Business Development Executive - Channel Performance

Job-ID: 9710Category: Research KnowledgeLocation: London, England, United Kingdom; Milton Keynes, England, United KingdomWorkplace: HybridPosted: 2026-10-21Ipsos Worker Classification: Employee - Permanent RegularJob Type: Full-TimeJob: Knowledge Specialist - RE02Are you a natural relationship builder looking to kick-start your career in sales and business development? Do you enjoy researching opportunities, creating compelling content and connecting with new people? Looking for a role where AI, innovation and commercial growth come together? If so, we'd love to hear from you.About the roleJoin our Channel Performance team and play a key role in driving business growth and building a strong pipeline of future opportunities. This is an exciting entry-level sales and business development position, ideal for someone looking to develop a successful commercial career within a leading research and insights organisation.Working closely with experienced colleagues, you'll support new business generation through prospect research, outbound outreach and lead qualification activities. You'll also contribute to marketing and business development initiatives by creating engaging content, case studies and sales materials that help raise awareness of our services.You'll gain exposure to the full sales cycle, supporting proposal development, client responses and commercial documentation. The role offers excellent learning opportunities, access to innovative AI tools and technologies, and the chance to develop valuable sales, marketing and stakeholder management skills within a collaborative, entrepreneurial and people-focused environment.About youGenuine interest in sales, business development and marketingStrong verbal and written communication skills with the confidence to engage new contactsExcellent research and information-gathering capabilitiesAbility to build relationships and establish credibility with prospective clientsStrong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneouslyProactive, self-motivated and eager to learn new skills and technologiesCreative mindset with an interest in developing engaging marketing and sales contentCollaborative approach with a strong customer focus and positive attitudeProficiency in using and adopting AI tools to support research, productivity, content creation and sales activitiesEssential skillsExperience using Microsoft Office applications, including PowerPoint, Excel and WordStrong communication and interpersonal skillsAbility to conduct effective market, prospect and competitor researchConfidence using telephone, email, LinkedIn and digital channels for professional outreachExcellent attention to detail and organisational skillsAbility to manage workload effectively across multiple projectsWillingness to learn CRM systems, sales technologies and AI-powered toolsCommercial awareness and enthusiasm for business development activitiesDesirable skillsPrevious experience in a customer-facing, sales, marketing or administrative roleExperience using LinkedIn for networking, prospecting or business developmentKnowledge of market research, customer experience or mystery shopping sectorsExperience creating marketing, social media or campaign contentFamiliarity with CRM systems and sales pipeline managementExperience using AI tools to enhance research, content development or productivityDegree or professional qualification in business, marketing or a related disciplineBenefitsWe offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you as an individual. Our standard benefits include 25 days annual leave, pension contribution, income protection and life assurance. In addition, there are a range health & wellbeing, financial benefits and professional development opportunities.We have a hybrid approach to work and ask people to be in the office or with clients for 3 days per week. We appreciate you may have commitments outside of work and will consider flexible working applications. Please highlight what you are looking for when you make your application.We are committed to equality, treating people fairly, promoting a positive and inclusive working environment and ensuring we have diversity of people and views. We recognise that this is important for our business success. A more diverse workforce enables us to better reflect and understand the world we research and ultimately deliver better research and insight to our clients. We are proud to be a member of the Disability Confident scheme and certified as a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer. We provide an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Your application will be reviewed by someone from our Talent Team who will be in touch either way to let you know the outcome.Ready to have an impact? Apply now!About the organizationThe Channel Performance Service Line is home to the largest mystery shopping agency in the world. We complete over one million shops every year in 100+ countries across all industry segments and organization sizes. We also offer Geolocation Surveys, Site Audits & Installations, and foundational research within our portfolio of services. Our purpose is to help our clients improve their business performance across all channels in which they serve their customers – brick and mortar retail, digital e-commerce, and contact centers. We do this by helping them size channel opportunities, measure the delivery of brand promises, and drive compliance and sales conversion across these channels.About the companyIpsos is one of the world’s largest research companies and currently the only one primarily managed by researchers, ranking as a #1 full-service research organization for four consecutive years. With over 75 different data-driven solutions, and presence in 90 markets, Ipsos brings together research, implementation, methodological, and subject-matter experts from around the world, combining thematic and technical experts to deliver top-quality research and insights. Simply speaking, we help the biggest companies solve some of their biggest problems, serving more than 5000 clients across the globe by providing research, data, and insights on their target markets. And we are proud of our continuous efforts in making Ipsos the best place to work!