Business Development Manager

Kenect Recruitment is an established national recruitment business supplying temporary and permanent staffing solutions across the transport, industrial and commercial sectors.

Operating through our UK branch network and central support functions, we pride ourselves on building long-term client partnerships, maintaining strong compliance standards and delivering recruitment solutions that genuinely work for our customers.

As part of our continued growth, we are looking for an ambitious and commercially minded Business Development Manager to join us at our Lothian office.

This is a dedicated new-business position focused on identifying, engaging and converting prospective clients across Kenect Recruitment's core markets.

You will take ownership of the business development journey, from initial research and prospecting through to client meetings, proposals, commercial negotiations and account launch.

Once an opportunity has been converted, you will work closely with the relevant operational branch or division to ensure a professional handover and successful mobilisation.

About you

The successful candidate will ideally have:

• Previous experience in business development, recruitment, staffing, logistics or B2B services.
• A demonstrable record of winning new customers or developing new revenue streams.
• Confidence approaching and influencing senior decision-makers.
• Strong prospecting, presentation, negotiation and closing skills.
• Good commercial awareness and the ability to understand margins, rates and profitability.
• The resilience to manage objections and a longer sales cycle.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Strong organisation and CRM discipline.
• A collaborative approach to working with operational delivery teams.
• A full UK driving licence and willingness to attend client meetings nationally when required.

Recruitment-sector experience would be advantageous, but a strong B2B salesperson from logistics, transpor or facilities management or another workforce-related market could also be very effective.

What Kenect can offer

• Competitive salary based on experience.
• A transparent and uncapped commission scheme.
• Car allowance
• Access to an established national branch network.
• Existing CRM data, lapsed accounts and market intelligence.
• Support from experienced operational, compliance, finance and marketing teams.
• Structured induction, training and ongoing development.

Key responsibilities

• Identify prospective customers across the transport, logistics, warehousing, manufacturing, industrial and commercial markets.
• Build and maintain a structured sales pipeline using our CRM.
• Generate new opportunities through telephone prospecting, email campaigns, Linked In, networking, referrals and client visits.
• Engage with decision-makers including Operations Directors, HR teams, Procurement departments, Transport Managers and Warehouse Managers.
• Understand each prospect's workforce challenges, recruitment volumes, current supplier arrangements and commercial requirements.
• Present Kenect's temporary, permanent and managed recruitment solutions.
• Arrange and attend face-to-face and virtual client meetings.
• Produce professional proposals, presentations, tenders and commercial submissions.
• Negotiate charge rates, margins, payment terms and supply agreements within company guidelines.
• Ensure all opportunities are properly credit-checked, commercially viable and compliant before supply begins.
• Coordinate the handover of new clients to the appropriate Kenect branch or operational team.
• Remain involved throughout mobilisation and the initial account-development period.
• Monitor client retention, profitability and service performance during the first 12 months.
• Re-engage appropriate lapsed customers and dormant accounts.