Business Development Manager

Company: Cansford Laboratories (part of Phenna Group)

Location: Field-based, with travel to customers as required

Contract: Permanent, full-time

Reports to: Head of Sales

Cansford Laboratories is a specialist drug and alcohol testing laboratory based in Cardiff. Accredited to ISO/IEC 17025, we provide toxicology testing that people rely on to make important decisions in family law, social care and the workplace, so accuracy, impartiality and service are at the heart of everything we do. Cansford is part of Phenna Group, a leading testing, inspection and certification group, which gives us the backing of a larger organisation with the pace and personality of a growing SME.

Cansford Laboratories is looking for a Business Development Manager to win strategically important new business. This is a strategic hunter role, separate from inbound conversion and high-volume prospecting: you will identify, develop and close high-value, complex and recurring opportunities.

Your main focus will be developing the Workplace market, alongside other priority sectors agreed with the Head of Sales. You will own your opportunities end to end, from identification and qualification through to negotiation, close and getting the customer up and running.

• Build and deliver targeted plans to break into the Workplace market and other strategic sectors
• Own strategic opportunities from identification through solution shaping, negotiation and close
• Build senior customer relationships and shape commercially compelling solutions with technical and operational input
• Test and validate new-market opportunities identified by Marketing through direct customer engagement
• Lead the growth of major corporate, multi-site and multi-service accounts where allocated
• Work with the Commercial Support Manager on bids and tenders for opportunities you originate
• Keep rigorous CRM records, opportunity plans and forecasts
• Hand complex wins into Service Delivery and Laboratory Operations through a structured implementation process

• Substantial commercial experience, with demonstrable success winning complex B2B opportunities, significant accounts or recurring contracts
• Strong prospecting, qualification, solution selling, negotiation and closing skills, with a track record of creating your own opportunities
• The commercial acumen to understand customer economics, pricing and risk and build persuasive business cases
• Disciplined CRM, pipeline and forecast management
• An entrepreneurial, resilient and self-directed approach, with credibility at senior level

• Typically 8+ years’ experience in toxicology, laboratory services, workplace testing, healthcare or another regulated technical market, and/or in business development
• Experience of new-sector penetration, partnerships, tenders and multi-site contracts
• Public procurement or framework experience
• Experience in an SME or growth environment

This is a genuine opportunity to join Cansford at an important point in its growth, in a role that has been shaped around where the business is heading. You will have real ownership, a visible impact on how the business performs, and the support of Phenna Group behind you.

Cansford Laboratories and Phenna Group are equal opportunities employers and welcome applications from all backgrounds.

Phenna Group is an Equal Opportunities Employer