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Why choose us?

Choosing to work for SMS means choosing to make a difference. We are changing how businesses and consumers use energy for the better, helping achieve a greener, sustainable, and more affordable energy system for everyone. Through our range of innovative energy solutions, we are delivering the future of smart energy – working closely with private and public sector partners we are playing a critical role in transforming and decarbonising the UK economy by 2050.

What's in it for you?

• 25 personal holiday days per year (with additional 8 public holidays) increasing to 30 personal days after 5 years of service (includes options to buy and sell)
• Hybrid working options.
• Enhanced Maternity leave. Paternity and Adoption leave.
• 24/7 free and confidential employee assistance service.
• Automatic entry into our Employee Ownership Scheme.
• Medicash health plan offers a wide variety of benefits from cashback on everyday healthcare treatments like optical, dental and physio treatments. Discounted gym memberships and free 24/7 online GP.
• Life Insurance (4 x annual salary)
• Pension matching scheme (up to 5% of salary)
• Developing our people is important to us - we support and encourage development by offering internal and external accredited courses, secondments and study support.

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What's the role?

We are seeking an experienced and results-driven Business Development Manager to join our Utility Services team. This position will be responsible for driving business growth, expanding market presence, and fostering strong relationships with key stakeholders in the I & C marketplace across the UK.

The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of the utility infrastructure market and a proven track record in sales, strategic partnerships, and project management.

The Business Development Manager will be focussed on the Utility Services / Connections part of the business and will lead the identification and development of new customer relationships to support growth in Utility Services and the wider SMS business.

The Business Development Manager will operate from within the Utility Services team but will also have a close relationship with other Business Development teams across the business and will have access to supporting central functions such as group marketing.

This role is offered on a hybrid working basis (2 days in office, 3 days at home on average). The working hours are 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Growth: Support the implementation of the Business Development strategy across all our routes to market. Identify and pursue new business opportunities within the utility infrastructure sector, including electric, gas, water, and telecommunications infrastructure projects.
• Market Analysis: Conduct thorough market research to identify trends, customer needs, competitive landscape, and emerging opportunities in the utility infrastructure industry.
• Client Relationship Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with key clients in the I & C market space, including but not limited to landowners, developers, construction companies, building owners, utility providers, governmental entities, and other industry partners. Serve as the main point of contact for clients throughout the sales and project lifecycle.
• Sales and Proposal Development: Lead the development of proposals and presentations for new business, collaborating with internal teams to ensure proposals align with company capabilities and client requirements.
• Contract Negotiations: Manage contract discussions and negotiations, ensuring favourable terms and alignment with company objectives.
• Networking and Industry Events: Attend relevant industry conferences, trade shows, and networking events to build brand awareness, establish connections, and stay current with industry developments.
• Reporting and Forecasting: Update and interact with company CRM systems to prepare regular reports on sales activities, pipeline status, market trends, and competitive insights for senior management.
• Collaboration with Cross-Functional Teams: Coordinate with internal teams such as engineering, operations, and finance to ensure seamless communication of new customer onboarding and initial relationship building.
• Any other duties as required.

To be considered for this role, we would love you to have/be:

• Demonstratable experience in business development or sales, within the utility infrastructure sector.
• Strong association/profile within the utility infrastructure markets (electric, gas, water, telecommunications).
• Experience working with multiple products and/or services (often complex).
• Strong interpersonal, verbal and communication skills.
• Strong creativity and writing skills.
• The organisational ability to manage multiple projects, often to tight deadlines.
• Good understanding of digital marketing and search engine optimisation (SEO).
• Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Commercial awareness.
• Strong networking capability.

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