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For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Drive sales and build relationships with top fashion brands using innovative plant-based materials.
- Company: Join Ponda, a pioneering startup focused on sustainable fashion solutions.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, commission, equity plan, flexible hours, and a fun work environment.
- Why this job: Be part of a transformative journey in the fashion industry with regenerative materials.
- Qualifications: 7+ years in sales, experience with materials or apparel, and a passion for sustainability.
- Other info: Opportunity for career growth in a dynamic, agile startup environment.
The predicted salary is between 42000 - 70000 ÂŁ per year.
Ponda creates the world’s first biomaterial designed from plants grown on regenerated wetlands. BioPuff®, our plant-based insulation, is a material used to power outerwear and quilted garments. It is crafted from reeds grown on wetlands - powerful, carbon sequestering ecosystems that enable biodiversity to thrive.
If you are passionate about:
- Innovative, regenerative products
- Defining the next-generation of fashion and materials
- Working with a wide range of industry players: farmers, fashion designers, textiles operators, global brands
- Fast-paced, agile startup work environments
Then Ponda is the company for you.
THE ROLE
Ponda is taking BioPuff® from limited capsules into scaled commercial production. This role sits at the centre of that shift. You will work directly with the founders to turn a breakthrough regenerative material into repeatable revenue with some of the world’s most influential fashion and outdoor brands - shaping how a new category is sold, specified, and adopted.
This is an opportunity to work with some of the world’s leading brands to create truly regenerative supply chains. We have both a direct-to-brand and merchandising model, meaning you will have to create, adapt and manage multiple sales funnels.
The ideal candidate is someone who is happy building and defining their role as they deliver on key overarching targets. This is an opportunity to not just enable a regenerative transformation, but to also define what sales is at Ponda. You will be working directly with the CEO and other founders to ensure Ponda becomes the defacto go-to for regenerative materials and garment solutions.
You should be someone who both delivers excellent service to customers and understands how to prioritise accounts that have the highest potential for impact. You will be able to manage complex timelines across multiple different business units including manufacturing, product and marketing to ensure customer expectations are met whilst working within the resources available at Ponda.
This is a consultative, trust-led role, working with retail, materials, innovation, brand, sustainability and sourcing teams at global brands. You will sit between customers and internal teams, shaping how BioPuff® is positioned, tested, and ultimately adopted. The role is central to how Ponda learns from the market and turns insight into strategy.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Build & Convert Customer Relationships into Revenue
- Manage end-to-end pilot-to-commercial customer journeys, from early engagement through validation, internal buy-in, and scale-up
- Build and maintain long-term relationships with brands, manufacturers, and strategic partners across fashion, outdoor, and adjacent sectors
- Act as a primary commercial point of contact for selected accounts, balancing credibility, responsiveness, and realism
- Support and lead commercial negotiations
- Represent Ponda clearly and credibly in meetings, workshops, and industry contexts
- Orchestrate Internal Delivery & Customer Success
- Be able to build and manage CRMs, understanding how to effectively categorise leads and select the best
- Coordinate closely with product, R&D, and operations teams to align customer needs with technical capability and delivery timelines
- Work closely with product teams to ensure customer success, connecting sales to production and delivery of orders
- Build the Commercial System & Future Capability
- Own and maintain a clear, structured commercial pipeline, working closely with marketing to optimise a productive funnel
- Feed structured market insight back into product development, pricing, positioning, and go-to-market strategy
WHAT SUCCESS WILL LOOK LIKE
- Successfully take BioPuff® from pilot to production-ready garments, such as gilets or outerwear, for key brand clients
- Ensure all merchandising timelines are met, from concept and material selection through sampling, approval, and delivery for seasonal ranges
- Build strong relationships with clients’ merchandising and buying teams to secure internal buy-in and adoption across multiple SKUs
- Translate client feedback into actionable improvements for material performance, garment design, and cost optimization
- Coordinate internal teams – R&D, production, and operations – to deliver garments that meet quality, margin, and sustainability targets
WHO ARE YOU
This role is for someone who is target-driven and comfortable operating in an agile environment. You will have to manage and juggle multiple timelines across novel material production, apparel production times and customer expectations. You are curious about how materials, systems, and supply chains work, and motivated by the idea of building something genuinely new and impactful.
You will be joining Ponda at a pivotal moment of our journey as we transition from capsules to scaled production. With growth there will be ongoing opportunities for career development and for constructing a growing sales and business development team.
YOUR EXPERIENCE
- 7+ years in a relevant sales position including materials, manufacturing, apparel, outdoor (will consider wider supply chain sales but needs to be a physical product).
- A strong track record of growing sales at previous roles, with a particular focus on experience working with insulated products in apparel, interiors or soft goods is highly valuable
- Experience selling or managing partnerships around biomaterials, ingredient materials, or fabrics/textiles is highly valuable
- Merchandising & Range Experience (Highly Valued)
- We are particularly interested in candidates who have worked closely with merchandising teams or held merchandising roles themselves. This includes experience with range planning, seasonal calendars, margin structures, and buy-in processes – and an understanding of how materials decisions translate into commercial product lines at scale
- You do not need deep technical expertise on day one, that can be learned, but you must be comfortable engaging with technical conversations and translating them into commercial outcomes. A genuine interest in sustainability and regenerative systems is essential.
WHAT YOU GET
- ÂŁ50,000 salary plus commission on sales
- Equity Plan
- Be part of an innovative endeavour towards truly regenerative materials
- Contribute to company research direction
- Flexible working around core hours
- Cycle to work scheme
- Scale with a rapidly growing organisation, working with experienced and motivated individuals
- Birthday day off
- Dog friendly office
- Fun! We work hard, but we make sure we enjoy the process
Business Development Lead in Bristol employer: Ponda
Contact Detail:
Ponda Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Business Development Lead in Bristol
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy to reach out on LinkedIn. The more connections you make, the better your chances of landing that dream job.
✨Tip Number 2
Show up prepared! When you land an interview, do your homework on Ponda and its products. Understand BioPuff® inside out and be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with their mission. This will show them you’re genuinely interested and invested.
✨Tip Number 3
Follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way. It shows your enthusiasm for the role and keeps you fresh in their minds. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to reiterate why you’re the perfect fit for the team.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! We love seeing candidates who take the initiative to engage directly with us. It shows you’re serious about joining the Ponda family and helps us keep track of your application.
We think you need these skills to ace Business Development Lead in Bristol
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion: When you're writing your application, let your enthusiasm for innovative and regenerative products shine through. We want to see that you’re genuinely excited about the role and how it aligns with your values.
Tailor Your Experience: Make sure to highlight your relevant experience in sales, especially if you've worked with materials or in the fashion industry. We love seeing how your background can contribute to our mission at Ponda!
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so make sure your skills and experiences are easy to understand. This helps us see how you fit into our fast-paced environment.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity at Ponda.
How to prepare for a job interview at Ponda
✨Know Your Stuff
Before the interview, dive deep into Ponda's mission and products, especially BioPuff®. Understand how it fits into the fashion and materials landscape. This will help you speak confidently about how your experience aligns with their goals.
✨Showcase Your Relationships
Be ready to discuss your past experiences in building and maintaining relationships with brands and partners. Highlight specific examples where you've successfully navigated complex sales funnels or managed customer expectations, as this role is all about trust-led interactions.
✨Demonstrate Agility
Ponda thrives in a fast-paced environment, so share examples of how you've adapted to changing circumstances in previous roles. Talk about how you’ve managed multiple timelines and priorities, especially in sales or product development contexts.
✨Bring Solutions to the Table
Prepare to discuss how you would approach challenges in the role, such as translating client feedback into actionable improvements. Think about how you can contribute to building a structured commercial pipeline and optimising sales strategies at Ponda.
