Business Development Manager-FM

Business Development Manager – FM | Permanent | Full-Time | Ireland | Competitive Salary + Benefits

Key Points

• Salary: Competitive
• Contract: Permanent, full-time
• Location: Ireland
• Sector: Facilities Management / Integrated Facilities Management
• Focus: New business development, strategic growth and client retention
• Background: FM operations or FM business development
• Services: Hard Services, Soft Services and Integrated Facilities Management
• Travel: Client meetings, site surveys and business development activity across Ireland
• Benefits: Car allowance, 6% employer pension contribution and €6,000 flexible benefits allowance
• Sales Incentive: Performance-related sales incentive structure
• Reporting To: Business Development Director

Job & Company Overview

Do you understand Facilities Management well enough to walk into a client site, see how it operates and identify where the service could be better?

Perhaps you’ve spent your career leading FM operations and have discovered that you’re particularly good at understanding clients, spotting commercial opportunities and helping grow accounts.

Or you may already be an experienced Business Development Manager within Facilities Management or IFM looking for the opportunity to join an organisation investing significantly in its Irish growth strategy.

We are recruiting a Business Development Manager – Facilities Management & IFM for a major integrated services provider expanding its Growth Team in Ireland.

This appointment comes at an important stage in the development of the Irish business. Ireland is developing greater autonomy within the wider organisation, with its own CEO and Chief Growth Officer, and commercial growth is a significant part of that strategy. The business has already secured several new contracts and is actively pursuing further opportunities, creating the need to expand its Business Development team.

This isn’t a role where you’ll be expected to sell services you don’t understand.

The client specifically wants someone with operational credibility: a person who understands how FM services are actually delivered, can ask the right questions during a site visit and can work with technical and operational specialists to build a solution that genuinely works for the customer.

Responsibilities

At a Glance

As Business Development Manager – Facilities Management & IFM, you will:

• Identify and convert new Facilities Management opportunities across Ireland
• Build a strong pipeline of strategic FM and IFM prospects
• Develop relationships with prospective clients and senior decision-makers
• Lead customer discovery meetings and site surveys
• Identify operational challenges and opportunities within client workplaces
• Help design integrated FM solutions
• Work with Hard Services and Soft Services specialists
• Participate in tenders and major bid opportunities
• Collaborate with Bid Management, Operations, Commercial, Finance, Legal and Marketing
• Present proposed solutions to prospective clients
• Develop cross-selling opportunities within existing accounts
• Support client retention and contract renewal activity
• Maintain accurate CRM and pipeline information
• Build market, competitor and sector intelligence
• Represent the organisation at industry and networking events

Driving New Business Growth

Your principal objective will be to develop and convert new business opportunities within the Irish Facilities Management market.

You’ll build relationships with organisations across both the public and private sectors, developing a pipeline of strategically valuable FM and IFM opportunities.

That requires much more than sending proposals or responding to incoming tenders.

You’ll need to understand prospective customers, their workplaces and the problems they’re trying to solve. You’ll develop relationships with Facilities leaders, procurement professionals, property teams and senior decision-makers and use those relationships to identify where the organisation’s capabilities can create genuine value.

The client is looking for a strong seller, but they also want candidates who can demonstrate how they have created growth previously — whether through winning new contracts, expanding existing services, developing accounts or contributing to a wider commercial strategy.

Designing Integrated FM Solutions

No two client environments are identical.

You’ll therefore work closely with operational specialists, including senior Hard Services and Soft Services leaders, to understand each client’s requirements and create a solution that is both commercially attractive and operationally deliverable.

The services you may bring together include:

• Technical Services
• Cleaning
• GMP Cleaning
• Security
• Front of House and Reception
• Workplace Services
• Grounds Maintenance
• Waste Management
• Energy and Sustainability
• Smart Buildings
• Digital workplace solutions

You’ll lead customer discovery meetings, participate in site surveys and solution workshops and help present the proposed service back to the client.

The ability to understand both Hard and Soft FM services will therefore be particularly important.

Operational Experience Matters

This is one of the most important aspects of the role.

You do not necessarily need to have spent your entire career in Business Development.

The client is genuinely interested in experienced Facilities Management professionals who have worked in operations and have the commercial personality and track record to move into a growth-focused position.

You may currently be working as a:

• Senior Facilities Manager
• Account Manager
• Account Director
• Contract Manager
• Operations Manager
• Regional Facilities Manager
• Integrated Facilities Manager
• Hard Services Manager
• Soft Services Manager
• FM Business Development Manager

What matters is that you understand how Facilities Management works in practice.

You should be able to visit a customer site, understand the existing service model, identify opportunities and then work with operational colleagues to create a credible alternative.

The client’s view is straightforward: the strongest commercial conversations are often led by people who know what good service delivery actually looks like.

Sales & Commercial Capability

Operational expertise on its own isn’t enough.

This is ultimately a growth role, and you’ll need to demonstrate commercial ambition and an ability to sell.

We’re particularly interested in candidates who can provide examples of:

• Winning new business
• Developing existing client accounts
• Cross-selling additional services
• Contributing to contract renewals
• Creating or implementing a sales strategy
• Building a commercial pipeline
• Developing senior client relationships
• Identifying opportunities during operational reviews
• Contributing directly to revenue or contract growth

The client wants candidates who can evidence the growth they have delivered, rather than simply saying they have been commercially responsible.

Customer Discovery & Relationship Management

You’ll develop relationships with prospective customers and work towards becoming a trusted adviser rather than simply another supplier.

You’ll engage with:

• Facilities Directors
• Heads of Facilities
• Property professionals
• Procurement teams
• Workplace leaders
• Operations Directors
• Senior executives
• Consultants and advisers

You’ll need to be comfortable asking detailed questions about the client’s existing operation, understanding where challenges exist and discussing how alternative service models could improve performance.

Strong presentation, relationship-building and communication skills are therefore essential.

Bids, Tenders & Proposals

You won’t be expected to create major tender submissions alone.

The organisation has an established Bid Management function, and you’ll work as part of a wider team when pursuing major opportunities.

You’ll collaborate with:

• Bid Management
• Operations
• Marketing
• Commercial
• Finance
• Legal
• Procurement
• Hard Services specialists
• Soft Services specialists

Your role will be to bring the customer knowledge, operational understanding and commercial direction needed to ensure proposals answer the client’s real requirements.

You’ll also support international opportunities where Ireland forms part of a wider global solution.

Pipeline & CRM Management

Business development requires discipline as well as relationships.

You’ll maintain accurate information within the organisation’s CRM system, ensuring opportunities are properly tracked and progressed.

You’ll be expected to:

• Maintain a healthy sales pipeline
• Record customer and opportunity information accurately
• Monitor progress against commercial objectives
• Support forecasting
• Develop market intelligence
• Track competitor activity
• Use customer feedback to inform future business development strategy

Accurate CRM management is an important requirement rather than an administrative afterthought.

Requirements

Essential Experience

We’re looking for candidates who can demonstrate:

• Strong experience within Facilities Management or Integrated Facilities Management
• Operational FM leadership and/or FM business development experience
• Good understanding of both Hard and Soft Facilities Management services
• Commercial awareness and a strong sales mindset
• Evidence of contributing to business or account growth
• Ability to identify commercial opportunities within client environments
• Strong client relationship management skills
• Confidence engaging with senior decision-makers
• Experience managing complex stakeholder relationships
• Strong presentation and communication skills
• Experience contributing to bids, tenders or complex proposals
• Good organisational ability
• Disciplined pipeline and CRM management

The client is particularly interested in people who combine operational FM credibility with commercial ambition.

Your Facilities Management Background

Candidates could come from a variety of FM environments.

Relevant experience could include:

• Integrated Facilities Management
• Hard Services
• Soft Services
• Workplace Services
• Technical FM
• Cleaning and specialist cleaning
• Corporate Facilities Management
• Multi-site FM operations
• Large outsourced FM contracts

Experience working within a major FM or outsourced services provider would be particularly relevant.

However, your exact current title is less important than your ability to demonstrate two things:

You understand how Facilities Management is delivered, and you know how to turn that knowledge into commercial growth.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this position will mean:

• Developing a strong pipeline of strategic FM opportunities
• Converting new business
• Expanding services within existing client relationships
• Supporting client retention and renewals
• Establishing strong relationships across the Irish FM market
• Creating commercially compelling and operationally realistic solutions
• Working effectively with Bid, Commercial and Operational teams
• Maintaining accurate CRM and pipeline information
• Contributing to the continued growth of the Irish business

Why This Role Is Different

The timing of this appointment is particularly significant.

The Irish operation is expanding its commercial capability and investing in a dedicated Growth Team. New contracts are already being mobilised, further opportunities are in the pipeline and the organisation wants to strengthen the team responsible for converting that market activity into sustained growth.

You’ll be joining an established team that has consistently performed strongly against ambitious growth targets, while working alongside experienced Business Development professionals, operational leaders and specialist support functions.

For someone coming from FM operations, it also represents a credible route into senior commercial leadership without leaving behind the operational knowledge that has built your career.

Important Information

Salary

• Competitive

Benefits

The package includes:

• Car allowance
• 6% employer pension contribution
• €6,000 flexible benefits allowance
• Flexible benefits can be used towards options such as healthcare or dental cover
• Performance-related sales incentive/commission scheme

The Irish sales incentive structure is currently under review, so no specific commission percentage is being advertised at this stage.

Location & Travel

The position covers business development opportunities across Ireland and will involve client meetings, site visits, networking and other commercial activity in different locations.

A car allowance is provided rather than a company vehicle.

Apply Now

If you’re an experienced Facilities Management professional with commercial ambition, or an established FM Business Development Manager who understands what excellent service delivery looks like, we’d like to hear from you.

This role could be particularly relevant if you can demonstrate that you’ve not only managed FM services successfully, but have also helped win, retain or grow business through your understanding of clients and their operational needs.

At Hall Recruitment, we’re dedicated to building diverse and authentic workplaces. We also know that excellent candidates rarely match 100% of a job description. If you meet around 70% of the criteria for this role, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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