We aim to encourage a culture where people can be themselves and be valued for their contribution. We therefore welcome applications from diverse candidates. This includes people with disabilities, so please discuss any adjustments that you may require throughout the selection and assessment process.

More about IGD

At IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution), we serve as a unique, impartial force for good, driven by our charitable status and commitment to public benefit. Our purpose is clear: to unite and inspire everyone to deliver a thriving food system. We achieve this by acting as a trusted convener, uniting stakeholders from across the entire agrifood supply chain to address critical challenges. We foster collaboration through a broad range of forums, bringing together businesses, policymakers, and thought leaders. By providing evidence-based insights, credible research, and strategic foresight, we help organisations make informed decisions that not only benefit their operations but also contribute to the collective good of society. This is funded through our work with hundreds of clients from across the global food and consumer goods landscape.

#GrowInspireChange: Join our team to help us make a positive impact. Get in touch – we’re looking forward to working with you.