Business Development Manager in London

Benefits include: private healthcare, life assurance, education support and 10 extra work-from-home days annually.

The Skills You'll Need:

• Trading
• Manufacturing
• Business Development
• Packaging

Your New Salary: £70-80k + discretionary bonus

Location: Central London, 5 days a week in office for 6 months, then hybrid 4 days in office

Job status: Permanent

Start date: ASAP

Working hours: Monday to Friday, 9-5pm (35h p/week)

Who You'll Be Working for: Global food raw materials trader.

To be successful in this role our client has said it is essential that candidates:

• Have a visa to work in the UK for more than two years
• Sales background within packaging raw materials such as steel, plastics, paper or metals
• Understanding of trading or trade experience

What You'll be Doing Each Day:

• Significant opportunity to grow in an international trading business.
• The focus on the marketing and selling of various Packaging Raw Materials (Steel, Plastics, Paper, and Metals) to the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.
• Manage and nurture the existing export sales business and develop new business in a variety of products including but not limited to Plastics, Paper, Tinplate, Aluminium Slugs, Coated Steel products, Cold Rolled steel and Aluminium profiles.
• Drive the existing business and develop new customers and products.
• Cooperate and liaise with customers and suppliers worldwide.
• Travel frequently to meet regional offices, suppliers, and customers.
• Achieve and exceed sales targets in line with the company strategy, defined KPI's and agreed annual budget.
• Identify potential within new and existing customers and devise strategies with a view to growing the department's turnover in line with the business' growth plans.
• Work closely with local colleagues as well as the regional offices to achieve designated growth targets.
• Monthly reporting on sales and marketing activity to the line manager and other stakeholders.
• Learn to use SAP and contribute to our database and other management information systems.
• Devise and deliver technical and commercial product presentations to a wide range of stakeholders.

Team management:

• Provide clear direction, support, and guidance to five team members to achieve departmental and organisational goals.
• Foster a positive and inclusive team culture by identifying training needs, mentoring staff, and facilitating professional development opportunities.
• Set performance expectations, conduct regular evaluations, and manage performance through coaching, feedback, and formal reviews.
• Participate in the recruitment process, onboarding new hires, and ensuring a smooth integration into the team.

The Skills You'll Need to Succeed:

• International trading experience in export markets.
• Proven experience managing diverse teams.
• Product knowledge of packaging raw materials (either Plastics / Paper / Steel / Aluminium).
• Team player and able to build relationships with colleagues from different nationalities (both UK and overseas).
• International travel experience preferably in MENA region.
• Good knowledge of shipping and INCOTERMS.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills.
• Willing to travel frequently to visit suppliers/customers/trade exhibitions in Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe (10–20 weeks annually; Europe trips typically 2–4 days; Asia/Africa trips approx. 7–12 days).
• Demonstrated track record of managing a business of approximately GBP 25M.

We would be grateful if you could send your CV as a Word document. If your application is successful, you will be contacted within 7 days. We regret that due to the high volume of applications we receive we cannot provide feedback on individual CVs. Please note that we can only consider candidates who are eligible to work in the UK and are able to provide relevant supporting documentation.

People First is committed to increasing diversity, and maintaining an inclusive workplace culture. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, year of birth, relationship status or whether or not they have a disability.