Business Development Manager

Job title: Business Development Manager

Department: Sales

Location: At home – with regular visits (at least monthly) to the Distribution Centre

Salary Band: Grade 7 (points 33–36)

Salary: £44,075–£47,181

Agreement: Permanent

Start date: As soon as possible

Working hours: 37 hours week (5 days)

Number of days of holiday: Subject to length of previous service / 28 days holiday plus 8 Bank Holidays

Reporting to: Finance and Business Manager & Chief Executive

The main objectives of the post are to:

• Identify new business growth opportunities for key publishing clients and help them to reach their sales potential.
• Generate income for the charity to ensure the long-term success of our business.
• Provide excellent customer service and build effective relationships with publishing clients: facilitating sales, customer services and distribution function as required.

The Books Council is a national charity that supports the publishing industry and reading development in Wales. We promote literacy and reading for pleasure through our range of campaigns, activities, and events throughout Wales, often working in partnership with schools, libraries, and other literary organisations. The Council was founded at Aberystwyth in 1961, and we work with publishers to nurture talent and new content in Welsh and English, in addition to providing specialist services such as editing, design, marketing and distribution.

We are also responsible for administering grants to publishers and independent booksellers. Our funding comes partly from the Welsh Government through Creative Wales, and partly from commercial activities and the wholesale bookselling service provided by our Distribution Centre. The Books Council receives grant funding for our reading promotion programmes 2025–28 from the Curriculum for Wales Grant Support Programme.

The Council provides a pension scheme to which the person appointed will be able to contribute. The Books Council is a member of the Dyfed Pension Fund, which is a Local Government Pension Scheme.

• Act as the main point of contact at the Distribution Centre for publishers. Hold regular meetings with publishing clients to discuss business and identify development opportunities.
  • UK-based sales agents – work with publishers to identify and maximise sales and promotional opportunities through effective working with UK-based sales agents.
  • Negotiate any contractual terms with existing or new clients as required.
  • Discuss tactical retail and marketing opportunities with publishers to increase sales.
  • Together with the Head of Distribution and Data monitor and report on stock levels to ensure title availability.
  • Build effective relationships with key publishing clients: facilitating sales, customer services and distribution functions as required.
• Seek out and develop new business partnerships with publishers.

Lead the strategic development and oversee the day-to-day management of major client accounts across Wales and the UK, focusing on sales and growth for our publishing clients. Key accounts include Gardners, Amazon, Waterstones, and key institutional clients in Wales. Work closely with customer services and support teams to:

• Recommend suitable books tailored to geographic location or local and special interest.
• Seek out new opportunities to promote books in order to create sales and reach new markets across key accounts.
• Ensure information and data is provided in a timely and accurate manner and in the correct format for key accounts.
• Ensure publishing clients have the information they need in a timely manner in order to maximise sales opportunities with key accounts.
• Work with key accounts to create opportunities to increase the profile of books from Wales and maximize sales.

• Act as the lead organiser of Frankfurt Book Fair and main liaison for CCPW (Cyhoeddi Cymru Publishing Wales) for London and Bologna Book Fairs.

• Monitor and analyse sales performance to inform sales strategy, in collaboration with the Sales and Education Officer and the Finance and Business Manager.
• Work with the Communications, Marketing and Design…