[Hiring] Business Development Manager @Vesta Software Group

Role Description

The Business Development Manager owns new business at Hellenic. The role is targeted on winning new named clients and new sites, starting with FORMIX and broadening into our wider software and hardware portfolio as the pipeline develops. It is a hunting role: self-generated prospecting, campaigns and networking, then running the opportunity through demonstration, proposal, negotiation and close, with support from our technical and commercial teams.

Key Responsibilities

• New Business Generation
  • Win new named clients and new sites, principally for FORMIX in year one, broadening into CARCASE, FOPS, hardware and bespoke development as the pipeline matures.
  • Generate the majority of your own pipeline through outbound prospecting, cold calling, email and LinkedIn campaigns, trade events and industry networking.
  • Work the named FORMIX prospect list and the wider addressable market, including manufacturers outside our traditional meat and poultry base.
  • Open the first opportunities in adjacent sectors and feed what you learn back into product and pricing.
  • Qualify hard and early.
• Selling and Closing
  • Run the full sales cycle: discovery, on-site assessment, demonstration, proposal, commercial negotiation and close.
  • Build the business case in the customer’s language.
  • Prepare and present quotations and proposals that reflect our pricing model.
  • Present our solution accurately and never oversell what the product does.
  • Hand over cleanly to Projects and Support at the point of sale.
• Market, Product and Competitor Knowledge
  • Build and hold working knowledge of the FORMIX proposition and enough of the wider portfolio.
  • Know the competition and explain where we win and where we do not.
  • Gather field intelligence on competitor pricing, bundling and contract terms.
  • Track sector trends, regulation and retailer or certification pressures.
• Pipeline, CRM and Reporting
  • Build and maintain a qualified pipeline of sufficient size and quality to deliver the agreed targets.
  • Keep CRM current and accurate.
  • Report weekly on activity, pipeline movement and forecast.
  • Learn and follow the company sales guidelines and standard operating procedures.
  • Use AI tools in your daily workflow.
• Working With the Team
  • Work with the Account Managers to ensure new business and account growth do not collide.
  • Work with Development, Projects and Support on solution scoping, demonstrations and delivery expectations.
  • Contribute to campaigns, marketing content, case studies and event planning.
  • Attend training to keep product, sector and sales skills current.
  • Carry out other reasonable duties related to the promotion, sale and delivery of our products.

Qualifications

• Proven track record of winning new business in a B2B environment.
• Experience selling a considered purchase with a multi-month sales cycle.
• Comfortable self-generating pipeline.
• Able to hold a credible conversation on a factory floor.
• Strong written, verbal and presentation skills.
• Strong negotiation and closing skills.
• Confident with CRM discipline and accurate forecasting.
• Comfortable using AI tools as part of your working day.
• Full UK driving licence, and willing to travel across the UK.

Desirable Qualifications

• Experience selling into food and drink manufacturing, or into another regulated manufacturing sector.
• Familiarity with MES, ERP, traceability, weighing or labelling systems.
• Experience selling a combined hardware, software and services solution.
• Experience opening a new market or launching a new product.
• A strong existing network of contacts in food and drink manufacturing.
• Hands-on experience using AI tools such as Claude or ChatGPT in a sales role.

Targets and Measures of Success

You will carry a personal new business target, set annually with the Head of Commercial and reviewed each quarter. It covers new order value, new recurring revenue and a minimum number of genuinely new clients.