Business Development Manager

Business Development Manager – London, South East

Main purpose of job:
To lead and drive profitable, strategic growth across Assured Group subsidiaries within the London and the South East, England region by identifying, shaping and securing high-value opportunities, developing senior client relationships and converting complex requirements into commercially robust, operationally deliverable contracts.

This role will play a key part in supporting the Group’s wider commercial strategy, strengthening market presence and enhancing Assured Group’s position as a trusted, multi-disciplinary service partner. The postholder will be expected to operate at both a strategic and hands-on level, working closely with the Group Commercial Director, subsidiary Managing Directors and operational leaders to influence growth, open new markets and secure long-term value for the Group.

We invite experts to apply with experience within the following sectors: Transport (Aviation / Rail) and Facilities Management (Corporate Real Estate / Retail)

Responsible to: Group Commercial Director

Responsible for:

Strategic business development activity across London (and the surrounding areas) and the South East region and assigned sectors, and where applicable supporting commercial executives, bid resources and wider team members involved in opportunity development and tender activity.

Main tasks of the job

1. Strategic market development and growth

• Lead the identification, development and conversion of strategic commercial opportunities across Assured Group subsidiaries within the Southern region.
• Build, manage and maintain a high-quality pipeline of opportunities aligned to the Group’s growth priorities and target sectors.
• Support the development of regional and sector-based growth plans, identifying routes to market, priority accounts and key partnership opportunities.
• Position Assured Group as a strategic outsourcing and operational delivery partner, capable of delivering multi-service, scalable and commercially sustainable solutions.
• Contribute to the expansion of the Group’s presence across new clients, sectors and service lines.

2. Senior client engagement and relationship leadership

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with senior decision-makers across client organisations, including Procurement, Commercial, Estates, Facilities, Operations and Board-level stakeholders.
• Lead client engagement activity from early-stage prospecting through to solution development, negotiation and contract award.
• Build credibility as a trusted commercial adviser, able to understand strategic business drivers, operational challenges and long-term client objectives.
• Create opportunities to engage early in the buying cycle, shaping requirements and influencing solution design where possible.

3. Commercial strategy and deal leadership

• Take a lead role in shaping commercial solutions, pricing strategies, proposals, tenders and contractual negotiations across relevant Group service lines.
• Develop commercially sound, risk-balanced delivery models that reflect labour, supervision, equipment, consumables, mobilisation, compliance, technology, overhead recovery and target margin.
• Ensure all opportunities are evaluated for commercial viability, operational deliverability, strategic value and contractual risk.
• Work with the Group Commercial Director and subsidiary leadership teams to support key deal reviews, approvals and commercial decision-making.
• Drive commercial discipline across the opportunity lifecycle, ensuring quality, consistency and alignment to Group objectives.

4. Key account development and cross-group growth

• Identify and unlock opportunities to grow existing accounts through the introduction of wider Assured Group capabilities and integrated service offerings.
• Work across subsidiary boundaries to develop joined-up solutions that maximise client value and strengthen the Group’s overall proposition.
• Lead account growth conversations with existing and prospective clients, identifying opportunities for contract expansion, additional services and long-term partnership development.
• Support the development of strategic account plans in collaboration with operational and subsidiary leadership teams.

5. Operational and leadership alignment

• Work closely with Managing Directors, Operational Directors and mobilisation teams to ensure proposed solutions are aligned to operational capability and delivery expectations.
• Provide commercial leadership during transition from bid to mobilisation, supporting a smooth handover and strong early-life contract performance.
• Ensure that service solutions are realistic, deliverable and aligned to both client need and Group standards.
• Act as a senior link between commercial intent and operational execution.

6. Market intelligence and proposition development

• Monitor market activity, competitor positioning, client demand, procurement trends and sector developments across target markets.
• Use insight to inform commercial strategy, pricing approaches, proposition development and targeting activity.
• Identify emerging trends and strategic shifts that may create opportunity or risk for the Group.
• Support the ongoing refinement of Assured Group’s market positioning, value proposition and go-to-market approach across the Southern region.

7. Governance, forecasting and performance reporting

• Maintain clear oversight of pipeline progression, CRM management, revenue forecasting and conversion activity.
• Provide regular strategic updates, sector insights and opportunity reviews to the Group Commercial Director and relevant subsidiary leaders.
• Ensure all business development activity is managed in line with Group governance, delegated authority and commercial approval processes.
• Contribute to budgeting, target setting and performance tracking across the regional pipeline.

8. Proposals, tenders and executive presentations

• Lead the development of high-quality proposals, tender submissions, presentations and commercial responses across a range of subsidiaries and service lines.
• Produce compelling, executive-level documentation that clearly articulates Assured Group’s operational capability, commercial value and strategic fit.
• Translate complex delivery solutions into clear and persuasive client-facing content.
• Support bid governance and internal review processes to ensure submissions are compliant, commercially robust and aligned to Group margin and risk expectations.
• Represent the business confidently in client meetings, presentations, site visits and commercial negotiations.

9. Contribution to wider Group commercial strategy

• Support the Group Commercial Director in delivering wider commercial priorities, strategic initiatives and business development planning.
• Act as a senior ambassador for Assured Group in the market, promoting the strength of the Group’s subsidiary model and integrated service capability.
• Contribute to the development of commercial best practice, pipeline quality, market messaging and growth strategy across the wider business.
• Help foster stronger collaboration across the Group to improve cross-selling, opportunity visibility and commercial effectiveness.

The above is not an exhaustive list of duties and you will be expected to undertake other responsibilities as required in line with the evolving needs of the role, the Group and wider business objectives.

Skills and competencies

• Proven track record in a senior business development, commercial or strategic growth role within facilities management, aviation services, outsourcing, workforce solutions or specialist services
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to structure profitable, sustainable and scalable service solutions
• Experience of leading complex tenders, negotiated opportunities and high-value commercial discussions
• Strong ability to build credibility and influence at senior operational and executive level
• Excellent stakeholder management, relationship-building and communication skills
• Strong strategic thinking combined with the ability to convert opportunity into practical delivery models
• High standard of written communication and presentation capability
• Strong organisational, planning and pipeline management skills
• Sound understanding of mobilisation, operational delivery, contractual risk and service performance frameworks
• Strong IT capability including CRM systems, Excel, PowerPoint and Word
• Self-motivated, commercially driven and able to operate with a high degree of autonomy
• Willingness to travel across the South region and wider UK as required