[Hiring] Business Development Director @Activate Group Limited

Role Description

We're looking for a Business Development Director to join our Activate Collision Solutions team! The Business Development Director is responsible for driving profitable growth, both by personally securing new business and by ensuring existing client relationships are retained, deepened, and well served. The role combines front-line sales ownership with leadership of a small team covering client relationship management and marketing, giving the postholder end-to-end accountability for winning, keeping, and growing revenue.

Key Responsibilities

• Client Relationship Leadership:
  • Building a strong network across the sector owning the new business pipeline from prospecting, through proposal to close and contract.
  • Working with marketing team to provide generic and bespoke presentations and marketing materials to secure new business wins and expand the reach and awareness of the company's service proposition.
  • Attending industry events to promote Activate Collision Solutions and its proposition, making and strengthening relationships, leading to profitable long-term accounts.
  • Represent Activate Collision Solutions with credibility and authority in client-facing forums, senior reviews, external events, strategic planning sessions, and as required.
• Client Retention and Development:
  • Supporting the Managing Director with a selection of relationships in a portfolio of major insurer and broker clients within Activate Collision Solutions, acting as a point of contact and advisor.
  • Understand each client's business model, claims processes, cost drivers, and strategic priorities, tailoring our service offerings to align with their operational and commercial goals.
  • Build strong, trusting relationships across internal and external stakeholder groups, involving the right people early and communicating openly and respectfully to strengthen long-term partnerships.
  • Act as a senior escalation point for complex client issues, ensuring swift, high-quality resolution and sustained client satisfaction.
  • Represent Activate Collision Solutions with credibility and authority in client-facing reviews, creating and delivering presentations on performance and future opportunities as required.
• Commercial Performance:
  • Take full accountability for the retention, profitability, and growth of the client portfolio, delivering against revenue, margin, and volume targets.
  • Identify and pursue opportunities for account growth, service enhancement, wider group cross-sell, and innovation, building compelling business cases where investment is required.
  • Lead contract renewals, commercial negotiations, and tender responses, protecting and improving commercial terms.
  • Monitor market trends, regulatory changes, and competitor activity to inform account strategy and keep Activate Collision Solutions ahead of the industry.
  • Use insight and data to inform decisions and direction, tracking performance against KPIs and translating analysis into clear commercial action.
• Service Delivery and Operational Excellence:
  • Lead regular service reviews and performance reporting, ensuring SLAs and client expectations are consistently met or exceeded across the repair network.
  • Collaborate with internal teams to ensure seamless, high-quality delivery.
  • Assist in driving continuous improvement in service quality, efficiency, and customer outcomes, challenging outdated ways of working and championing better ones.
  • Support the development of bespoke solutions, aligned to our core activities for insurer and broker clients.
  • Anticipate delivery risks early and remove barriers before they escalate, keeping progress on track and clients informed.
• Leadership and Collaboration:
  • Manage the day-to-day activities of the Client Relationship Manager, ensuring that their duties are fulfilled.
  • Influencing colleagues and setting clear objectives to foster a collaborative, high-performance culture.
  • Support the development of colleagues across the business by sharing expertise, offering guidance, feedback, and recognition, and building capability without formal reporting lines.
  • Communicate updates, risks, and long-term plans consistently to senior management, building clarity and alignment across the business.
  • Work within agreed budgets and commercial governance, ensuring resources are used carefully to maximise impact.
  • Adhere to all relevant regulatory rules and guidance applicable to the role.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in new business development with motor insurers and brokers.
• Strong understanding of motor claims, repair networks, and the accident management lifecycle.
• Demonstrable track record of winning and growing major accounts, delivering revenue and margin targets, and leading contract renewals and negotiations.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence and build trust at senior and board level.
• Demonstrable experience of people management.
• Commercial awareness and analytical ability to identify growth opportunities and turn data into action.
• Experience presenting to external stakeholders and managing complex, high-value strategic partnerships.
• Confident leading service reviews and performance reporting, with strong data literacy (e.g. Excel, Power BI, CRM reporting tools).
• Proficiency in CRM systems, reporting tools and Microsoft office packages (PowerPoint, Word etc).
• Awareness of relevant regulatory and compliance requirements within the insurance and claims environment.
• Solution-orientated, resilient, and comfortable operating in a fast-paced, multi-site environment.
• A self-starter, focused on successfully achieving goals, with a can-do attitude.
• Flexible to travel to locations across the UK as required.

Benefits

• 33 days holiday, including bank holidays.
• Personal health cash plan – claim back the cost of everyday healthcare such as dental and optical check-ups.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental pay.
• Life assurance at three times your basic salary.
• Free breakfasts and fresh fruit.
• A birthday surprise for everyone.