Business Development Manager

About the position

Position Title: Business Development Manager Department: Business Development Reporting Line: Reports to: Head of Business Development Works closely with: National Sales Team, Property Sales Heads, Sales Managers, Sales Head. ROLE PURPOSE The Business Development Manager is responsible for identifying, qualifying, and structuring commercial opportunities that support hotel and property sales performance. The role focuses on opportunity creation, account qualification, and strategic relationship development , ensuring that only well-qualified, commercially viable opportunities are handed over to Sales for execution and closing. The role is governed by strict BD–Sales ownership rules and does not include rate quoting, deal closing, or day-to-day account servicing. 1. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Opportunity Discovery & Market Development Identify new demand sources across corporate, MICE, leisure, sports, associations, and institutional segments Conduct proactive market scanning beyond existing Sales accounts Track and manage long-lead opportunities (6–36 months) and emerging demand trends Develop early-stage opportunity hypotheses aligned with brand, asset, and destination strategy 1.1 Account Qualification & Ownership Governance Qualify all new and dormant accounts using agreed governance criteria, including: Buying authority Decision timeline Budget realism Strategic relevance Determine BD-owned vs Sales-owned account status Prevent premature handover of unqualified inquiries to Sales Recommend Go / No-Go decisions for opportunity pursuit 1.2 Stakeholder & Buying-Center Mapping Map decision-makers, influencers, sponsors, and blockers Understand organizational structures of associations, corporates, and event owners Identify political, commercial, operational, or reputational risks early Establish access where Sales has limited or no existing relationship 1.3 Strategic Relationship Development Build and maintain long-term relationships with: Associations and federations Event owners and organizers Institutional and strategic partners 1.4 Value Proposition & Opportunity Shaping Translate client objectives into viable hotel, property, or destination solutions Shape opportunity narratives prior to pricing or proposal requests Support Sales by reframing misaligned or unrealistic client expectations Align opportunity positioning with brand, facilities, and commercial strategy 1.5 Sales Enablement & Structured Handover Prepare structured Sales handover packs including: Account background Opportunity context Stakeholder insights Risks, sensitivities, and open issues Clearly document what has and has not been committed Provide strategic support post-handover without re-owning execution 1.6 Pipeline Governance & Performance Review Participate in regular pipeline and account reviews Flag stalled, non-producing, or misaligned accounts for reassessment Recommend requalification, deprioritization, or strategic reset Track post-handover outcomes for governance learning and improvement 1.7 Cross-Functional Coordination Coordinate with Marketing, Operations, Revenue, and Strategy teams as required Ensure feasibility and internal alignment before opportunities reach Sales Support development of strategic narratives and pitch materials 2. PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT 2.1 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Opportunity Quality & Creation Number of Sales-ready qualified opportunities created per quarter % of opportunities meeting qualification criteria at handover Ratio of qualified opportunities vs total inquiries Average time from first contact to qualification decision Number of active long-lead opportunities tracked Sales Enablement & Handover % of opportunities handed over with complete documentation Sales feedback score on handover clarity and usefulness % of handed-over opportunities progressing beyond proposal stage Reduction in Sales rework due to unclear scope or stakeholders Pipeline Governance % of BD-owned accounts reviewed quarterly Number of stalled or non-producing accounts flagged for action Reduction in inactive or aging pipeline items year-on-year Strategic Relationship Development Number of strategic relationships established annually Number of repeat or cyclical opportunities generated % of opportunities sourced from new or non-traditional segments 2.2 Objectives & Key Results (OKRs) Objective 1: Build a High-Quality, Sales-Ready Opportunity Pipeline KR: XX qualified opportunities delivered per quarter KR: XX% progress rate beyond proposal stage KR: XX days average qualification cycle Objective 2: Improve Sales Effectiveness Through Better Qualification KR: XX% positive Sales feedback on handover quality KR: XX% reduction in Sales-rejected opportunities due to poor qualification KR: Zero rate requests without confirmed buying authority Objective 3: Strengthen Long-Lead and Strategic Demand Sources KR: XX new strategic relationships annually KR: XX active long-lead opportunities at any time KR: XX repeat or cyclical opportunities developed annually Objective 4: Enforce Pipeline Discipline and Governance KR: 100% quarterly review compliance KR: XX% reduction in non-producing accounts KR: All Go / No-Go decisions documented and reviewed 2.3 Performance Principle The Business Development Manager is not measured on revenue closure, rate achievement, or deal conversion . Performance is assessed on opportunity quality, strategic value creation, governance discipline, and Sales enablement effectiveness . 3. JOB SPECIFICATION 3.1 Educational Background Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Hospitality Management, or related field MBA or postgraduate qualification is an advantage 3.2 Professional Experience 6–10 years' experience in business development, commercial strategy, or senior sales support roles Prior exposure to hospitality, real estate, leisure, or services industries preferred Experience working alongside (not replacing) Sales teams Proven involvement in long-lead or complex opportunity development 3.3 Core Functional Competencies 1. Opportunity Discovery & Market Intelligence Strong market sensing and competitive awareness Ability to identify non-obvious demand opportunities 2. Account Qualification & Commercial Structuring High judgment in distinguishing inquiries from real opportunities Discipline in applying qualification and Go / No-Go criteria 3. Stakeholder & Relationship Management Skilled in mapping buying centers and influence structures Comfortable engaging senior and institutional stakeholders 4. Strategic Thinking & Value Shaping Ability to frame client needs into commercially viable solutions Strong narrative and positioning skills 5. Sales Enablement & Collaboration Clear communicator and structured thinker Strong documentation and handover discipline 6. Governance & Process Discipline Comfortable operating within strict ownership rules Data-driven and review-oriented mindset 7. Commercial Acumen (Support-Level) Working knowledge of hotel revenue drivers, MICE economics, and volume vs yield trade-offs Familiarity with corporate, leisure, and wholesale market segments 8. Communication & Influence Strong written and verbal communication Ability to influence without direct authority 4. Personal Attributes Strategic, structured, and disciplined Relationship-driven but commercially grounded Patient with long sales cycles; decisive when clarity is reached Comfortable operating in ambiguity with accountability

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