Senior Business Development Manager

Senior Business Development Manager | London - Hybrid, 2 days per week in the office | Competitive Salary + Benefits

About the Role

The opportunity

Win new partnerships that shape the experiences customers can discover through Buyagift and Red Letter Days. New partner acquisition is a strategic priority and a key growth lever for the business.

Strategic growth

You will win partnerships at pace that expand customer choice, strengthen our range and deliver sustainable commercial growth.

Complex deals

You will own opportunities from proactive outreach to contract signature, including strategic partnerships involving multiple decision-makers, competing priorities, and legal and operational dependencies. You will build persuasive business cases, influence senior stakeholders and negotiate sound terms.

Your team

You will report to the Head of Partner Growth, working with Category, Commercial, Legal and Onboarding. Depending on your experience and the agreed scope, the role may include line management of two BD Managers alongside hands-on ownership of strategic deals. We welcome experienced people managers and strong commercial performers ready to step up into their first formal management role. Responsibilities will be confirmed during the recruitment process. Travel to partner meetings and industry events may be required.

Key Responsibilities

Partner Acquisition

• Manage a prioritised prospect list from first outreach to signed agreement, keeping CRM stages, forecasts and dated next steps realistic.
• Research and approach high-potential experience partners through tailored calls, email, LinkedIn, referrals, events and meetings.
• Maintain clear plans for strategic prospects, engage the right decision-makers and follow through consistently.

Commercial Pitching and Negotiation

• Understand each prospect's business model, goals, capacity and customer fit, then turn those insights into compelling proposals for Buyagift and Red Letter Days.
• Pitch to owners, founders, operators and senior decision-makers, navigating complex deals, competing priorities and objections.
• Balance customer value, margin and partner ambitions when negotiating sound terms, obtaining required commercial and legal approvals before commitments.

Category Growth

• Work with Category Managers to agree acquisition priorities based on supply gaps, customer demand and partner value.
• Win partners that improve quality, choice, regional coverage and category performance.
• Use market insight and prospect feedback to refine how we acquire partners.
• Use Excel and commercial reports to assess supply gaps, prioritise prospects and evaluate the potential value of partnerships.

Onboarding and Collaboration

• Work with Category, Commercial, Legal and Onboarding to agree requirements, owners and deadlines; give concise updates and flag setbacks promptly.
• Secure executed agreements and provide receiving teams with clear terms, contacts, expectations, product information and launch risks.
• Support successful partner launches and escalate blockers with their impact, actions tried and a specific recommendation or support request.

Market Insight and Relationships

• Develop trusted relationships across experiences, hospitality, leisure, travel, wellness and entertainment, representing our brands at relevant events.
• Monitor competitors, customer trends and partner feedback to identify prospects and improve how we acquire partners.

People Leadership Where Applicable

• Where line management forms part of the role, set clear priorities and individual targets for two Senior Business Development Managers, taking accountability for their delivery and combined team results alongside your own strategic deals.
• Review team pipelines and forecasts, support complex negotiations and resolve delivery risks, while giving each manager clear ownership and autonomy.
• Hold regular one-to-ones and performance reviews, provide practical coaching and feedback, and agree individual development plans to support each manager’s growth.

About You

• You are a commercially driven, proactive relationship builder who enjoys opening doors and turning prospects into long-term partners.
• You are confident pitching, negotiating and influencing senior stakeholders while staying focused on quality, customer value and commercial impact.
• You are highly organised, resilient and comfortable managing multiple opportunities at once.
• You can work autonomously, use insight to prioritise the right prospects, and collaborate closely with internal teams to turn signed agreements into successful partner launches.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Strong experience owning new business, including prospecting, pitching, negotiating and closing new business relationships.
• Experience in B2B sales, business development, partnerships or commercial acquisition, including complex deals.
• Commercial judgement: using data and customer insight to assess partner fit, prioritise prospects, evaluate terms and consider long-term customer relevance.
• Consultative selling skills, including building business cases, influencing senior stakeholders and negotiating sound agreements.
• Pipeline discipline, with honest qualification, realistic forecasts and consistent deal progression.
• Clear communication, reliable follow-through and good judgement about when to seek support.
• Strong stakeholder management, influencing and relationship-building skills.
• Self-motivation, target focus and strong organisational skills, with experience managing a multi-stage pipeline.
• Confidence using CRM systems and Excel to analyse commercial data, manage a pipeline and make evidence-based recommendations.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience line-managing a sales, business development or partnerships team, or readiness to step up demonstrated through coaching, mentoring or leading others towards shared results. Previous formal line management is not required; this experience is relevant where people leadership forms part of the role.
• Experience in a marketplace, e-commerce, travel, hospitality, leisure, gifting or experience-led business.
• Experience with partner onboarding, catalogue launch, product setup or supplier activation.
• Understanding of category management, product curation, customer proposition or supply acquisition.

Interview Process:

Stage 1: TA Screen - 30 minutes

Stage 2: Hiring Manager Screen - 45-60 minutes

Stage 3: Final Interview - 60 minutes with the Hiring Manager / Senior Stakeholder. Task details TBC.

Our process may vary depending on role and availability. We keep candidates informed of any changes.