Salary: £35,000 base / £65,000–£70,000 OTE
Location: Bristol — field-based, working in-region, with initial on-boarding in our Bexley Head Office 2–3 days per week
Reports to: Director of Commercial Growth
Company Overview
CST Training is an ambitious and rapidly growing private training provider, delivering professional development courses across a wide range of industries — including Leadership and Management and Project Management qualifications such as Prince2, ILM and CMI. Our mission is to empower individuals and organisations with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in today's dynamic business environment. We value honesty and openness, and we promote a workplace built on teamwork and collaboration.
Job Description
We're looking for a driven, commercially minded Regional Business Development Manager to take full ownership of a defined territory — treating it as your own patch of the business, with accountability for hitting minimum course volume targets, growing revenue, and building CST Training's presence and reputation across your region.
This is a step up from a standard business development role. You won't just be executing activity — you'll be shaping the regional strategy, representing CST Training at a senior level with employers and regional bodies, and acting as the face of the business within your territory. You'll spend the majority of your time working in-region, close to your accounts and your local market, while coming into our Bexley Head Office 2–3 days a week to align with the wider sales and leadership team, review pipeline, and feed into company-wide strategy.
The role has three core functions:
- Structured outbound — a minimum of two hours per day of proactive calling into our existing employer database, opening conversations, qualifying opportunity, and booking in course sales.
- Strategic account growth — building multi-year, multi-course relationships with employer accounts, identifying where else in an organisation our qualifications can add value, and engaging the right stakeholders — up to and including senior L&D and HR decision-makers — to make that happen.
- Regional ownership — acting as CST Training's senior commercial representative in your territory: building relationships with regional bodies (Chambers of Commerce, Local Skills Improvement Plans, Skills Hubs, Colleges), identifying new commercial opportunities such as tenders and framework agreements, and reporting regional performance directly to senior leadership.
You'll be a natural relationship-builder and a confident self-starter, comfortable managing a portfolio of accounts across a territory, engaging with stakeholders at every level, and taking full accountability for the commercial performance of your region rather than just generating activity.
Key Responsibilities
- Own the commercial targets and P&L performance within a defined territory, with full accountability for hitting minimum course numbers and revenue growth.
- Deliver a minimum of two hours of focused outbound calling per day into our existing employer database.
- Identify, prioritise and grow strategic employer accounts within your territory, expanding course uptake across departments and cohorts, not just individual bookings.
- Build and manage relationships with multiple stakeholders within each region — including Chambers of Commerce, Local Skills Improvement Plans, Skills Hubs and local colleges — positioning CST Training as the provider of choice.
- Identify and help develop new regional commercial opportunities, including contributing to tenders, frameworks and partnership bids relevant to your territory.
- Present and demonstrate courses to prospective and existing clients, articulating the value and ROI of our training programmes, including to senior stakeholders and decision-makers.
- Represent CST Training at regional industry events, roadshows and networking forums, building the company's profile and reputation in your patch.
- Manage your territory pipeline and forecasting accurately, using CRM data to prioritise activity and reporting regional performance to senior leadership.
- Attend the Bexley Head Office 2–3 days per week for team collaboration, pipeline reviews, and alignment with wider company strategy.
- Provide day-to-day guidance and support to junior or regional BDEs where applicable, as the territory grows.
- Collaborate closely with the marketing team on territory-specific campaigns, promotional activity and bid support.
- Stay current on industry trends, competitor activity and regional skills/funding developments.
Requirements
- Proven experience in a territory management, regional sales, or account growth role, ideally within a college, further education, or private training provider environment (5+ years essential).
- Demonstrated experience owning a P&L, revenue target, or minimum volume target within a defined territory or patch, with accountability for regional commercial performance.
- Strong senior stakeholder engagement experience — comfortable managing relationships across multiple contacts and levels, including director/board-level conversations.
- Experience in structured outbound calling and proactive account development, not just inbound/reactive sales.
- Experience in B2B sales and account management with large or multi-site clients.
- Experience contributing to tenders, bids or framework applications desirable.
- Some experience guiding, mentoring or informally supporting junior sales colleagues desirable.
- Excellent communication, presentation and negotiation skills.
- Strong organisational and time-management skills — able to balance daily outbound activity, in-region client work, and regular Head Office attendance.
- Proficiency with CRM software; working knowledge of HubSpot desirable.
- Full UK driving licence, as regular travel within the region is required.
Benefits
- Competitive salary and uncapped commission structure.
- Daily bonus scheme.
- Travel/mileage allowance for in-region work
- Opportunities for professional growth and development.
- Supportive, collaborative team environment.
- Great office culture.
- Additional leave.
- Pension scheme.
- Cycle to work scheme.
- Nursery scheme.
- Company pension, free/on-site parking (Bexley office).
Job Type: Full-time Pay: £35,000 base / £65,000-£70,000 OTE per year
Experience required:
- Territory management / regional sales: 5 years (required)
- B2B sales: 5 years (required)
- Outbound / cold calling: 3 years (required)
Work authorisation: United Kingdom (required)
Work location: Field-based/in-region, with Bexley Head Office attendance 2–3 days per week
Pay: £35,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Company pension
- Cycle to work scheme
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Referral programme
Work Location: On the road
