Business Development Manager - National Critical Infrastructure
Hybrid, London (2-3 days / week)
I am delighted to be partnering with Previsico to help them hire some critical roles into their commercial team.
Who are Previsico:
The Issue: One-fourth of all properties and one-third of commercial properties in the UK are at risk of flooding. Flood-related damages cost the UK a staggering £1.3 billion annually and are expected to increase five-fold by 2050. According to latest estimates these costs can be reduced by half with improved flood forecasting and preparation.
However, existing forecasting methods have fallen short when it comes to the unpredictable nature of storms. Hourly shifts in weather patterns can give rise to floods that escape detection through conventional means.
The Solution: At Previsico, their goal is to diminish the impact of floods on individuals and
organisations by half. Their cutting-edge tech, honed since 2001 and incubated at Loughborough University, until 2019, has revolutionised flood forecasting. It allows for highly accurate, property level, real-time alerting, empowering individuals and businesses to prepare effectively, thereby minimising, and in some cases, preventing damage and disruptions.
The Results: They almost doubled their revenues in 2024 and their services are now supporting over 200 clients within the insurance, private, and utilities sectors, including Zurich, Liberty, and National Grid. In 2024, they secured additional funding earmarked to turbocharge their growth through the expansion of their Go-To-Market function.
We strongly encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply for this position, as we value and embrace the unique perspectives and experiences that individuals from all walks of life bring to our company and its culture.
Responsibilities overview:
As the Business Development Manager, you will play a pivotal role in leading commercial growth and supporting the development of Previsico’s business development capability. You will own key strategic accounts, deliver new business across critical infrastructure sectors, and act as a
commercial partner to the Head of Sales in defining and executing the go-to-market approach.
This role combines direct sales delivery with a leadership remit across the wider sales team. You will help define lead generation and expansion strategies, coach team members on best practice in pipeline management, and take ownership of reporting, forecasting, and performance insights that underpin the team’s success.
You will also act as a representative of Previsico externally, engaging major clients, shaping strategic partnerships, and ensuring the sales function operates with commercial discipline and clarity.
Industry Leadership & Business Development:
* Own the complete sales cycle, from identifying and qualifying leads to pitching, RFP production, value proposition definition, negotiation, and closing.
* Own the definition and implementation of targeted sales playbooks and strategies for the Critical Infrastructure industries (Energy, Water, Telecoms, Transport), that guide the approach to engaging clients, tailoring messaging, and presenting use-cases relevant to the critical infrastructure sectors.
* Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including marketing, product development, and customer success to develop comprehensive plans for market penetration and growth within these industries.
Account Management & Expansion:
* Take ownership of strategic enterprise accounts, ensuring a consultative approach that delivers measurable value and supports ongoing expansion.
* Work closely with customers to understand their operational priorities and tailor solutions to their needs, integrating forecasting and sensor deployments as part of broader resilience strategies.
* Act as a trusted advisor for key clients, coordinating with Customer Success, Product, and Operations teams to ensure delivery meets contractual and performance expectations.
Horizontal Sales Leadership:
* Act as a commercial lead and support to the Head of Sales, contributing to planning, performance management, and reporting.
* Support BDMs and Partnership Managers in defining lead generation approaches, campaign focus, and sector prioritisation.
* Lead by example in pipeline discipline, CRM accuracy, and structured account planning.
* Consolidate and present team-wide sales metrics, providing analysis and recommendations to improve conversion and efficiency.
* Share insights, objection handling strategies, and best practices to continuously raise sales capability across the team
Sales Support Collaboration:
* Collaborate with the project manager and customer success managers to ensure smooth transitions from sales to project implementation, ensuring client satisfaction and retention.
* Work closely with the customer success team to monitor the ongoing success of clients, identifying opportunities for further expansion and ensuring all aspects of client experience are seamless and exceed expectations.
* Demonstrate flexibility in adapting to changing priorities and business needs, offering support to colleagues across various functions as required.
* Be proactive in sharing insights, knowledge, and best practices with team members, fostering a supportive environment that encourages mutual success.
Target Achievement and Growth:
* Attain predefined performance targets, focusing on key metrics such as sales conversion, sales cycle, client ARR growth, revenue growth, and expansion within strategic accounts.
* Identify opportunities to upsell additional services, features, and solutions that align with strategic clients' evolving needs.
* Maintaining 100% accuracy of sales pipeline.
UK Market Focus & Global Support:
* Primarily focus on sales efforts within the UK market, targeting key industries such as utilities and transport, to drive business development and growth.
* While the main responsibility is within the UK, be prepared to drive global sales initiatives, particularly for critical infrastructure businesses, by contributing to bids, proposals, and strategic efforts as required.
Key Results / Objectives:
* Revenue Growth: Achieve or exceed annual sales quota across assigned sectors.
* Pipeline progression: Maintain a 5x pipeline of Target while meeting monthly targets for creation and movement of opportunities.
* New Logo Acquisition: Secure new strategic accounts within target verticals.
* Customer Expansion: Deliver measurable upsell and cross-sell growth within existing accounts.
* Collaboration: Contribute actionable insights per quarter to marketing and product teams based on customer feedback and market intelligence.
* Process Maturity: Maintain all sales documentation, playbooks, and HubSpot records to company standards for audit and scalability.
* Team Development: Support onboarding, training, and performance improvement of junior team members, ensuring consistency in sales process and client delivery.
Required skills and qualifications:
* Proven 5+ years working experience as a technical business development manager or sales executive preferably in a startup environment.
* Team leadership experience with BDs desirable
* Proven track record of independently selling services/solutions to large enterprises from lead generation to discovery, qualification and negotiation.
* Ability to independently drive the development of new industries from scratch, identifying growth opportunities, analysing market trends, and adapting strategies accordingly.
* Experience with consultative selling desirable.
* Strong preparation, time-management, and organisational skills.
* Strong analytical and organisational skills with a curiosity for better understanding clients and their issues.
* Clear written and verbal communication skills, along with the ability to craft compelling presentations and case studies.
* Numerical abilities and problem-solving attitude.
* Proficiency in MS Office and CRM software (Hubspot)
* Proficiency in English and right to work in the UK.