The Role
Identify and pursue new commercial opportunities across rail routes, build and convert a strong pipeline, manage full sales cycle and third-party suppliers, negotiate and review commercial contracts, maintain CRM and KPI reporting, represent the business at events, and collaborate with internal teams to deliver against contractual commitments.
Summary Generated by Built In
The Business Development Manager is responsible for identifying new business opportunities, building and nurturing client relationships, and driving revenue growth across our London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway routes. This role blends strategic planning with hands-on execution, requiring strong analytical skills, impeccable attention to detail, and the ability to confidently review and interpret commercial contracts. The ideal candidate is proactive, target-driven, and skilled at turning prospects into long-term partners.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop and deliver business development plans in partnership with the Senior Sales & Marketing Manager to achieve ancillary revenue targets
- Identify, research and pursue new opportunities across our routes, brands and markets
- Build and manage a strong pipeline of leads, converting prospects into sustainable client relationships
- Conduct market and competitor analysis to inform strategy and decision-making
- Lead client meetings, presentations and negotiations, tailoring solutions to meet client needs
- Manage the full sales cycle, working closely with a third-party supplier from initial engagement through to contract close
- Build and maintain trusted relationships with clients and stakeholders, ensuring high levels of satisfaction, retention and repeat business
- Collaborate with internal teams and external partners to deliver against contractual commitments
- Represent the business at industry events, exhibitions and networking opportunities
- Review contracts, NDAs and commercial agreements, identifying risks and ensuring compliance with company standards
- Track performance through KPIs and pipeline metrics, maintaining accurate CRM records and providing forecasts and insights to senior stakeholders
- Work flexibly to meet client needs, deadlines and business priorities, including travel as required
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
We’re looking for someone who brings a blend of commercial expertise, strong relationship-building skills, and a collaborative mindset. You may meet all or most of the criteria below, and we encourage applications from individuals with transferable experience.
- Demonstrated experience in sales, business development, or a similar commercial role
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels
- Strong organisational and time management skills, with the ability to balance multiple priorities effectively
- Confident in leading negotiations and managing complex commercial conversations
- Comfortable reviewing commercial contracts, with an understanding of key legal and business terms
- Proactive and self-motivated, with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team
- Experience in people management and/or managing third-party agencies is essential
- Strong Microsoft Office skills, including the ability to create and maintain trackers, reports, and engaging client presentations
To ensure continuity and an effective delivery of service, successful candidates will be required to commit to a minimum 14-month period in role after achieving competence. This also includes existing colleagues who move by internal promotions and transfers. This time allows our future colleagues to support personal career development by allowing time to build strong knowledge and expertise.
Benefits
- A defined benefit pension from day 1 – one of the best in the UK.
- Free travel on all London Northwestern and West Midlands Railway services for you, your spouse/partner, and dependents.
- 75% off all other train operating companies for you, your spouse/partner, and dependents.
- 8 Friends and Family Day passes to gift per annum on our network.
- A 24/7 Virtual GP service for you and your household.
- Our Employee Assistance Programme (EAP)- A confidential employee benefit that supports you with personal or work-related issues affecting your home life, work life, health, or wellbeing
- Our cycle to work scheme with Evans Cycles.
- A retail discount portal- offering savings, discounts and cashback at over 800 retailers and restaurants.
About
London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway operate rail services across the Midlands, the Northwest and London, with Birmingham at the heart of our network. West Midlands Railway provides most of the local services across the region, offering direct connections to towns and cities including Redditch, Stratford‑upon‑Avon, Worcester, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Telford and Northampton. Our London Northwestern Railway brand serves the route between London and Liverpool via key locations such as Crewe, Birmingham, Milton Keynes and Northampton. On 1st February 2026, London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway entered public ownership and both services are now part of WM Trains Limited operated by DFTO. Our mission remains unchanged: to provide a safe, comfortable and reliable service for passengers across 235 miles of track and 150 stations, from London to Liverpool and Hereford to Lichfield. We expect over 80 million journeys to be made this year, that’s more than 1,252 services every day, and we remain committed to delivering the rail experience our passengers expect.
Skills Required
- Demonstrated experience in sales, business development, or a similar commercial role
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with ability to influence stakeholders at all levels
- Strong organisational and time management skills, able to balance multiple priorities
- Confident in leading negotiations and managing complex commercial conversations
- Comfortable reviewing commercial contracts, NDAs and commercial agreements with understanding of key legal and business terms
- Experience in people management and/or managing third-party agencies
- Strong Microsoft Office skills, including creating trackers, reports and client presentations
- Ability to maintain accurate CRM records, track KPIs and provide forecasts and insights
- Willingness to work flexibly to meet client needs and travel as required
- Commitment to a minimum 14-month period in role after achieving competence
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The Company
What We Do
WM Trains Limited, operating as West Midlands Trains, is a British state-owned train operating company. It runs commuter and local services across the West Midlands and on the West Coast Main Line, connecting London, the Midlands, and the North West.
