Location
London

Hours
Full Time

Salary
Negotiable

About the Role
The Financial Times (FT) is a globally recognised news organisation known for its authority, integrity and accuracy. At the FT, curiosity thrives and ambitious thinking is rewarded, offering you the chance to reach millions and create work that matters. Join a warm, collaborative culture where you will connect with a diverse community of experts supporting your growth, career aspirations and wellbeing. This role offers opportunities to challenge and inspire you, with no fixed career path, allowing you to discover new skills and forge a career that can take you anywhere.

As a Business Development Manager within FT Professional, part of the Reader Revenue Group, you will license Financial Times content and solutions to organisations worldwide. You will drive new business growth across the French-speaking region, including France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland and French-speaking African markets. Reporting to the Head of New Business – CEMEA, you will own the development and delivery of the regional new business sales plan, manage the full sales cycle from prospecting to contract, and build relationships with senior decision-makers across diverse organisations.

Alongside your individual sales responsibilities, you will manage and support a Sales Development Representative, fostering a collaborative, focused and high-performing team environment. This is an opportunity for an experienced consultative salesperson to combine hands-on business development with regional strategy, people management and cross-functional collaboration.

Key Responsibilities
- Own and deliver against new business sales targets across the French-speaking region.
- Develop and implement the annual regional sales plan, identifying priority prospects, market opportunities and areas for growth.
- Manage the complete sales cycle, from prospecting and qualification through to negotiation and contract.
- Lead, support and develop a Sales Development Representative, providing clear direction, regular communication and coaching.
- Build strong relationships with senior decision-makers and stakeholders across prospective customer organisations, understanding their priorities and requirements.
- Work closely with Marketing and Customer Success colleagues to plan and prioritise activities supporting new business revenue growth.
- Make effective use of sales intelligence and prospecting tools including FT.com content, Looker, LinkedIn, copyright leads, channel partner contacts and internal FT networks.
- Develop strong knowledge of the region and stay informed about relevant customer, market and competitor developments.
- Contribute to strategic discussions around product, pricing and process improvements to support sustainable growth.
- Maintain accurate and timely records of sales activity in Salesforce, ensuring leads are followed up promptly and opportunities, forecasts and expected close dates remain current.
- Work collaboratively with colleagues across support functions to deliver an excellent customer journey experience.

Experience
- Proven track record of meeting or exceeding new business sales targets.
- Strong consultative selling, communication and negotiation skills.
- Experience building credible relationships with senior decision-makers and organisational stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to build effective cross-functional relationships contributing to successful commercial outcomes.
- Experience managing, mentoring or coaching others, with the ability to support the performance and development of a Sales Development Representative.
- Understanding of business intelligence and content-based solutions.
- Experience using CRM systems, particularly Salesforce, is desirable.
- Knowledge of FT Professional subscription models and French-speaking markets is advantageous.

About you
- Fluency in both spoken and written French.
- High level of initiative, self-motivation and accountability for results.
- Strategic and creative thinker, able to identify new approaches and opportunities supporting business growth.
- Strong prioritisation and organisation skills, with the ability to focus on opportunities most likely to deliver results and meet deadlines.
- Strong problem-solving skills.
- Good working knowledge of Google Workspace and Microsoft Office is desirable.
- Previous direct line-management experience within a sales environment is a plus.

Qualifications
- No specific qualifications required; focus is on relevant experience, skills and language proficiency.