Director, Business Development

About Walr

Walr is a data creation company that supports insight professionals globally. It specializes in reaching diverse audience segments, leveraging proprietary technology, and offering bespoke services. With a comprehensive suite of tools, backed by a team of seasoned industry professionals, Walr’s services include efficient data collection methods, intuitive data visualization and reporting techniques, and supportive and transparent advice.Walr exists to unify the complex and fragmented research process by introducing more efficient, rapid, and straightforward methods

As a rapidly growing company and acclaimed recipient of the Best Workplace in Tech and Best Workplace in Wellbeing titles, we're not just offering a job – we're inviting you to shape our journey. Empowerment and growth define us. Join us in reshaping the future of business.

About the Role

Walr is on the search for a Business Development Director to spearhead our rapidly expanding European operations. This role is perfect for those who thrive in the vibrant environment of a startup, excel under tight deadlines, adapt seamlessly to change, and manage multiple tasks effortlessly.

As the Business Development Director, you will lead our new business initiatives across the UK and Europe, with an initial focus on Agency and Consulting client sectors. You will collaborate closely with the CCO and EVP of Growth to implement our commercial strategies aimed at securing new clients and enhancing their engagement with Walr.

The ideal candidate will possess a robust understanding of how to effectively communicate the advantages of our software, our global audience reach, and our outstanding service, making a significant impact in a role that demands both strategic insight and practical business acumen.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement a sales strategy targeting new market segments to amplify revenue growth across a broad range of Agency & Consulting clients.
• Actively build and maintain a robust pipeline of prospects through strategic networking, industry events, and proactive outbound sales initiatives.
• Collaborate closely with the Marketing team to craft compelling lead generation campaigns that captivate and convert.
• Directly engage with potential clients to fully understand their needs and craft customized solutions that leverage Walr's capabilities to meet their goals.
• Lead high-stakes negotiations and close substantial deals, while nurturing enduring relationships with key stakeholders for sustained growth.
• Work in tandem with Walr’s operations, tech, and marketing teams to ensure our offerings continually evolve to meet customer demands and exceed expectations.
• Keep a pulse on market trends and competitor movements to adapt strategies effectively and maintain a competitive edge.
• Promptly respond to inbound leads with accurate and consultative feedback, ensuring a professional first impression.
• Provide weekly reports on commercial performance, showcasing effective pipeline management, strategic action planning, and data-informed account decisions.
• Maintain rigorous documentation of all data, project details, and client interactions within Walr’s sales systems to support comprehensive reporting and informed decision-making.
• Serve as a role model within the team, setting a high standard and offering mentorship to junior team members to foster their professional growth and development.

Desired Experience

• Proven experience in online quantitative data collection, with a demonstrable history of driving growth in commercial organisations through strategic outbound new business initiatives.
• Solid understanding of market research methodologies, with specialized expertise in selling data, samples, and related professional services.
• A proven ability to consistently meet or exceed sales targets and effectively execute sales plans.
• A highly strategic and consultative approach, coupled with an inherent curiosity and a strong drive to pioneer new ideas and solutions.
• Exceptional communication skills, confident in engaging with clients across various channels.
• Adept at interacting with senior stakeholders, both internally and externally, and comfortable in high-level business discussions.
• Extensive experience in managing and influencing senior stakeholders, fostering significant long-term relationships.

Desired Skills & Attributes

• Commercial Mindset & Profitability Management: You take a macro-view of your work and understand how your role contributes to the bottom line of the business. You have informed opinions on factors that affect its profitability or market share, and you understand its competitors and customers.
• Strong Communication: An effective communicator, both written and verbally. Able to communicate technical terms in commonly understood language using concise, clear, and appropriate vocabulary. Takes care to structure ideas clearly and persuasively.
• Client Relationship Management: Committed to customer excellence by responding to queries promptly, offering as much information as possible and providing products and services that customers value.
• Professional Maturity: Walr embraces diversity of experiences, backgrounds, and thoughts. Professional maturity will be demonstrated in one’s ability to consistently show respect for and incorporate various points of view, to consistently practice good business manners and self-regulate actions, reactions, and behaviors appropriately in the workplace.
• Team Builder: At Walr, we work and celebrate as a team. The ability to build and nurture strong interpersonal relationships, within and outside of Walr, is critical.
• Comfort with Ambiguity: In this fast-paced start-up, no two days are alike, and change is constant. This person must show comfort in ambiguity and the ability to make the more appropriate decision based on logical reasoning and careful analysis of the data at hand.
• Cultural Steward & Team Leader: Understands his/her role and sets the tone for living the Walr values, maintaining team morale and motivation and serves as a steward of the Walr brand internally and externally.