The Role
Drive enterprise revenue growth across UK & Ireland commercial sectors by identifying and securing complex multi-year opportunities, building executive relationships, owning end-to-end sales, managing strategic accounts, mentoring commercial team members, collaborating cross-functionally, representing SANS externally, and delivering revenue targets, tenders, and exceptional post-sale engagement for cyber training and resilience programmes.
Summary Generated by Built In
The Senior Business Development Manager – Commercial Markets, UK & Ireland is responsible for driving sustainable revenue growth and strengthening SANS' market presence across key commercial sectors within the UK and Ireland, including Financial Services, Insurance, Transport, Technology and Telecommunications.
The role is responsible for developing strategic customer relationships, identifying and securing complex commercial opportunities, and positioning SANS as a trusted partner for cybersecurity training, workforce development and cyber resilience programmes. Working across both new and existing customers, the role focuses on delivering long-term commercial growth through consultative engagement, strategic account management and effective execution of the end-to-end sales process.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Business Development & Market Engagement
- Lead business development activity across a portfolio of enterprise commercial accounts within Financial Services, Insurance, Transport, Technology, Telecommunications.
- Identify, shape and secure complex, high-value, multi-year enterprise opportunities.
- Develop a deep understanding of customer business priorities, cyber security challenges and workforce capability requirements.
- Build executive relationships across C-Level, Information Security, Technology and Learning & Development stakeholders.
- Position SANS as a trusted partner supporting cyber resilience, workforce capability and professional development.
- Develop and execute structured account and engagement plans aligned to business objectives, to maximise growth across assigned territories.
Client, Account, & Partner Engagement
- Establish and maintain trusted, long-term relationships with key decision makers and influencers across enterprise customers
- 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 in the UK 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 UK 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
- Deliver agreed revenue targets, KPIs, and strategic objectives aligned to UK business priorities.
- Take ownership of the tender and procurement process for complex public sector or 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
Essential
- Educated to degree level or equivalent experience.
- Proven experience in a field-based B2B sales role within one or more of the following sectors or sub-territories: Financial Services, Insurance, Transport, Technology, Telecommunications or Ireland.
- Experience selling complex professional services, technology, or training solutions.
- Track record of achieving sales targets and revenue growth.
- Strong relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
- Excellent communication, presentation and negotiation skills.
- Experience using a CRM system (preferably Salesforce) to manage pipelines, customer relationships, forecasting and sales activity.
- Sales focused and commercially aware, with strong opportunity qualification skills.
- Strong IT Skills, including experience of working with all Microsoft Office products.
- Experience using LinkedIn and other digital prospecting tools to identify, engage and develop new business opportunities.
- Strong planning, organisation and forecasting skills.
- 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.
- Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team.
- Ability and desire to travel to SANS events with the UK & Ireland.
- Cyber Security background/qualification.
- Experience of selling in the Cyber Security sector.
- Knowledge of the Cyber Security sector.
Desirable
- Competent in using Salesforce and Tableau.
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
- Educated to degree level or equivalent experience
- Proven experience in a field-based B2B sales role within Financial Services, Insurance, Transport, Technology, Telecommunications or Ireland
- Experience selling complex professional services, technology, or training solutions
- Track record of achieving sales targets and revenue growth
- Strong relationship-building and stakeholder management skills
- Excellent communication, presentation and negotiation skills
- Experience using a CRM system (preferably Salesforce) to manage pipelines, forecasting and sales activity
- Sales focused and commercially aware, with strong opportunity qualification skills
- Strong IT skills including experience with Microsoft Office products
- Experience using LinkedIn and other digital prospecting tools
- Strong planning, organisation and forecasting skills
- Ability to align and prioritise multiple client accounts while 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
- Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team
- Ability and desire to travel to SANS events within the UK & Ireland
- Cyber Security background or qualification
- Experience of selling in the Cyber Security sector
- Knowledge of the Cyber Security sector
- Competent in using Salesforce and Tableau
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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.
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