Head of Business Development - Equity
ABOUT US
Connect to Evolve was founded to bring a more flexible, people-first approach to consultancy for ambitious consumer brands. With more than 10 years of industry experience, we provide fractional services, bespoke consultancy, sales & operations partnerships, and talent solutions for consumer brands internationally - helping challengers scale with the strategy, execution and network they need at the right time.
We are now entering our next phase of growth: evolving our offering to better support the brands we represent. This is a pivotal moment for the business, and we're looking for a commercially-minded, entrepreneurial leader to build this with us.
THE OPPORTUNITY
This is a founding-level commercial leadership role for someone who wants genuine ownership of a business's growth trajectory - not just a sales target. You'll take the lead on building out our retail and wholesale sales pipeline and winning new brands to represent, alongside our Founder.
It's a rare opportunity to shape the commercial engine of a business as it transforms and scales - with equity on the table for the right person who wants to build something significant and share in its success.
WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING
— Own and drive new business development across retail and wholesale channels, building a strong, qualified pipeline from first contact through to signed accounts.
— Identify, approach and win new brands for Connect to Evolve to represent, building lasting partnerships with founders and brand leadership teams.
— Develop and execute go-to-market and account strategies for the brands in our portfolio, tailored to their category and growth stage.
— Build and manage relationships with retail buyers, wholesale distributors and key accounts, acting as a trusted extension of each brand's commercial team.
— Represent Connect to Evolve in market - at trade shows, buyer meetings, pitches and industry events.
— Feed market intelligence, retailer feedback and category insight back into the business to shape wider commercial strategy.
— Help build the commercial playbook, processes and (eventually) team as the function scales.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
Essential experience:
— A proven track record in business development, sales or key account management within the food, health or wellbeing sector.
— Background working for a challenger brand, distributor, or consultancy serving consumer brands - you understand both sides of the retailer/brand relationship.
— Demonstrable experience winning new retail and/or wholesale accounts, and managing relationships with buyers or distributors.
— A strong existing network across UK retail, wholesale and/or distribution.
The right person will also be:
— Genuinely entrepreneurial - comfortable with ambiguity, motivated by ownership, and energised by building something from the ground up rather than following an established playbook.
— Self-directed and resilient - this is a commission based role in the first instance, so you'll need the confidence, discipline and financial runway to drive your own pipeline without a guaranteed base.
— Commercially sharp, with strong negotiation skills and a genuine understanding of margins, listing fees, and route-to-market economics.
— An excellent relationship-builder and communicator, equally comfortable pitching to a retail buyer or advising a founder.
— Aligned with a long-term, equity mindset - motivated by building enterprise value alongside income, not just closing deals.
— Comfortable representing multiple brands at once, prioritising effectively across a varied portfolio.
— Keen to use AI and automation to work smarter - not just using ChatGPT like a Google search.
COMPENSATION & STRUCTURE
— Commission based initially, with a competitive, uncapped structure tied to new business won and revenue generated.
— Meaningful equity for the right person.
— Full autonomy over how you structure your time and pipeline, with close support from the Founder.
— Genuine potential to grow this into a formal leadership role as the business scales.
HOW TO APPLY
If this sounds like the opportunity you've been looking for, we'd love to hear from you. Please send your CV, along with a short note on why this role excites you, to [email protected].
Pay: £30,000.00-£80,000.00 per year
Benefits:
Work Location: Hybrid remote in London
