At a Glance
- Tasks: Drive sales growth and build key customer relationships in the food and drink sector.
- Company: Established and growing business with a focus on innovation and collaboration.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, bonus scheme, car allowance, and hybrid working.
- Other info: Exciting opportunity for career growth with UK and international travel.
- Why this job: Join a dynamic team and make a real impact in a thriving industry.
- Qualifications: 2+ years in sales or business development, preferably in food or manufacturing.
Location: Bristol – Hybrid (3 days office-based)
Salary: £45,000–£50,000 Basic DOE + Commission + Car Allowance
Travel: UK & International
Are you an experienced Business Development Manager, Sales Manager or Account Manager with a background in the food, drink or manufacturing sector? We’re working with an established and growing business that is looking for a commercially driven Business Development Manager to take responsibility for developing and managing key customer relationships, identifying new opportunities and driving profitable sales growth across the UK and international markets. This is an additional role as the team is expanding rapidly.
This is an excellent opportunity for a customer-focused sales professional who enjoys building long-term relationships, winning new business and working closely with technical and R&D/NPD teams to deliver solutions that meet customer needs.
The Role
As Business Development Manager, you will have overall responsibility for managing relationships with both new and existing customers. You will develop a strong understanding of customer requirements, identify opportunities and work collaboratively across the business to convert those opportunities into profitable sales.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage, retain and develop a portfolio of key accounts and markets.
- Build strong relationships with buyers, decision-makers and other key stakeholders.
- Identify and develop new business opportunities across direct customers, agents and distributors.
- Manage qualified leads and convert opportunities through the sales pipeline.
- Organise and attend commercially focused customer and prospect meetings.
- Work closely with Technical, R&D and NPD teams to identify and develop customer opportunities.
- Increase sales revenue, profitability and the active customer base.
- Drive customer retention and identify opportunities for account growth.
- Develop relationships with potential business partners, agents and distributors.
- Prepare and deliver customer and internal presentations.
- Maintain accurate customer, opportunity and CRM records.
- Contribute to external marketing and commercial communications where required.
- Plan and manage customer and field visits.
- Maintain the product list in conjunction with the Technical Data Lead.
- Develop appropriate technical knowledge across the company's product portfolio.
- Travel throughout the UK and internationally as required.
About You
We’re looking for a commercially minded sales professional with a proven track record in Business Development, Sales or Account Management, ideally within the food, drink or manufacturing industry.
You will ideally have:
- 2+ years' experience in Sales or Business Development.
- Experience within the food, drink, FMCG or manufacturing sector is highly desirable.
- Excellent communication, presentation and negotiation skills.
- Strong commercial awareness and analytical ability.
- Proven experience of developing and influencing customer relationships.
- A proactive and self-motivated approach.
- Excellent organisation and time-management skills.
- Experience planning and managing customer/field visits.
- A strong understanding of sales pipelines and CRM systems.
- A customer-first approach combined with a strong commercial focus.
- The ability to work collaboratively as part of a wider team.
- Willingness to travel within the UK and internationally.
What’s on Offer?
£45,000–£50,000 basic salary, depending on experience. Bonus scheme. Car allowance. Hybrid working – typically 3 days office-based UK and international travel. Opportunity to join an established business and play a key role in its continued commercial growth.
If you’re an ambitious Business Development Manager, Sales Manager, Key Account Manager or National Account Manager looking for your next opportunity within the food and drink manufacturing sector, we’d love to hear from you. Apply today with your CV for immediate consideration.
Business Development Manager (South West) employer: Manucomm Recruitment Ltd
Manucomm Recruitment Ltd is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in the heart of Chippenham, where innovation meets quality in food manufacturing. Employees benefit from a strong focus on professional development, with opportunities to enhance their skills and advance their careers while contributing to a culture that prioritises food safety and compliance. Join us to be part of a team that values your expertise and empowers you to make a meaningful impact in the chilled foods sector.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Business Development Manager (South West)
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We think you need these skills to ace Business Development Manager (South West)
Some tips for your application 🫡
Highlight Your Analytical Skills:In the business intelligence field, showcasing your analytical skills is a must. Make sure your CV includes relevant experience with data analysis tools, programming languages like SQL or Python, and any projects where you've interpreted complex data sets to drive business decisions.
Showcase Your Business Acumen:Don't just focus on data; show us how you can apply your insights to real-world business problems. Highlight projects where you made a tangible impact on company performance, and be prepared to explain your thought process in your cover letter.
Tailor Your Documents for Us:When applying for a full-time role at Manucomm Recruitment Ltd, tailor your CV and cover letter to reflect our organisational goals and strategies. Mention specific tools and methodologies that align with what we do—this shows you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in our mission!
Include Relevant Certifications:Certifications like Google Data Analytics or similar qualifications can really make you stand out in business intelligence. Include these in your application, as they demonstrate your commitment to the field and your willingness to stay current with industry standards.
How to prepare for a job interview at Manucomm Recruitment Ltd
✨Show off your analytical skills
In a business intelligence role, you're going to need to demonstrate your analytical prowess. Be prepared to discuss specific tools you've used, like SQL, Tableau, or Power BI. Have real-world examples ready where you’ve turned data into actionable insights – this is what makes us shine in interviews!
✨Practice your technical know-how
Expect some technical questions during the interview that dive deep into your understanding of data modelling and analytics frameworks. Brush up on your knowledge of data warehousing concepts and be ready to tackle any real case scenarios they might present. They’ll want to see how you approach problems using your BI toolkit.
✨Portfolio of Projects
Since it's a full-time role, having a strong portfolio is key! Compile case studies demonstrating your previous projects, preferably showing how your insights led to business improvements. This can help us display how you think through complex datasets and your problem-solving process, which is what employers are keen on seeing.
✨Know their business model
Get familiar with Manucomm Recruitment Ltd’s business model and recent data-driven decisions. Be prepared to discuss how your skills can specifically support their objectives or challenges. Understanding their landscape shows that you’re not just a data buff, but you’re also genuinely interested in how BI can impact their bottom line.
