Business development executive
Most businesses have a group of account executives whose job it is to look after clients, although they might also be involved with the sales process too, as they have excellent knowledge of the way the company operates. That secondary role can be a full time position, however – the business development executive. This role is more strategic, as it’s taking the company’s overall business aims in the medium and long-term, and working to realise them, with a particular interest in winning new clients.
Typically, the business development executive will brief the accounts team on the clients they win, and then have little more to do with looking after them, unless they have a hybrid role (which is quite common in smaller companies). Most of the time, they will be looking out for new opportunities, contacting leads and following them up, which makes them have more in common with sales staff, except on a more strategic footing.
The skills required
Business development executive jobs go to people who can demonstrate a talent for identifying leads that will benefit the company long into the future, or which take the company in new directions. They will often be employed when a company has changed its core business model or has embarked on a new range of products and services.
With a strong emphasis on identifying leads and persuasion, business development executives are often drawn from the ranks of sales, and often no experience as a BDE is required as long as they have a proven long-term, strategic mindset.
Business development executive Jobs in Mansfield
Situated roughly half way between Sheffield and Nottingham, Mansfield is a town with a history of being a market town and the centre of a thriving mining industry. The town has forests in almost every direction outside its borders, and was in times gone by a favourite stopping place for royals on their hunting excursions. On the map Mansfield bears all the hallmarks of a market town, with several major roads emerging to connect the surrounding farms and villages. Nowadays the M1 passes the town’s west, and railways connect it to Sheffield, Nottingham and Leicester.
The town gained notoriety among other mining communities when its mines did not take part in the bitter miners’ strike in the 1980s. However the move was not to prove a long-term saviour of the industry, as today no mines survive. Mansfield was, not surprisingly, home to the famous Mansfield Brewery, but it was taken over in 1999 and production ceased on the site. Mansfield is now a fairly typical post-industrial town, with the service sector and some light industry taking prominence.
The town was the centre of the swimming universe in 2008, however, when local girl Rebecca Adlington won two gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, in the 400 m and 800 m freestyle races. At the time of writing, after London 2012, her 800 m record of 8:14.10 still stands as the world and Olympic record.
The Mansfield urban area is quite large, with a population of around 150,000, which in itself makes it a decent candidate if you’re looking for Business development executive jobs. The town also benefits from several large cities and towns within half an hour, so anyone willing to commute will stand an even greater chance of success.
Popular locations
Business development executives use Cast UK
At Cast UK, we have a steady stream of business development executive jobs coming up, so if you’re a BDE or want to take the leap from sales to this more strategic role, we’d urge you to follow the link below and register with us.
If your company needs to find some talent to put its business development plans into action, you’ve found your perfect recruitment partner. At Cast UK we know exactly what companies are looking for in operational-level positions such as this, and we can create a shortlist of interview-ready candidates in double-quick time. Call us on 0333 121 3345 to speak to a consultant.