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 West Yorkshire
An English county in the region known as Yorkshire and the Humber, West Yorkshire is surrounded by Derbyshire, Lancaster, North and South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester.
It is home to a number of large metropolitan boroughs, each of which offers a variety of opportunities for those seeking Business development executive jobs. These include the City of Leeds, the City of Wakefield, the City of Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the region's economy relied mainly on the wool and textile industries - this was given a significant boost during the Industrial Revolution as steam power and machinery increased production dramatically. Coal mining also helped to bring wealth to the area.
Today, the West Yorkshire area is still known for manufacturing and engineering, while financial companies, call centres, the service sector, tourism and retail are also important.
Supermarkets Morrisons and Asda both have their corporate headquarters in the region, while just some of the other companies that have regional or national offices in West Yorkshire include Nestle, Cummins Turbo Technologies, Hallmark Cards, Pace plc and Syngenta AG.
Financial and professional services companies like KPMG, Norwich Union, First Direct, Direct Line, Lloyds Banking Group, Yorkshire Bank, Bradford and Bingley and Zurich also all have large operations here.
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.