Business Development Manager

Business Development Manager (20-30 hrs per week)

We're looking for an ambitious and dynamic Business Development Manager to join our Brighton-based motion design studio. We would like someone with a curious, entrepreneurial mindset and strategic know-how to help us grow with purpose.

In line with our ethos, this is a people-focused role and having expertise in building strong relationships is essential. It's not all about closing deals. The role is right for someone who loves to have conversations with people to uncover and understand their business problems and discuss how we can help solve them.

We don’t often stipulate applicant’s experience, but for this role, we want someone with experience working in the creative industry and ideally an understanding of the creative agency world.

We’re also offering flexibility on the number of hours per week, with a minimum of 20. These can be completed between 9-5 Monday-Friday and we’re happy to accommodate hours between school drop-offs and pick-ups. Please note that some of these hours will need to be worked from the studio each week. Having in-person interaction is something we value and believe positively impacts our performance as a team. We will not be accepting applications for fully remote workers.

In return, we’re offering a great working environment and a supportive, development-focused culture with an emphasis on work-life balance. We’re a studio of continuous improvement and this extends to the ways we engage and reward the team. Please check out our list of perks below.

Salary range for this role is £40-60k per year pro rata, dependent on experience.

About us

Buff is a motion design studio making animation for brilliant brands, agencies and nonprofits. We’re a certified Great Place to Work and working towards our B Corp certification. We work with a variety of clients, from world-renowned tech companies to newly launched brands and everything in between. Producing all kinds of motion projects like brand packages, promos and advertising campaigns.

Read more about the studio and watch our reel on our site. If we feel like a good fit, then we’d love to hear from you.

About the role

The top-line focus of this role is to bring in new business that fits with the studio ethos and our vision. It will involve designing and executing our sales strategy, as well as developing relationships and opportunities with brand-new and existing clients. In combination with sales knowledge, we would ideally like someone with an understanding of marketing to deliver a holistic approach to business development for the company.

This role has the scope to make it your own by being able to influence our processes and approach to sales. It would be ideal for someone who likes to work towards clear objectives but without the how being prescribed. Although we’re an established business with a clear brand and vision, this is a new role. You’ll be working closely with the Company Directors to make the next stage of our growth happen in the right way.

We need someone proactive, organised and adaptable. Someone with a can-do attitude and strong attention to detail; who’s willing to get into the finer details, without losing sight of the big picture.

Role requirements:

• Right to work in the UK
• Commuting distance to Brighton (or plans to relocate)
• Experience working in the creative industry at a studio or agency (not necessarily in a sales role)

Day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• Online engagement (emails, video calls, LinkedIn) with people to identify and create new business opportunities
• Following up with potential leads and nurturing these relationships
• Supporting the Head of Production with ongoing client relationship management and client account reviews to explore other opportunities
• Understanding our potential client’s pain points and articulating the value we offer
• Creating effective sales and marketing collateral including case studies and proposals
• Exploring new services based on client needs and our business growth plans
• Identifying PR opportunities to assist with sales and marketing
• Helping to optimise our social media channels to attract new business
• Tracking the development of relationships with potential clients in a centralised database
• Attending relevant networking and business events

What we offer

We always want our team to feel heard, valued and rewarded. Here are some of the ways we do that:

• Private medical insurance
• Profit-share bonus and a festive December bonus
• Workplace pension scheme with 5% employer contribution
• 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays) or pro rata equivalent for part-time
• 1 additional day of holiday for every year of service
• Extra time off between Christmas and New Year when the studio closes
• Option to work from home (minimum of 1 day per week in the studio for this role)
• Regular socials and away days
• Monday breakfasts and Friday inspiration sessions to start and finish the week together
• Monthly development days where we work on personal development
• Funded training opportunities
• Regular team surveys and a virtual suggestion box
• Enhanced parental leave
• 10 ‘working vacation’ days from any location
• Paid opportunities to volunteer at local nonprofits

Interview process

First stage: Initial chat on G Meet

Second stage: Interview (ideally in person) with both Company Directors

Third stage: Final check-in and clear up any queries before an offer is made

Timeline (subject to change):

Applications close: 9th June 2024

Interviews: Throughout June

Start date: July / August / September