Business Development Executive — Packaging
South Midlands / Northamptonshire
£40,000 base + £8,000 car allowance p.a. + performance bonus
About the role
We're recruiting a results-driven Business Development Executive to join an established packaging business operating across the UK and export markets. In this role you will focus on new customer acquisition within your assigned sector, introducing the company's packaging products and solutions to potential clients and building long-term commercial partnerships that deliver sustainable revenue growth.
Key responsibilities
* Identify & prospect new clients
— carry out market research, generate leads and proactively contact prospective customers in your sector.
* Develop sector expertise
— gain an in-depth understanding of your target industry, its packaging challenges and relevant regulations.
* Sales pipeline management
— own and maintain a structured, active pipeline of new business opportunities in the CRM.
* Client engagement
— schedule and lead client meetings (virtual and face-to-face) to present solutions and value propositions.
* Proposal & quotation
— prepare tailored proposals, costing and pricing for new business in collaboration with Marketing, Operations and Finance.
* Collaboration & onboarding
— work closely with internal teams to ensure smooth onboarding and delivery for new clients.
* Reporting
— provide regular updates to your line manager and attend commercial meetings to report on pipeline, wins and blockers.
* Brand representation
— represent the business at trade shows, exhibitions and networking events to raise awareness and generate leads.
Annual targets (KPIs)
Targets will be agreed with the successful candidate and will reflect sector opportunity and experience. Typical expectations for this mid-level role include:
* New business revenue target:
set and agreed at offer stage (indicative, market-aligned).
* New account wins:
a minimum annual target of new client accounts to be agreed.
* Client conversion rate:
performance metric based on qualified leads converted to customers (to be agreed).
* Sales activity:
minimum outbound activity (calls/emails/meetings) per week focused on lead generation — target to be confirmed.
Exact KPI figures will be discussed and finalised during the interview/offer stage to ensure fairness and alignment with territory potential.
Candidate requirements
* 3–5 years' B2B sales experience
(required) — proven track record selling into commercial or industrial customers, ideally within packaging, FMCG supply chains, manufacturing or a closely related sector.
* Strong experience in new business development and lead generation.
* Comfortable working from a CRM and managing a disciplined sales pipeline.
* Excellent presentation, negotiation and relationship-building skills.
* Able to prepare commercial proposals and work with cross-functional teams (operations, finance, marketing).
* Self-motivated, target-driven and capable of working autonomously across your patch.
* Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel within the territory (customer visits, trade shows).
Desirable
* Experience selling technical or specification-led products.
* Export or international sales exposure.
* Understanding of packaging regulations/standards relevant to your sector.
Compensation & benefits
* Salary:
£40,000 per annum (base)
* Car allowance:
£8,000 per annum.
* Bonus:
Competitive performance-based bonus/O.T.E (details discussed at interview and linked to agreed KPIs).
* Additional benefits typically include: pension scheme, paid holiday, training & development, company-sponsored industry events, and career progression opportunities.
Location & working pattern
* Primary location:
South Midlands area / Northamptonshire — role requires coverage of this region with regular travel to customer sites and occasional national/international travel for trade events.
* Hybrid working available in line with business needs (combination of home, customer visits and on-site meetings).