The Role
Lead and close Belgiums largest enterprise cybersecurity commercial opportunities. Drive deal strategy, own strategic accounts, build executive relationships, mentor sales colleagues, manage end-to-end sales cycle, forecast in CRM, support onboarding and retention, represent SANS externally, and ensure compliance with sales governance.
Summary Generated by Built In
The Senior Business Development Manager is responsible for leading Belgium’s most complex, high-value, and strategically significant commercial opportunities across SANS’ portfolio. The role combines senior-level new business development with ownership of strategic accounts, while acting as a commercial leader within Mainland Europe’s sales organisation.
This role is responsible not only for delivering revenue, but also for driving SANS' growth and long-term success in the Belgium market. It focuses on driving deal strategy, strengthening executive-level customer relationships, mentoring sales colleagues, and ensuring that SANS is positioned as a trusted long-term partner across enterprise and regulated industries. The Senior BDM acts as a commercial role model and senior point of reference and escalation for the wider team.
Key Responsibilities
Business Development
- Own and drive the acquisition of new SANS customers from defined strategic target lists, with a focus on complex, high-value, and multi-stakeholder opportunities.
- Lead and shape large, programmatic, and enterprise-level sales opportunities from initial engagement through to close, taking ownership of commercial strategy and solution design.
- Identify, qualify, and progress new business through a consultative, insight-led, and solution-oriented sales approach aligned to customer outcomes.
- Demonstrate deep expertise across the SANS portfolio to create differentiated propositions spanning training, certification, programmes, and partnerships.
- Take ownership of deal strategy for priority opportunities, including pricing, commercial structure, risk management, and stakeholder alignment.
- Consistently achieve and exceed annual sales and revenue targets, with a focus on quality, sustainability, and long-term value creation.
- Maintain accurate forecasting, pipeline management, and reporting within CRM systems (e.g. Salesforce), ensuring visibility of strategic opportunities and risks.
- Support the successful onboarding of newly acquired customers to ensure strong early outcomes and long-term retention.
Client, Account, & Partner Engagement
- Build and sustain trusted, senior-level relationships with CISOs, security leaders, HR and L&D executives, procurement, and wider business stakeholders.
- Take ownership of selected strategic accounts, driving long-term account planning, expansion, renewals, upsell, and cross-sell opportunities.
- Act as a senior commercial escalation point for customers, resolving complex commercial, contractual, or delivery-related challenges with confidence and authority.
- Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders across sales, marketing, product, operations, instructors, and delivery teams to ensure seamless execution and exceptional customer experience.
- Represent SANS Institute externally at industry events, conferences, and senior forums, strengthening brand presence, credibility, and thought leadership across the Belgium market.
- Ensure a consistently high standard of post-sale customer engagement and dedicated priority support, for strategically important clients.
Sales Process, Governance, & Execution
- Take ownership of the end-to-end sales cycle for assigned opportunities, including commercial strategy, proposals, pricing, contracting, and handover.
- Develop and execute structured account and territory plans using agreed sales methodologies and frameworks.
- Adhere to agreed sales processes, governance, and compliance requirements while exercising sound commercial judgement in complex scenarios.
- Support and collaborate on local marketing initiatives, campaigns, and SANS events to drive pipeline creation and revenue growth.
- Maintain strong commercial discipline across forecasting, deal reviews, and opportunity management.
Team Contribution, Mentoring & Leadership
- Actively mentor and coach Business Development Managers and other commercial team members on strategic selling, enterprise deal execution, and senior stakeholder engagement.
- Provide hands-on guidance on complex opportunities, helping elevate deal quality and sales capability across the team.
- Share market insight, customer intelligence, and best practice to strengthen overall team performance and commercial maturity.
- Support the onboarding and development of new team members through structured knowledge sharing and role-modelling of best practice.
- Contribute to a collaborative, high-performance sales culture aligned with SANS values, behaviours, and long-term growth objectives.
- Act as a trusted internal point of reference for strategic accounts, complex customer scenarios, and commercial decision-making.
Other Responsibilities
- Achieve agreed revenue targets, KPIs and strategic objectives in line with SANS’ priorities for Belgium.
- Take ownership of the tender and procurement process for complex enterprise opportunities, where applicable.
- Actively build, promote, and protect the SANS brand, values, and mission across all customer and partner engagements.
- Undertake additional responsibilities consistent with the seniority and scope of the role, as required.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
- Educated to degree level or equivalent.
- Substantial field-based B2B sales experience, with a proven track record of success in the commercial enterprise market.
- Fluent in English and French (Written and verbal).
- Able to deliver against agreed KPIs and targets.
- Strong influencing and negotiation skills in a business environment.
- Able to work well under pressure.
- Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills.
- Able to manage change, whilst aligning and prioritising multiple tasks.
- Sales focused and commercially aware of new business opportunities.
- Strong IT Skills, including experience of working with all Microsoft Office products.
- Able to use social media platforms such as LinkedIn.
- Proficient in managing customers using a CRM system.
- Able to align and prioritise multiple client accounts whilst delivering a world class service.
- Ability to use initiative and creativity to overcome customer objections.
- Decisive and forward thinking, with strong vision and strategic capability.
- The ability to plan and prioritise own workload and work to strict deadlines.
- Ability to plan, forecast and report against sales plan and targets.
- Translate customer needs into customer driven solutions.
- Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team.
- Ability to network and communicate at all levels both internally and externally.
- Ability and desire to travel to SANS events across Europe
About
SANS Institute (SANS) launched in 1989 as a cooperative for information security thought leadership, it is SANS’ ongoing mission to empower cyber security professionals with the practical skills and knowledge they need to make our world a safer place. We fuel this effort with high quality training, certifications, scholarship academies, degree programs, cyber ranges, and resources to meet the needs of every cyber professional. Our data, research, and the top minds in cybersecurity collectively ensure that individuals and organizations have the actionable education and support they need.Join the SANS TeamAt SANS, our culture is defined by Mission, Brand, People. Our goal is to hire people who understand the importance of continuing to fight against the cyber security threats (Mission) while delivering the highest quality training (Brand) to our students. We want employees whose personal values align well with our culture of fairness, honesty, customer focus, and pragmatic approach (People).
Skills Required
- Degree level education or equivalent
- Substantial field-based B2B enterprise sales experience with proven track record
- Fluent in English and French (written and verbal)
- Proven ability to deliver against KPIs and sales targets
- Strong influencing and negotiation skills
- Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills
- Ability to manage change and prioritize multiple tasks
- Sales focused and commercially aware of new business opportunities
- Strong IT skills, including experience with Microsoft Office
- Ability to use social media platforms such as LinkedIn for business development
- Proficient in managing customers using a CRM system (e.g., Salesforce)
- Ability to plan, forecast and report against sales plan and targets
- Experience building and sustaining senior-level relationships (CISO, HR/L&D, procurement)
- Ability to travel to SANS events across Europe
- Ability to work autonomously and collaboratively in a team
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The Company
What We Do
SANS Institute is the largest and most trusted provider of cybersecurity training, certifications, and research in the world, empowering professionals with practical skills to make the digital world safer.
