Business Development Manager in Manchester

This is a home/field-based, national sales position with regular travel across the UK. The role has nationwide scope, although the initial geographical emphasis is expected to be across Greater Manchester, Yorkshire and North Wales, with travel into Scotland and other parts of England as required. Candidates should therefore be comfortable operating autonomously across a broad geography and travelling flexibly in line with customer, project and partner activity.

Are you a commercially driven HVAC or building services sales professional with genuine specification credibility, a strong new business mentality and the ability to open doors, build strategic relationships and convert technically led opportunities into sustainable commercial growth? We are partnered with an innovative UK cleantech business specialising in smart hot water cylinders and connected hot water systems designed to reduce energy consumption, support decarbonisation and improve the performance of homes and buildings.

My client is looking to appoint an experienced Business Development Manager to strengthen its specification led commercial position across new build housing, social housing, commercial property and wider energy and building services markets. This is not a conventional account management role. The successful individual will be expected to create demand, identify and prospect high value target accounts, develop new relationships, influence specification and build a high-quality pipeline across a diverse stakeholder base including developers, housing providers, consultants, contractors, distributors, utilities, energy partners and commercial property owners.

The opportunity will particularly suit somebody who can combine technical credibility with a genuine hunter profile, translating smart hot water, low carbon heating and connected energy technology into clear customer outcomes around energy saving, carbon reduction, SAP and EPC performance, compliance, resident experience, grid flexibility and whole life value.

Reporting to the UK Sales & Specification Director, the Business Development Manager will take responsibility for growing revenue, strategic partnerships and market presence across the company’s target sectors. The role is focused on building and converting a high-quality pipeline for smart hot water cylinders and connected hot water systems. You will identify priority accounts, create new relationships, lead consultative sales conversations and develop commercially viable opportunities across housing, construction, property, energy, HVAC, renewables and wider building services markets.

A significant part of the role will involve engaging senior and technically experienced stakeholders including Asset Directors, Sustainability Leads, Development Directors, Technical Managers, Procurement Leads, Commercial Directors and C suite decision makers. You will be expected to understand each customer's commercial and technical priorities and translate them into clear value propositions around energy saving, carbon reduction, SAP and EPC performance, tenant and end user outcomes, grid flexibility, compliance and whole life value.

This is a genuinely proactive business development position. The business expects a substantial proportion of time to be dedicated to prospecting and outbound new business activity, supported by customer meetings, partner engagement, proposal development, pipeline management, market mapping and close collaboration with internal technical and product teams.

This is a field based national sales position combining specification development, strategic business development, channel engagement and commercial conversion. You will develop opportunities across housing associations, housebuilders, developers, M&E consultants, contractors, merchants, facilities teams, energy companies, commercial property owners and other relevant partners. You will build a structured target account plan, identify decision makers, open new conversations and progress opportunities through discovery, technical review, proposal, specification, pilot, framework, tender or commercial agreement as appropriate. Success will depend on your ability to work independently while bringing in technical, product and operational support at the right stages of the sales process. Strong CRM discipline, forecasting accuracy, commercial follow through and the ability to manage long cycle opportunities will all be important.

Responsibilities

• Meet or exceed agreed revenue, margin and partnership targets.
• Build, manage and continually develop a qualified and robust sales pipeline across the target markets.
• Identify and prospect high potential accounts across housing, property, construction, HVAC, energy, utilities and associated building services sectors.
• Create new relationships with housing associations, housebuilders, developers, M&E consultants, contractors, merchants, facilities teams, energy companies and commercial property owners.
• Lead consultative sales conversations with senior decision makers, technical stakeholders and commercial influencers.
• Translate customer requirements into compelling proposals around energy saving, carbon reduction, SAP and EPC benefits, compliance, tenant outcomes, grid flexibility and whole life value.
• Develop specification, channel and partner relationships that increase product adoption, project conversion and repeatable revenue.
• Work closely with technical and product colleagues to shape commercially viable solutions for retrofit, new build and commercial applications.
• Build detailed stakeholder maps and ensure clear next steps, close dates, forecast probability and opportunity information are maintained within CRM.
• Represent the business at customer meetings, industry events, partner meetings, webinars, trade shows and workshops.
• Provide clear market intelligence to support pricing, product development, marketing and wider go-to market strategy.
• Maintain a structured, professional and commercially accountable approach to territory planning, target account development and pipeline progression.
• Take ownership of the national remit and develop a structured long term plan for sustainable growth.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required

• Proven B2B business development, strategic sales, channel sales, specification sales or closely aligned commercial experience.
• Ideally five or more years of relevant experience, or a demonstrable track record operating successfully at a comparable level.
• Strong credibility within HVAC, heating, hot water, heat pumps, renewables, building services, housing, construction, property, energy or another closely aligned technical market.
• Experience developing a pipeline from proactive prospecting rather than relying primarily on existing accounts or incoming enquiries.
• Ability to open doors, create urgency and build trust with senior stakeholders through complex B2B sales cycles.
• Consultative selling capability with the ability to translate technical features into measurable commercial, compliance and sustainability outcomes.
• Experience managing long cycle opportunities from initial engagement through proposal, specification, negotiation and commercial conversion.
• Strong presentation, negotiation, communication, territory planning and account development skills.
• High degree of self motivation, resilience, commercial drive and personal accountability.
• Ability to work autonomously while using internal technical, product, marketing and operational support effectively.
• Strong CRM discipline with confidence around pipeline management, forecasting and performance metrics.
• Clear written and verbal communication with the ability to simplify technical concepts for commercial audiences.
• Clean driving licence and willingness to travel regularly across the UK.

Particularly relevant or advantageous experience may include:

• Experience working with housing associations, local authorities, developers, M&E consultants, contractors, installers or distributors.
• Knowledge of hot water systems, heat pumps, solar PV, smart controls, BMS integration, demand side response or distributed energy assets.
• Understanding of SAP, RdSAP, EPC, Future Homes Standard, net zero, ESG, retrofit decarbonisation or fuel poverty priorities.
• Experience developing partnerships, frameworks or channels that generate repeatable revenue rather than one off transactional sales.
• Existing specification, developer, housing, consultant, contractor or energy sector relationships that can be transferred into the role.

Success in the Role

• Performance will be measured against agreed commercial targets, pipeline quality, activity, forecast accuracy, customer outcomes and contribution to strategic growth.
• Build and maintain a qualified 30, 60 and 90 day pipeline with clear next steps, decision makers, close dates and forecast probability.
• Create and prioritise new target accounts across housing associations, developers, consultants, contractors, installers, distributors, utilities and commercial property owners.
• Convert qualified meetings into proposals, pilots, specifications, framework opportunities, partner agreements and project tenders.
• Develop strategic relationships that generate repeatable demand, stronger specification influence, channel growth and scalable project opportunities.
• Maintain consistently high CRM quality across active opportunities, contact records, meeting notes, next steps and forecasting.
• Bring meaningful customer and market insight back into the business to support product, pricing, marketing and wider go to market decisions.

Ramp Up & Development

A structured three-month ramp up period is expected, including product training, target account mapping, CRM setup, messaging, stakeholder introductions and agreed activity levels. The role offers access to technical and product learning around smart hot water, low carbon heating pathways, connected assets and demand side flexibility, alongside regular coaching, pipeline reviews and development planning.

The Person

This opportunity will suit an experienced and proactive sales professional who enjoys creating opportunities rather than simply managing what already exists. You will combine technical and specification credibility with the commercial instinct to identify where the business can create measurable value for customers and partners. You should be comfortable moving between technical discussions, strategic account conversations and commercially focused negotiations with senior decision makers. You will have the confidence to operate independently across a national remit, the discipline to build and maintain a structured pipeline and the resilience required to win new business in a growth stage market. The strongest candidates are likely to understand how specification led sales develop through multiple stakeholders and how relationships across developers, consultants, contractors, housing providers, partners and end users can influence successful adoption and conversion. Above all, you will bring a genuine hunter mentality, strong commercial judgement, curiosity around low carbon technology and the ability to represent the business credibly as the business expands across increasingly important housing, commercial property and energy markets.

What’s in it for you?

• Strong basic salary up to £60,000 depending on experience.
• 20% target bonus linked to team gross margin performance.
• £500 per month car allowance.
• Company pension.
• Potential share options.
• 25 days annual holiday.
• Mobile phone and laptop.
• Comprehensive technical and product support.
• Significant autonomy across a strategically important national remit.
• Health Cash Plan and Benenden Healthcare plan, subject to applicable scheme terms.
• Income Protection and comprehensive Employee Assistance Program.
• Flexible Working Policy and enhanced maternity and paternity provision.
• Cycle to Work benefit, discount scheme, paid volunteering day and wider employee benefits.
• Comprehensive product and technical training with a structured ramp up period.
• Career development within a growing cleantech business, with potential progression into Senior Business Development Manager, Strategic Partnerships, Key Account Management or Commercial Leadership.