Business Development Assistant Manager
About this role
Contract type: 12-Months Fixed term
Location: London & Hybrid (2 days a week in our London office)
Team: Partnerships & Events
Reports to: Business Development Manager
Salary: Competitive
Closing date: 31 August 2026
*Please not we are unable to provide work visa sponsorships
Working alongside the Business Development Manager, you'll be at the heart of driving commercial growth, identifying and converting new opportunities while managing the end-to-end process from prospecting to onboarding. You'll also play an integral role in supporting and enhancing existing commercial partnerships, helping to deliver outstanding outcomes for our partners and the business. Essential
- Proven experience in business development, commercial partnerships, supplier management, account management or buying.
- Demonstrable success negotiating commercial agreements and delivering commercial targets.
- Experience identifying and securing new business opportunities.
- Strong commercial awareness with the ability to identify mutually beneficial opportunities.
- Excellent relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
- Strong negotiation and influencing skills.
- Confident communicator with excellent written, verbal and presentation skills.
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
- Analytical mindset with experience evaluating commercial opportunities using data.
- Self-motivated with the ability to work independently while collaborating across teams.
- High attention to detail.
Desirable
- Procurement, purchasing or supply chain experience.
- Experience negotiating supplier or affiliate agreements.
- Experience within membership organisations, retail, loyalty, licensing or e-commerce.
- Familiarity with sponsorship, licensing or commercial partnership programmes.
- Knowledge of contract administration and supplier onboarding processes.
- Identify and research new commercial partnership opportunities aligned to strategic priorities.
- Proactively approach prospective partners and build a strong commercial pipeline.
- Support the negotiation and delivery of commercial agreements, sponsorships, licensing arrangements and supplier partnerships.
- Prepare commercial proposals, presentations and business cases.
- Develop financial models and commercial evaluations for new opportunities.
- Support commercial campaigns to maximise revenue generation.
- Support the onboarding of new commercial partners.
- Maintain strong relationships with existing partners to maximise engagement and retention.
- Ensure contractual commitments are delivered by both parties.
- Monitor partner performance against agreed KPIs.
- Identify opportunities to grow existing commercial relationships.
- Negotiate pricing, commercial terms and discounts with suppliers and partners.
- Support procurement and supplier evaluation activities where appropriate.
- Work with internal stakeholders to ensure commercial agreements deliver operational value.
- Support contract administration and renewal processes.
- Maintain an accurate commercial pipeline and records.
- Produce regular reports on commercial activity and revenue performance.
- Analyse market trends, competitor activity and commercial opportunities.
- Support forecasting and budget planning.
- Work closely with Revenue and Brand, Events, Finance, Legal and Product teams to deliver commercial initiatives.
- Ensure commercial opportunities align with organisational strategy and brand values.
- 25 days annual leave, increasing up to 30 days, in addition to statutory holidays. Staff may also receive additional days for any approved business closure days over the festive period in December, Option to buy up to five days of annual leave per year.
- Employer pension contributions double the percentage of your plan earnings, up to 8%
- Life assurance equivalent to three times your basic salary (two times your basic salary for non-pension scheme members)
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
- Lifestyle discounts via our EAP and healthcare cashback programme
- Discounts on Royal Kennel Club products and services
- 4X Complimentary staff tickets to Crufts and Discover Dogs
- Healthcare cashback programme with a fixed contribution paid for by the Royal Kennel Club
- Free eye tests with a voucher towards the cost of your spectacles
- Financial support for professional and vocational qualifications, with five days' study leave provided
- Free access to The Royal Kennel Club Library and Art Gallery
Company at a glance
The Royal Kennel Club is the largest organisation in the UK devoted to dog health, welfare and training. Its objective is to ensure that dogs live healthy, happy lives with responsible owners.
It runs the country’s largest registration database for both pedigree and crossbreed dogs and the Petlog database, which is the UK’s biggest reunification service for microchipped animals. The Royal Kennel Club Assured Breeder Scheme is the only scheme in the UK that monitors breeders, in order to protect the welfare of puppies. It also runs the UK’s largest dog training programme, the Good Citizen Dog Training Scheme and licenses shows and clubs across a wide range of activities, which help dog owners to bond and enjoy life with their dogs. The Royal Kennel Club runs the world’s greatest dog show, Crufts, which is a fun family day out that educates people about how to buy responsibly and care for their dog.
The Royal Kennel Club invests in welfare campaigns, dog training and education programmes. As well as running health screening schemes with the BVA and through the Charitable Trust, funds The Royal Kennel Club Genetics Centre and Cancer Centre at the Animal Health Trust, which is at the forefront of pioneering research into dog health.
Top Benefits
- 25 days annual leave
- Option to buy annual leave
- Employer pension contributions
- Life assurance
- Enhanced maternity pay
- Enhanced paternity pay
- Enhanced adoption pay
- Lifestyle discounts
- Healthcare cashback programme
- Discounts on products and services
- Complimentary staff tickets
- Free eye tests
- Financial support for professional qualifications
- Study leave
- Access to library and art gallery
Tired of cold applications?
Sign up with Clera and we'll reach out the moment a role actually fits you — no more spraying applications into the void.
Know someone who'd be great for this?