Business Development Manager Job Description
A Business Development Manager wins new customers and grows revenue by developing opportunities, building relationships and turning pipeline into closed business. This template provides a clear structure you can adapt for sector, seniority and territory.
What does a Business Development Manager professional do?
A Business Development Manager identifies and develops new commercial opportunities, manages a sales pipeline and negotiates deals to meet revenue targets, working across sales, product and marketing functions.
Business Development Manager job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Business Development Manager
About the role
[Company name] is looking for a Business Development Manager to generate and close new business across [territory/sector]. You will build a healthy pipeline, develop proposals and negotiate commercial terms to hit agreed targets. This role suits a commercially minded professional with a track record of B2B sales and strong stakeholder management skills.
Key responsibilities
- Identify and qualify new business opportunities through research, outreach and networking.
- Build and manage a sales pipeline, prioritising leads and progressing opportunities to close.
- Develop tailored proposals, quotes and commercial terms for prospective clients.
- Negotiate contracts and close deals while protecting margin and company interests.
- Maintain accurate records and sales activity in the CRM; produce regular forecasts and reports.
- Build and nurture long-term client relationships to create repeat revenue and referrals.
- Work closely with marketing, product and operations to align offers and ensure successful handover to delivery teams.
- Represent the organisation at events, trade shows and client meetings as required.
Essential skills and experience
- Proven track record of new business development and meeting sales targets in a B2B environment.
- Experience managing a sales pipeline and using a CRM to track activity and forecast revenue.
- Strong commercial awareness with practical negotiation and closing skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication; able to produce clear proposals and present to clients.
- Good stakeholder management and ability to work across internal teams.
- Comfortable working to defined targets and reporting on performance.
- Right to work in the UK.
Desirable
- Sector-specific experience relevant to your market (for example: technology, professional services, manufacturing).
- Experience of bidding, tendering or public-sector procurement processes.
- Formal sales or business development training or relevant professional qualification.
- Existing network of contacts within the target sector or territory.
- Experience selling subscription-based or SaaS products.
- Full UK driving licence where role involves frequent travel.
What we offer
- [Competitive base salary + commission/bonus structure]
- [Pension scheme (employer contribution %)]
- [Private medical insurance or cash allowance]
- [Flexible / hybrid working options]
- [Paid annual leave entitlement]
- [Training and professional development budget]
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Business Development Manager role?
A Business Development Manager focuses on creating new revenue streams for an organisation by finding and developing commercial opportunities. They manage a sales pipeline, build relationships with potential clients, prepare proposals and negotiate contracts. The role sits at the interface between sales, product and marketing and is judged primarily on revenue generation and pipeline health.
Pay structure
Often a base salary plus commission or bonus linked to targets. Total pay varies by sector, seniority and territory.
Typical hours
Usually full time; may include travel, evening networking events or occasional weekend work depending on sector.
Reports to
Typically reports to a Head of Sales, Commercial Director or Managing Director depending on company size.
Location & travel
Office-based, hybrid or field roles are all common. Travel frequency depends on territory and client locations.
Typical Business Development Manager responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Identify
Identify and qualify new business opportunities through research, outreach and networking.
Build
Build and manage a sales pipeline, prioritising leads and progressing opportunities to close.
Develop tailored proposals
Develop tailored proposals, quotes and commercial terms for prospective clients.
Negotiate contracts
Negotiate contracts and close deals while protecting margin and company interests.
Maintain accurate records
Maintain accurate records and sales activity in the CRM; produce regular forecasts and reports.
Build
Build and nurture long-term client relationships to create repeat revenue and referrals.
Work closely with marketing
Work closely with marketing, product and operations to align offers and ensure successful handover to delivery teams.
Represent the organisation at events
Represent the organisation at events, trade shows and client meetings as required.
Business Development Manager skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Proven track record of new business development and meeting sales targets in a B2B environment.
- Experience managing a sales pipeline and using a CRM to track activity and forecast revenue.
- Strong commercial awareness with practical negotiation and closing skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication; able to produce clear proposals and present to clients.
- Good stakeholder management and ability to work across internal teams.
- Comfortable working to defined targets and reporting on performance.
- Right to work in the UK.
Useful where relevant
- Sector-specific experience relevant to your market (for example: technology, professional services, manufacturing).
- Experience of bidding, tendering or public-sector procurement processes.
- Formal sales or business development training or relevant professional qualification.
- Existing network of contacts within the target sector or territory.
- Experience selling subscription-based or SaaS products.
- Full UK driving licence where role involves frequent travel.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Business Development Manager job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Lead with measurable outcomes
Include specific sales achievements on the advert (for example % growth, revenue won, major accounts). Candidates respond to clear performance expectations.
Be clear about target and earnings
State whether the role includes commission, typical on-target earnings band or bonus mechanics so applicants understand the opportunity.
Specify territory and customer type
Say if the role is field-based, regional, national or sector-specific and the typical client profile (SME, enterprise, public sector).
Describe the sales process
Briefly outline typical sales cycle length and whether the role is new business, account management or a mix—this helps set candidate expectations.
Highlight support and tools
Mention internal teams the hire will work with and any CRM or sales enablement support provided to help attract experienced candidates.
Business Development Manager salary considerations
Do not quote a single market figure. Pay for Business Development Managers depends on the role’s seniority, sector, commission structure and whether travel or field work is required. Use the salary section of an advert to explain pay structure (base, bonus/OTE), how commission is earned and any additional allowances.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Business Development Manager candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What is the commission structure and realistic on-target earnings?
Experienced hires will want clarity on commission rates, payment cadence, caps (if any) and typical OTE to assess financial fit.
What is the typical sales cycle and deal size?
Candidates need to know whether they will close quick wins or manage long, complex sales processes and the average value of deals.
What territory or client types will I cover and how much travel is expected?
Specify geographic coverage, remote vs field expectations, and frequency of face-to-face meetings.
What internal support is available?
Candidates often ask about marketing lead generation, pre-sales/product support and account management handover arrangements.
What KPIs will I be measured on?
List primary performance metrics such as revenue, pipeline value, conversion rate or number of qualified opportunities.
What training and career progression does the company offer?
Ambitious candidates want to know about development plans, mentorship and routes into senior commercial roles.
Where to post a Business Development Manager job
For Business Development Manager roles use a mix of channels to reach both active job-seekers and industry-aware passive candidates. Post on broad UK job boards and LinkedIn for general reach, and add sector- or function-specific boards and professional groups where your target candidates are active. For field or regionally-focused roles, include local/regional job sites and consider specialist sales recruitment consultancies or trade publications.
Related sales & business development job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Business Development Manager job description FAQs
How much experience should a Business Development Manager have?
Typical hires have between 2–7 years of relevant B2B sales or business development experience, depending on role seniority. Emphasise measurable outcomes rather than an exact number of years.
Should I include commission in the job advert?
Yes. State whether the role offers commission or bonus, the broad structure (uncapped vs capped) and, where possible, a realistic on-target earnings band or example to attract suitable candidates.
How can I assess commercial ability during interview?
Use a mix of competency questions and practical tasks such as a short sales presentation or simulated call. Review past metrics, deal examples and ask candidates to outline their pipeline-building approach.
Is a degree required for this role?
Not necessarily. Many employers prioritise demonstrable sales results, sector experience and commercial skills over formal qualifications. List a degree as desirable unless it is genuinely required.
What probation period is normal?
A probation period of three to six months is common. This allows time to assess early pipeline activity and cultural fit before confirming permanent employment.
How should I set targets for a new BDM?
Set a realistic ramp-up period that reflects the typical sales cycle. Use phased targets for pipeline activity, qualified opportunities and revenue to reflect early prospecting work.
Use this template to hire your next Business Development Manager
Tailor the responsibilities, essential skills and benefits to match the seniority, sector and territory for your vacancy. Be explicit about commission, territory and support to attract experienced, commercially focused candidates.
