Assistant Business Development Manager (Retail Business)

Role Overview

This role leads retail and corporate sales growth across branch, financial adviser, and other intermediary channels. You will guide a team of Business Development Officers, build productive client and partner relationships, and turn sales opportunities into new customers and revenue.

Success depends on combining frequent engagement with branches and clients, practical product support for adviser networks, and disciplined pipeline tracking. The role also contributes to the business’s wider growth strategy through market development, events, and performance reporting.

Key Responsibilities

• Deliver retail sales and customer-acquisition targets through the relevant channels, including branch, adviser, corporate, and intermediary networks.
• Lead and support Business Development Officers, maintaining visibility of team activity, sales opportunities, and progress toward conversion goals.
• Conduct at least three branch engagements and three client engagements each week, identifying needs and developing opportunities for follow-up.
• Train financial advisers and branch teams on investment products, sales processes, and target customer groups.
• Help financial advisers access new markets, and work with branch managers to strengthen referrals and support delivery against agreed targets.
• Review channel activity and sales pipelines regularly, following prospects through to a targeted conversion rate of 30%.
• Join Business Development Officers, branch managers, and financial advisers in client pitches; coordinate follow-up to secure decisions and complete sales.
• Oversee client onboarding and ongoing relationship management, while coordinating effectively with internal teams and external stakeholders.
• Organise industry events designed to generate qualified prospects, and assess the commercial return from those activities.
• Prepare client and meeting presentations, periodic business reports, and other materials required by the business; undertake additional delegated responsibilities as needed.

Requirements & Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, Marketing, Commerce, or a related discipline.
• At least 5–7 years of relevant experience in business development, sales, relationship management, partnerships, asset management, banking, insurance, or a comparable field.
• Evidence of success in acquiring clients, managing relationships, and growing revenue or business volumes.
• Experience managing sales leads, maintaining an active pipeline, and moving opportunities through to conversion.
• Experience building relationships with corporates, institutions, intermediaries, strategic partners, or high-value clients.
• Experience contributing to business development programmes, commercial initiatives, or partnerships, including work across multiple internal teams.
• Ability to develop business proposals, presentations, tenders, reports, and business cases.
• Additional qualifications in business development, sales, marketing, investment, or finance are an advantage. Investment or asset-management credentials such as CISI, CFA, CPA, or an equivalent qualification are also desirable.
• A digital-first, customer-focused approach, with sound judgement, accountability, adaptability, collaboration, and confidence using data to guide decisions.
• Commitment to continuous improvement and ongoing learning, with the agility to work effectively as business needs change.