Business Development Director

Business Development Director Location: Home Based Department: Senior Management Team / Activate Collision Solutions Contract type: Permanent / Full-time About the role We’re looking for a Business Development Director to join our Activate Collision Solutions team! The Business Development Director is responsible for driving profitable growth, both by personally securing new business and by ensuring existing client relationships are retained, deepened and well served. The role combines front-line sales ownership with leadership of a small team covering client relationship management and marketing, giving the postholder end-to-end accountability for winning, keeping and growing revenue. Activate Group is a growing UK business with 1,000+ team members nationwide. This is an exciting opportunity to build a long-term career with a company that values its people and offers genuine development and progression opportunities. Key responsibilities Client Relationship Leadership:New business growth: Building a strong network across the sector owning the new business pipeline from prospecting, through proposal to close and contract. Working with marketing team to provide generic and bespoke presentations and marketing materials to secure new business wins and expand the reach and awareness of the company’s service proposition. Attending industry events to promote Activate Collision Solutions and its proposition, making and strengthening relationships, leading to profitable long-term accounts Represent Activate Collision Solutions with credibility and authority in client-facing forums, senior reviews, external events, strategic planning sessions and as required. Client retention and development: Supporting the Managing Director with a selection of relationships in a portfolio of major insurer and broker clients within Activate Collision Solutions, acting as a point of contact and advisor. Understand each client's business model, claims processes, cost drivers, and strategic priorities, tailoring our service offerings to align with their operational and commercial goals. Build strong, trusting relationships across internal and external stakeholder groups, involving the right people early and communicating openly and respectfully to strengthen long-term partnerships. Act as a senior escalation point for complex client issues, ensuring swift, high-quality resolution and sustained client satisfaction. Represent Activate Collision Solutions with credibility and authority in client-facing reviews, creating and delivering presentations on performance and future opportunities as required. Commercial Performance: Take full accountability for the retention, profitability, and growth of the client portfolio, delivering against revenue, margin, and volume targets. Identify and pursue opportunities for account growth, service enhancement, wider group cross-sell, and innovation, building compelling business cases where investment is required. Lead contract renewals, commercial negotiations, and tender responses, protecting and improving commercial terms. Monitor market trends, regulatory changes, and competitor activity to inform account strategy and keep Activate Collision Solutions ahead of the industry. Use insight and data to inform decisions and direction, tracking performance against KPIs and translating analysis into clear commercial action. Service Delivery and Operational Excellence: Lead regular service reviews and performance reporting, ensuring SLAs and client expectations are consistently met or exceeded across the repair network. Collaborate with internal teams to ensure seamless, high-quality delivery. Assist in driving continuous improvement in service quality, efficiency, and customer outcomes, challenging outdated ways of working and championing better ones. Support the development of bespoke solutions, aligned to our core activities for insurer and broker clients. Anticipate delivery risks early and remove barriers before they escalate, keeping progress on track and clients informed. Leadership and Collaboration: Manage the day-to-day activities of the Client Relationship Manager, ensuring that their duties are fulfilled. Influencing colleagues and setting clear objectives to foster a collaborative, high-performance culture. Support the development of colleagues across the business by sharing expertise, offering guidance, feedback, and recognition, and building capability without formal reporting lines. Communicate updates, risks, and long-term plans consistently to senior management, building clarity and alignment across the business. Work within agreed budgets and commercial governance, ensuring resources are used carefully to maximise impact. Adhere to all relevant regulatory rules and guidance applicable to the role. Leadership Behaviours: This role is expected to lead in line with the Activate Group Leadership Competency Framework: Win Together — build strong, trusting relationships with clients