Business Development Manager Strategic Projects

Business Development Manager – Strategic Businesses (Lawford Bespoke Joinery, Step Energy, Plant & Fleet and Concrete Repairs)

Location: Rugby (with national travel)

Reporting To: Strategic Projects Director

Are you a proactive, strategic thinker with a proven track record in sales and pipeline growth?

We are seeking an ambitious Business Development Manager to join our team. This dynamic role balances short-term, fast-paced lead generation with long-term strategic growth across a diverse portfolio of strategic businesses.

Working closely with Business Leaders and the wider Stepnell group, you will play a key role in identifying target markets, winning new business, and expanding our market presence.

The Role

As Business Development Manager, you will lead the charge in defining target markets, identifying key contacts, and establishing structured business development frameworks tailored to each business's unique stage of maturity.

Key Responsibilities:

• Pipeline Growth & Strategy: Balance immediate lead generation with long-term strategic planning and pipeline tracking against business goals.
• Market Research & Targeting: Define "the offer" for varying business lines, map out target accounts, build relationships with key decision-makers, and represent the business at industry events.
• Framework & Portal Management: Monitor public sector portals (e.g., Find a Tender), manage framework relationships (both direct and via Stepnell Ltd.), and ensure compliance.
• Bid Support & Intelligence: Gather market intelligence and customer insights to shape win strategies and assist with key framework bid writing.
• Group Synergy: Collaborate with Head of Group BD, Marketing, and Brand teams to maximise cross-selling, align campaigns, and support wider business growth.

What We Are Looking For

We are looking for a self-motivated, results-driven professional who can manage a wide geographical remit and seamlessly combine standard sales skills with strategic thinking.

Skills & Qualifications:

• Technical BD & Sales Expertise: Proven background in sales and business development strategy.
• Industry Tools & Systems: Experience with CRM systems, pipeline reporting, and industry tools such as Glenigan, Find a Tender, and public sector portals.
• Bid & Framework Knowledge: Familiarity with Bid/No-Bid strategies, framework processes, and public sector procurement.

Key Behaviours:

• Self-Starter: Highly motivated and comfortable working independently across a broad geographic territory.
• Strong Communicator: Natural networking skills with the confidence to reach out to new customers and build genuine rapport.
• Team Player: Ability to collaborate effectively across diverse teams, business units, and internal departments.
• Values-Driven: A commitment to embodying our core values: Collaborative, Commitment, Integrity, and Progressive.

Why Stepnell

At Stepnell, we’re passionate about empowering our people to thrive. We believe in building fulfilling and rewarding careers by investing in talent, nurturing growth, and inspiring innovation. With the prestigious Investors in People Gold accreditation, we’re proud to place our people at the heart of everything we do. Every team member is valued, and curiosity and collaboration are central to our team culture. We’re committed to enabling our people to make a real impact and drive meaningful change throughout our business.

To show our appreciation, we offer generous and competitive benefits including, an enhanced pension scheme with a Stepnell contribution of 7% to help secure your financial future, annual leave that increases with service and the flexibility to purchase more, a market leading employee referral scheme, and for eligible roles comprehensive health coverage, adjustable start and finish times and a car allowance or company car.

Join us in a collaborative and inclusive environment where your well-being is our priority, and your contributions are truly valued.

About Stepnell

As a family-owned business with over 155 years of history, Stepnell is built on stability, trust, and long-term thinking. We make decisions with the future in mind for our people, our clients, and our communities.

Our capabilities span construction, property development, energy solutions, joinery, and concrete repair, allowing us to offer integrated services that meet a wide range of client needs. Operating through six regional offices in Rugby, Nottingham, Liverpool, Wantage, Bristol, Southampton, Exeter and across three core business units, we maintain a strong local presence while delivering consistently high standards. Today, repeat clients account for 75% of our turnover, a testament to our reliability and the quality of our relationships.