Business Development Representative in Rochdale

Job Purpose

The Business Development Representative (BDR) plays a critical role in supporting the Business Development Managers (BDMs) by driving top-of-funnel activity across both cloud and network solutions.

The primary focus of this role is to generate and qualify leads, and to book quality meetings that create opportunities for the BDMs to engage potential customers with cloud solutions and network connectivity services.

Acting as the first point of contact in the sales cycle, the BDR is responsible for identifying target accounts and prospects, reaching out to key decision-makers, understanding business needs, and determining fit for AWS services, network solutions, or both.

Success in this role is measured by the volume and quality of meetings booked and the strength of the pipeline generated across both AWS and Networks, progressing into additional revenue for Zen Business.

Key Responsibilities

Lead Generation

• Identify and research target businesses and prospects within defined segments using tools such as LinkedIn, Lusha, and CRM insights.

• Build prospect lists across both cloud and connectivity opportunities, recognising where customers may benefit from one or both solution areas.

• Monitor market activity and relevant news to surface timely outreach opportunities across both AWS and Networks.

Lead Qualification

• Engage prospects through outbound calls, emails, and LinkedIn to uncover cloud initiatives, connectivity requirements, business drivers, and technical needs.

• Assess interest and fit based on qualification criteria for both AWS and Network solutions.

• Identify cross-sell and upsell opportunities where cloud and network requirements overlap.

• Document qualification outcomes accurately to support seamless handovers to the relevant sales team.

Meeting Booking

• Secure qualified meetings for the BDM team with decision-makers and influencers, ensuring each meeting has clear context and is aligned to the relevant solution area and business objectives.

• Provide detailed handover notes so that the receiving BDM has full visibility of the prospect's needs, priorities, and background.

Collaboration with BDMs & Network Sales

• Work closely with BDMs to understand target personas, vertical focus, and value propositions across both solution areas.

• Share insights from prospecting efforts to shape go-to-market activities and identify emerging trends or demand signals.

• Participate in regular pipeline reviews to ensure alignment between BDR activity and wider sales objectives.

• Contribute to team discussions on messaging, objection handling, and how best to approach key accounts or sectors.

CRM Management

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of outreach activities, lead status, scheduled meetings, and qualification notes in the CRM system.

• Use CRM data to prioritise outreach activity and identify accounts requiring re-engagement.

Feedback & Continuous Improvement

• Incorporate feedback from BDMs on lead quality and continuously refine outreach strategies and messaging to improve conversion rates.

• Stay informed on developments across both AWS and network product sets to ensure prospecting conversations are relevant, credible, and commercially focused.

• Proactively share what is and is not working in outbound activity to help the broader team iterate and improve campaign effectiveness.

Person Specification

Essential

• Confident and professional communicator with the ability to engage senior decision-makers by phone, email, and LinkedIn.

• Self-motivated with a proactive approach to outbound prospecting and lead generation.

• Organised and disciplined, with the ability to manage a high volume of outreach activity

• Comfortable working to targets and KPIs in a fast-paced, commercially driven sales environment.

• Strong attention to detail, particularly in CRM record-keeping and meeting handover documentation.

• Team player who collaborates effectively with BDMs and the wider sales function.

• Resilient and persistent, with the ability to handle rejection and maintain a positive, proactive approach to outreach.

Desirable

• Previous experience in a BDR, SDR, or inside sales role, ideally within technology, telecoms, or IT services.

• Familiarity with AWS cloud services, network connectivity solutions, or both.

• Experience using CRM systems and prospecting tools such as LinkedIn Sales Navigator and Lusha.

• Understanding of B2B sales cycles and the role of lead qualification in pipeline development.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Performance in this role will be assessed against the following indicators. Specific targets will be agreed with the line manager upon commencement and reviewed on a regular basis.

• Number of qualified meetings booked per week and per month

• Total pipeline value generated from BDR-sourced leads across both solution areas.

• Quality of meeting handovers, assessed through structured feedback from BDMs

• CRM accuracy and completeness of activity records, reviewed as part of regular one-to-ones.

We’re building an inclusive work environment

At Zen, your individuality matters. Your gender, race, ethnicity, disability, sexuality, neurodiversity, background, and everything else that makes you who you are, we value it all. We want you to feel seen, respected, and supported from the very start of your journey with us.

Our Values shape how we work and who we are. We celebrate diversity and build strong communities where everyone belongs. We put people and the planet before profit, and we’re ambitious about the future, always learning, innovating, and striving to deliver award-winning service. Together, this means you’ll find opportunities not just to grow your career, but to make a meaningful impact.

We’re always open to conversations about part-time or flexible working, or reasonable adjustments, and we’ll support you wherever we can. Please feel comfortable sharing your preferences during the recruitment process.

If you’d like to find out more about what life is like at Zen, take a look at our careers page. Or, if you’d prefer to speak with someone about the role, call us on 01706 902 275 or email HR@Zeninternet.co.uk, we’d be happy to chat!

FAO Recruitment agencies & organisations: Please note that we do not need agency support to fill this role. We have a small, but great, pool of agencies on our PSL and will contact one of those if we need to.

Benefits

• 2 x Life Assurance Cover, with option to flex upwards
• 25 days Annual leave, rising to 30 days with length of service, with the option to purchase up to 5 more.
• Access to private Medical Healthcare and a Healthcare Cash Plan
• An extra day off for your birthday
• Car salary sacrifice scheme
• Continuous learning and development
• Discounted Mobile plans
• Flexible and Hybrid working
• Free onsite parking
• Internal coaching and mentoring opportunities
• Onsite Contemplation and Prayer room
• Onsite Electric Car Charging points
• Optional flexible critical illness cover
• People-friendly policies
• Recognition awards where we celebrate the most awesome people
• Retail discounts
• Salary sacrifice Pension- minimum of 3% Employee contributions for a 5% Employer contribution
• Six monthly salary reviews
• Subsidised Nursery fees
• Subsidised Onsite Restaurant
• Superfast Free Reliable Broadband
• Travel Loan and Ride2Work Schemes
• Two days’ paid leave per year for voluntary work

About Zen

At Zen, we’re redefining what it means to be a business, not just through what we do, but how we do it. We believe there’s a better way of doing business.

As the UK’s largest independently owned telecommunications and technology provider, we put people and planet before profit. We’re here for the long term, never for sale and driven by our purpose: Do right for people and planet. Being a certified B Corp is just one way we demonstrate our commitment to social and environmental responsibility. From award-winning services and industry-leading customer support to our focus on sustainability and community. Everything we do is guided by our core values, and yours.

At Zen, we know that our strength lies in our people. That’s why we celebrate individuality and diversity, creating a workplace where everyone belongs. We bring together our Zen values and personal values to build a supportive, open, and inclusive environment. Together, we grow, both as professionals and as people. We’re proud to be recognised as a Great Place to Work across multiple categories: Large Organisation, Wellbeing, Women, Development, and Technology, a reflection of the inclusive, empowering, and future-focused culture we’ve created.

We’re ambitious. We embrace innovation and welcome change. We challenge ourselves to think differently, improve constantly, and lead by example. We see every challenge is an opportunity. Every voice matters. And every success fuels a much bigger purpose.

So, if you're looking for a job where your values matter, where you can help build a future where business is a force for good, join us and help make a difference. Whether you're just starting out or bringing years of experience, your work at Zen will have real impact on our people, customers, communities, and the planet.