Senior Business Development Lead
6 days ago
Greater London
🚨 We’re hiring! 🎉 Salary Range: £55,000 - £65,000 DOE Hybrid Working 😸Who are we? Bearded Kitten is a global creative experience agency with a portfolio of award-winning work. Our mission is clear: to fearlessly champion fun and create the unforgettable. Don’t be deceived by our name - Bearded Kitten is the real deal. From large scale brand experiences and sampling tours to culturally led launch events, from building immersive worlds to conferences and employee engagement initiatives - we cover it all. It’s an exciting time to become a Kitten, in the past year alone the company has grown rapidly and we’ve worked with some of the world’s biggest brands. With an ever growing client base across the UK and beyond - this is an opportunity to join a fast paced, close-knit and energetic team. 🤔What's the role? The Senior Business Development Manager leads the agency’s new-business function, acting as the strategic and operational driver behind pitch growth, lead conversion, and market expansion. This role is responsible for managing new client pipelines, shaping high-quality pitch responses, aligning internal resourcing, and feeding into the long-term commercial strategy of the agency. The position combines strategic thinking, creative development oversight, external relationship building, and strong commercial judgement to accelerate the agency’s growth. Role Structure: • New Business Leadership & Pitches – 60%, • Marketing, Social, Website, SEO & Awards – 20%, • Agency Growth & Market Development – 15%, • Industry Insights & Intelligence – 5% 💭 What will you do? 1. New Business Leadership & Pitch Management • Act as the primary point of contact for new client enquiries, managing relationships from initial approach through to final pitch delivery., • Conduct chemistry sessions, establish client needs, and ensure seamless communication throughout the pitch process., • Lead internal resourcing for pitch responses—working with Senior Leadership to identify the strongest team based on expertise, capacity, and strategic fit., • Maintain oversight of pitch development, ensuring deadlines, creative direction, and client requirements are met., • Manage freelancers (creative, strategy, design) as needed for pitch support and new-biz tasks., • Help build pitch budgets and oversee commercial accuracy in submissions., • Ensure the Director of Production and Production Team receive clear briefs for pitch costings and logistical outlines., • After each pitch, gather and analyse client feedback (win or loss) to improve future performance and shape internal best practices. 2. Agency Growth & Commercial Development • Identify opportunities to grow existing accounts through upselling, cross-selling, and integrated client partnership development working closely with the Managing Partner., • Map and research new clients, sectors, and market opportunities aligned with agency ambitions, especially within:, • Support the Director of Production in expanding BK Studios—enhancing outbound activity, attending chemistry sessions, and representing the studio during calls, meetings, and workshop tours., • Contribute to high-level commercial strategy and revenue planning alongside Senior Leadership. 3. Marketing, Social & Industry Engagement • Drive marketing initiatives including content creation, campaign support, thought leadership, and case-study development., • Lead the awards programme—managing submissions, identifying opportunities for Senior Leadership to speak, judge, or join panels., • Support the planning and delivery of the agency’s first self-produced owned event., • Represent the agency at industry events, conferences, networking sessions, and trade shows to support visibility and new-business growth., • Monitor industry trends, competitor positioning, and market shifts to inform strategy and identify new opportunities. 4. Operational Management & Internal Processes • Lead the weekly New Business meeting, setting agenda, actions, and follow-up., • Manage internal budgets for Ads & Marketing, Awards, Social Media, Client Entertainment, New Business, and Pitch Freelancers., • Oversee website updates and ensure all new projects and case studies are added promptly., • Maintain and refine the agency creds, ensuring it remains up to date and fit for purpose., • Manage the New Business calendar, keeping the Managing Partner informed of pipeline health and resourcing needs., • Maintain the new-biz spreadsheet, including pitch pipeline, conversion metrics, and win/loss tracking. 🔎Who are we looking for? • Proven experience leading new business pitches within a creative, marketing, or production agency, • Ability to own the pitch process end-to-end, from initial enquiry to final submission, • Confident running chemistry meetings and building senior client relationships, • Strong experience briefing and coordinating creative, strategy, and production teams, • Solid commercial awareness, including pitch budgeting and cost control, • Highly organised, with strong project management and deadline ownership, • Experience managing new business pipelines, tracking opportunities, and reporting clearly, • Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, • Confident, professional, and credible in client-facing environments, • Nice-to-Have, • Experience driving account growth through upselling and cross-selling, • Involvement in agency marketing, case studies, or thought leadership, • Experience managing or contributing to an awards programme, • Comfortable representing an agency at industry events and networking opportunities, • Experience managing freelancers for pitch or project support, • Familiarity with CRM systems, dashboards, or pipeline reporting tools, • Experience supporting studio, product, or production-led growth initiatives ❤ The Perks • 25 days paid holiday, plus Bank Holidays. 1 additional day added per year of service up to 5 days., • Approximately five additional days off over the Christmas/New Year period., • Hybrid working. Minimum 3 days from the office, compulsory office day on Wednesdays., • Flexi-time policy., • Generous overtime policy., • New Business Incentive Scheme from day one., • Employee Referral Incentive Policy from day one., • Employee assistance programme with free access to mental health resources., • Monthly team socials, plus an annual team offsite with overnight stay., • Guaranteed hilarity and nonsense on a daily basis. If this sounds like a bit of you, apply now!
