Business Development Director

Business Development Director

Element has an opportunity for a Business Development Director (BDD). A BDD is a senior commercial individual contributor and first-step leadership role, bridging frontline sales execution and formal sales management.

The role combines ownership of a portfolio of high-value customer accounts with coaching, mentoring, and day-to-day leadership support for a small business development and quotation development team.

BDDs act as role models for commercial excellence, supporting the execution of Element's sales strategy by improving deal quality, pipeline health, and selling capability across the team. They play a critical role in preparing both themselves and others for sales success while delivering strong personal revenue performance.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate managerial courage, be action oriented, customer focused and have an entrepreneurial drive.

Responsibilities

Senior Sales & Account Ownership

• Own and grow a portfolio of strategically important, high-value, or complex customer accounts
• Lead multi-stakeholder sales cycles, including senior customer engagement
• Identify and convert opportunities across the full breadth of Element's services
• Develop and execute robust business development strategies aligned to market growth and BU priorities
• Drive share-of-wallet growth through cross-selling and service expansion
• Represent Element confidently in high-level customer meetings and negotiations
• Coaching, Mentoring & Team Enablement
• Act as a day-to-day coach and mentor for local commercial colleagues
• Support onboarding and ramp-up of new colleagues through deal reviews, shadowing, and guidance
• Share best practice in prospecting, qualification, account planning, and closing
• Provide constructive feedback to support capability and confidence development

Pipeline, Deal & Commercial Governance Support

• Lead or co-lead pipeline and opportunity reviews
• Support CRM discipline and data quality through role modelling and peer influence
• Coach commercial colleagues on deal strategy, pricing consistency, and qualification standards
• Identify stalled or at-risk opportunities and support recovery actions
• Contribute to forecasting accuracy through strong pipeline management

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with General Managers, Sales Managers, Operations, Finance, and Technical teams
• Support Strategic and Key Account activities as required
• Translate customer needs into commercially viable solutions with internal stakeholders
• Contribute to BU-level commercial initiatives and continuous improvement activity

Compliance & Conduct

• Comply with Element's commercial policies and compliance requirements
• Demonstrate Element's values of Integrity, Care, and Progress
• Operate within all applicable laws and uphold the highest ethical standards
• Promote safe, respectful, and professional conduct at all times

Ongoing Development

• Actively participate in leadership, coaching, and commercial development activities
• Engage with Element Academy and Commercial Excellence resources
• Build readiness for future formal people leadership roles
• Stay up to date with Element's service portfolio, markets, and competitors
• Share knowledge and insights to strengthen overall team performance

Skills / Qualifications

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree preferred, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Typically 7–10 years of business development, B2B sales, or account management experience
• Proven success managing complex, high-value accounts
• Demonstrated experience supporting or coaching peers (formal or informal)
• Strong CRM experience and commercial data literacy

Skills & Attributes for Success

• Strong commercial acumen and deal leadership capability
• Confident influencer with customers and internal stakeholders
• Coaching mindset with the ability to develop others
• Strategic thinking balanced with hands-on execution
• High emotional intelligence and communication skills
• Organized, disciplined, and data-informed
• Comfortable balancing personal sales targets with team contribution

Key Behaviours

• Influences and elevates team performance
• Role models Commercial Excellence
• Develops capability through coaching and support
• Thinks and acts beyond personal targets
• Demonstrates commercial maturity and sound judgement
• Acts as a role model for values and professional conduct
• Demonstrates readiness for future leadership

Company Overview

Element is one of the fastest growing testing, inspection and certification businesses in the world. Globally we have more than 9,000 brilliant minds operating from 270 sites across 30 countries. Together we share an ambitious purpose to 'Make tomorrow safer than today'.

When failure in use is not an option, we help customers make certain that their products, materials, processes and services are safe, compliant and fit for purpose. From early R&D, through complex regulatory approvals and into production, our global laboratory network of scientists, engineers, and technologists support customers to achieve assurance over product quality, sustainable outcomes, and market access.

While we are proud of our global reach, working at Element feels like being part of a smaller company. We empower you to take charge of your career, and reward excellence and integrity with growth and development.

Industries across the world depend on our care, attention to detail and the absolute accuracy of our work. The role we have to play in creating a safer world is much bigger than our organization.

Diversity Statement

At Element, we always take pride in putting our people first. We are an equal opportunity employer that recognizes diversity and inclusion as fundamental to our Vision of becoming 'the world's most trusted testing partner'.

All suitably qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment on the basis of objective work related criteria and without regard for the following: age, disability, ethnic origin, gender, marital status, race, religion, responsibility of dependents, sexual orientation, or gender identity or other characteristics in accordance with the applicable governing laws or other characteristics in accordance with the applicable governing laws.