Business Development Manager
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
Location: London & South East England (Field-Based)
Salary: £45,000 - £50,000 + Company Car + Uncapped Commission
Job Type: Full-Time, Permanent
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The Opportunity
We are currently recruiting for an experienced Business Development Manager - Key Accounts to drive sales growth within the Foodservice & Hospitality sector, specialising in the supply of catering equipment and commercial kitchen solutions.
This is a field-based role covering the South East, with a strong emphasis on new business development (70%), alongside the management and growth of existing key accounts (30%).
You will be targeting key sectors including Healthcare, Education, Hospitality, and Group Purchasing Organisations (GPOs), delivering tailored solutions across a wide range of catering equipment and kitchen products.
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Key Responsibilities
* Identify and win new business opportunities within the Foodservice, Hospitality, Healthcare, and Education sectors
* Sell a comprehensive range of catering equipment, including light equipment, heavy equipment, front of house and back of house solutions
* Build, manage, and maintain a robust sales pipeline using CRM systems (e.g. Salesforce, Caterlyst)
* Develop and execute a territory sales plan to achieve revenue and gross profit targets
* Manage and grow a portfolio of existing key accounts, increasing spend and retention
* Build relationships with key decision-makers including Chefs, Buyers, Procurement Teams, and F&B Managers
* Conduct client meetings, site visits, and product presentations
* Deliver a consultative sales approach, identifying customer needs and offering appropriate solutions
* Maintain accurate sales forecasts, reporting, and CRM updates
* Stay informed on industry trends, competitor activity, and market developments
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Key Requirements
Essential:
* Proven experience as a Business Development Manager, Field Sales Executive, or Key Account Manager
* Strong track record of new business development and achieving sales targets
* Experience within Foodservice, Hospitality, or Catering Equipment sales
* Experience selling into Healthcare and/or Education sectors
* Strong pipeline management and CRM experience (Salesforce, Caterlyst or similar)
* Excellent communication, negotiation, and closing skills
* High level of commercial awareness and numerical ability
* Full UK driving licence
Desirable:
* Experience selling commercial catering equipment or kitchen solutions
* Knowledge of public sector frameworks (e.g. NHS, TUCO, GPOs)
* Existing industry contacts within Foodservice or Hospitality
* Strong IT skills, including Excel
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Personal Attributes
* Target-driven and results-focused sales professional
* Strong new business "hunter" mentality
* Excellent relationship-building skills
* Highly organised with effective time and territory management
* Self-motivated, resilient, and proactive
* Professional and confident in client-facing environments
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Package & Benefits
* £45,000 - £50,000 basic salary
* Uncapped commission structure
* Company car
* Strong earning potential and career development opportunities
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Apply Now
If you are a successful Business Development Manager with experience in the Foodservice, Hospitality, or Catering Equipment sector, and you are looking for a role with strong earning potential and autonomy, we would like to hear from you.
Mandeville is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
🎯 Highlight your new business development track record with specific metrics (70% focus mentioned) and quantify your pipeline conversion rates
🏥 Emphasise any Healthcare and Education sector experience as these are explicitly mentioned target markets alongside traditional Hospitality
💼 Showcase your CRM proficiency, particularly Salesforce or Caterlyst, as pipeline management is central to this field-based role
🔧 Detail your catering equipment or commercial kitchen solutions knowledge, distinguishing between light/heavy equipment and front/back of house experience
🚗 Mention your full UK driving licence prominently as this field-based role covers South East England territory
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Generated £1.2M in new business revenue across Healthcare and Education sectors, exceeding annual targets by 18% through strategic territory planning
- •Built and managed 45-client pipeline using Salesforce CRM, achieving 32% conversion rate from prospect to key account status within foodservice sector
- •Secured 3 major Group Purchasing Organisation contracts worth £280k combined annual value, leveraging NHS framework knowledge and consultative selling approach
Free to copy — tailoring requires a 30-sec CV upload.
Your cover letter is ready
We've drafted a cover letter for Mandeville Recruitment Group. Preview the opening, then unlock the full personalised version.
Letter preview — tailored to Mandeville Recruitment Group
Dear Hiring Manager,
Mandeville's focus on Healthcare and Education sectors within foodservice aligns perfectly with my B2B sales background — which is why your Business Development Manager role immediately caught my attention. My experience in territory management and CRM-driven pipeline development positions me well to deliver the 70% new business focus whilst growing existing key accounts.
My background in consultative selling and relationship building with decision-makers like Procurement Teams and F&B Managers has consistently delivered results in competitive markets. I understand the importance of tailoring commercial kitchen solutions to sector-specific needs, particularly in Healthcare and Education environments.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›How do you use CRM systems like Salesforce to manage a complex sales pipeline across multiple sectors?
- ›What's your approach to selling different types of catering equipment from light equipment to heavy commercial kitchen solutions?
- ›How do you navigate public sector frameworks like NHS or TUCO when targeting Healthcare and Education clients?
- ›Describe your experience with territory planning and managing a field-based sales role across multiple regions
- ›What methods do you use to stay current with foodservice industry trends and competitor activity?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time when you successfully converted a cold prospect into a key account in the foodservice sector
- ›Describe a situation where you had to balance new business development with managing existing key accounts
- ›Give an example of how you built a relationship with a difficult decision-maker like a Head Chef or Procurement Manager
- ›Tell me about a time when you exceeded your sales targets through effective territory management
- ›Describe a challenging negotiation you had with a Group Purchasing Organisation or large hospitality client
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time when you successfully converted a cold prospect into a key account in the foodservice sector
Describe a situation where you had to balance new business development with managing existing key accounts