Business Development Executive

About First Mile

First Mile is one of the UK’s leading recycling and waste management companies, serving over 30,000 businesses including brands such as Pret A Manger, Netflix and Zara.

We help organisations reduce their environmental impact through smarter waste and recycling services, combining operational delivery with commercial flexibility and service quality.

Our customers range from independent restaurants and retailers through to national hospitality groups, commercial estates, universities and public sector organisations.

As environmental regulation tightens and sustainability becomes a core business priority, demand for scalable, high-quality recycling solutions continues to grow.

We are continuing to expand our commercial team to support growth across mid-tier, multi-site customers.

The Role

This is a new business role focused on winning repeatable, multi-site and mid-tier customers.

You will be responsible for identifying, developing and closing opportunities typically ranging from £15k–£100k per year.

These deals are often multi-site and operational in nature but do not require full tender processes. Success in this role comes from strong pipeline discipline, consistent execution and commercial judgement.

You will manage the full sales cycle from initial engagement through to proposal, negotiation and contract signature.

Key Responsibilities

Win New Business (Mid-Tier Focus)

• Identify and secure new business opportunities across multi-site and operational customers

• Build relationships with decision makers including operations managers, facilities teams and business owners

• Lead meetings, site visits and commercial discussions

• Develop clear, structured proposals aligned to customer needs

• Negotiate pricing and service structure to secure new contracts

Pipeline Generation & Management

• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of qualified opportunities

• Work closely with SDRs to convert qualified leads into active opportunities

• Proactively generate your own pipeline through outreach, networking and sector focus

• Manage all opportunities through Salesforce with accurate values, stages and close dates

• Maintain momentum across multiple deals simultaneously

Deal Ownership & Execution

• Own the full sales cycle for £15k–£100k opportunities

• Progress deals efficiently from qualification through to close

• Ensure all deals are commercially viable and aligned to service delivery

• Engage internal teams where required (pricing, operations) without over-complicating the process

Commercial Discipline

• Apply pricing guidance and maintain margin discipline

• Prioritise high-quality opportunities over low-probability deals

• Demonstrate sound judgement in deal qualification and negotiation

Sector Focus 
You will target sectors where First Mile has strong demand, including:

• Food & Beverage operators

• Restaurant and hospitality groups

• Retail chains and shopping centres

• Hotels and leisure venues

• Universities and education campuses

• Commercial property and estate operators

Many of these customers operate across multiple sites and require consistent, scalable service delivery.

Requirements

What We’re Looking For

We are looking for commercially driven sales professionals who can consistently win new business in competitive B2B environments.

You are likely to have experience selling operational or service-based solutions rather than purely transactional products.

Relevant backgrounds include:

• Waste management

• Facilities management

• Energy and utilities

• Property or building services

• Hospitality, retail or multi-site operations

• Logistics or outsourced services

You will bring:

• Proven experience in B2B new business sales

• Ability to manage multiple opportunities at once

• Strong pipeline management discipline

• Confidence in managing mid-level stakeholders

• Good commercial awareness and negotiation ability

• High levels of personal ownership and drive

This role is not suited to:

• Candidates who rely entirely on inbound or SDR-generated leads

• Individuals who struggle to manage pipeline consistently

• Purely transactional sellers with no commercial awareness

Skills & Attributes

• Structured and organised approach to sales

• Resilient, proactive and self-motivated

• Clear and confident communication

• Ability to balance volume with deal quality

• Comfortable working in a performance-driven environment

Key Metrics

• New business revenue won

• Pipeline coverage and conversion

• Average deal value (£15k–£100k range)

• Forecast accuracy

• Activity and progression of opportunities

Benefits

• Competitive base salary from £40,000+ with bonus structure that can get up to 50% of your base salary.

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, increasing with service

• 4 weeks paid sick leave following probation completion

• Enhanced maternity and paternity scheme

• Monthly wellbeing allowance

• Regular company events and team socials