About Tornado
For over 50 years, Tornado has led the way in quality fencing across the agricultural, equestrian, forestry, and infrastructure sectors. Born from a fencing contracting business, we bring a unique understanding of fencing performance. Our commitment to quality, teamwork, integrity, and innovation continues to drive our evolution and dedication to sustainable practices.
Our Core Values –
* Quality is king: Everything we make and do is built to stand the test of time. From the durability of our products, to our unbeatable customer service, only the best is good enough.
* Do the right thing: We treat everyone right, build genuine partnerships and always stick to our word. Straight-up honesty, integrity and fairness are the cornerstones of how we do business.
* Teamwork gets it done: We work together and have each other’s backs. Because when we’re positive, collaborative and pulling in the same direction, there’s nothing we can’t achieve.
* Innovation never ends: We’ve always had a pioneering spirit and we’ll keep innovating to stay ahead of the game. We invest in developing new products that improve installation and fence performance.
* Safer for people and planet: Nothing we do is so important that it can’t be done safely. We look after our team and our customers. We take sustainability seriously too, with products that are 100% recyclable – and we’re reducing the impact of our business on the environment.
Role Overview
The Export Sales and Business Development Manager will play a key role in driving the next phase of the company’s international growth. Working closely with the existing sales and leadership team, the role is focused on developing export sales by strengthening relationships with current customers and identifying new opportunities in priority markets.
The business has a strong and well‑established position in the UK and now offers a broader and more compelling product range, including market‑leading wire fencing, our own fence posts, and high‑quality complementary accessories from carefully selected partners. This role will help ensure that export customers are fully supported to maximise the potential of this range.
The emphasis of the role is on business development rather than administration. The successful candidate will work collaboratively across the business to understand target markets, map customer landscapes, and proactively engage with suitable partners and distributors. This is a team‑based role that values relationship‑building, commercial insight, and a hands‑on approach to growing export sales.
Key Responsibilities
* Build strong, collaborative relationships with existing export customers, working with them to develop joint plans that grow demand for the company’s full range of premium fencing products and associated accessories.
* Actively identify, engage, and develop new export customers in agreed priority markets, including resellers, distributors, and larger fencing contractors, establishing commercially attractive partnerships that support sustainable, long‑term growth.
* Work intelligently within established channel structures, recognising existing customer relationships while balancing the need to develop new opportunities and expand market reach in specific territories.
* Manage and nurture the relationship with the company’s long‑standing contractor in Belgium, working with them as an extension of the internal team. Clear communication, effective coordination, and strong day‑to‑day collaboration will be critical to success in this aspect of the role.
* Engage with, or support customers in engaging with, key organisations and bodies that influence fencing specification and demand within export markets (for example, infrastructure owners or national networks), helping to promote consistent standards and appropriate product selection.
* Work closely with internal colleagues, including manufacturing and product development, to feedback customer insight and support the development of new or enhanced products that respond to market needs.
* Collaborate with the sales and marketing team to develop effective product information, promotional materials, and market‑specific activity (including web and digital channels) that build brand awareness, support customers, and underpin targeted export sales growth.
Person Specification
Personal Qualities & Approach
* Proactive and self‑motivated, with the drive to identify opportunities and follow them through.
* Takes responsibility and ownership, operating with professionalism and integrity.
* Personable and approachable, able to build trust and rapport with customers, partners, and colleagues.
* A top‑quality communicator, confident working across cultures and comfortable engaging at all levels, internally and externally.
* A collaborative team player who values clear communication and enjoys working closely with others to achieve shared goals.
Skills & Experience
* Demonstrated track record of developing and growing sales with non‑UK customers, ideally involving high‑quality, technical or performance‑led products.
* Strong customer discovery skills, with the ability to identify, approach, and engage new customers in unfamiliar markets and territories.
* Experience of building long‑term customer relationships that drive brand loyalty, repeat purchase, and sustainable growth over time.
* Proven ability to operate effectively within multi‑channel sales environments, including successfully navigating and managing channel conflict between resellers, merchants, and end users.
* Well‑developed critical thinking skills, with the ability to tailor commercial and marketing messages to different customer types and market contexts, working collaboratively with internal teams to do so.
Essential Requirements
* Ability to be based at the company’s Bidford‑on‑Avon office for part of the working week, when not travelling, to support effective collaboration with the wider team.
* Willingness and ability to travel internationally to meet customers and partners, with an anticipated level of foreign travel of approximately 1–2 visits per month once established.
* Clean driving licence recognised in the UK, EU, and US.
Nice to Have
* Language skills in either French, Dutch, or German, although these are not essential for the role.
Why Join Us / What We Offer
We encourage applications from candidates with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. If you meet most, but not all, of the criteria, we would still be very happy to hear from you.
The Benefits
* Competitive reward – Competitive salary of £50,000 plus a 10% bonus opportunity
* Real impact – A strategically important role with the scope to shape and grow our export business
* Inclusive culture – Investors in People Gold certified, with a strong focus on employee recognition, wellbeing, and development
* Stability and investment – An established, successful business with ongoing investment in people and site development
* Working hours – Monday to Friday, core hours 8:30am to 5:00pm
* Holiday and pension – 23 days annual leave plus bank holidays, company pension scheme, and life insurance cover (3x salary)
Tornado Wire is committed to promoting equal opportunity and diversity, and to providing a working environment free from discrimination, bullying, harassment, or victimisation, where all employees are treated with respect and dignity.
Job Type: Full‑time