Business Development Manager

What you'll be doing

We’re looking for an experienced business development professional with a strong track record in the academic publishing and research market to drive new business growth across the IET’s portfolio, including journals, eBooks, Inspec, academic memberships, and digital research tools.

This role requires a deep understanding of how universities, research institutions, and academic libraries evaluate and purchase content and information services. You’ll already be comfortable engaging senior stakeholders across higher education and research, understanding their strategic priorities, and positioning tailored solutions that demonstrate value and impact.

As a trusted partner to the academic community, you’ll focus on winning new business and growing existing relationships, leveraging your knowledge of research lifecycles, funding models, and institutional procurement processes. You’ll proactively uncover needs, craft compelling propositions, and convert high-value opportunities into long-term partnerships.

This is a commercially focused, fast-paced role, with regular UK-wide travel to meet clients, present solutions, and represent the IET at sector events and conferences.

What we hope you can bring to the role

We’re looking for a high-performing business development professional with proven expertise in the academic publishing and research market; someone who understands how universities, libraries, and research institutions operate and what drives their decisions. You’ll bring a strong track record of winning and growing business in a consultative, solution-led environment, ideally selling journals, databases, analytical platforms, or similar services into higher education and research.

With deep insight into the research lifecycle, funding models, and institutional priorities, you’ll have the credibility and confidence to engage senior academic and library stakeholders, build trust quickly, and navigate complex, long-term sales cycles. Commercially astute and proactive, you won’t just respond to opportunities but create them, uncovering needs, shaping propositions, and delivering tailored, high-value solutions.

You’ll combine excellent communication and influencing skills with strong organisational discipline, ensuring you manage your pipeline effectively, keep stakeholders informed, and deliver against ambitious targets. Above all, you’ll bring the drive, insight, and expertise to deliver real impact for our clients and help the IET strengthen its role as a trusted partner to the academic and research community.

A little more about the role

• Proactively identify and convert new business opportunities across he IET’s academic and research-focused products and services.
• Manage and grow a portfolio of institutional and academic clients, uncovering needs and delivering insight-led, tailored solutions.
• Lead the full sales cycle from prospecting and discovery to proposal, negotiation, and close.
• Maximise account value through strategic cross- and up-selling.
• Build strong, senior-level relationships in universities, research institutes, and libraries, becoming a trusted advisor on how the IET’s content and platforms can support their objectives.
• Represent the IET at academic and sector events, meetings, and conferences to deepen engagement with the community.
• Collaborate with marketing, product, and operational teams to shape and refine go-to-market offerings.

A little more about what we’re looking for

• Proven business development experience in the academic and research market, ideally selling publishing, information, data analytics, or similar solutions to universities, research institutions, or similar.
• Strong knowledge of the higher education landscape including understanding of funding mechanisms, research assessment frameworks, procurement practices, and institutional drivers.
• Demonstrable success winning new business and growing accounts in a consultative, solution-led sales environment.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with confidence presenting to senior academic, library, and research stakeholders.
• Customer-centric mindset, with the ability to align solutions to client needs and deliver measurable value.
• Organised, self-motivated, and target-driven, able to prioritise and manage a dynamic pipeline.
• CRM fluency and comfort with data-driven reporting and analysis.
• Experience within a professional body or membership organisation (desirable, but not essential).

We’d love to get to know you

Is Imposter syndrome creeping in? Don’t worry – we’d rather hear from you this time than not hear from you at all!

Download the full job description for a little more information about the role; but also, keep in mind that we’re open to discussing flexible ways of working, including reduced hours and working in an agile way, supported by a hybrid working framework that allows you to find the best place to do your best work.

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What if you could be you?

The IET is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.