Senior Business Development Manager, UK Civilian Government

Key Responsibilities

• Drive business development activity across an assigned portfolio of UK Civilian Government departments, agencies and associated organisations.
• Identify, qualify and secure complex, high-value opportunities aligned to departmental cyber security capability and workforce development priorities.
• Build a strong understanding of Government strategies including the Government Cyber Security Strategy, Government Campus, Government Security Profession and wider Cabinet Office initiatives. Position SANS as a strategic partner capable of supporting government cyber capability, resilience and workforce development. Develop and execute structured account plans that maximise revenue growth and long-term customer value.
• Identify opportunities to expand existing customer programmes through cross-selling and strategic account development.
• Maintain awareness of government priorities, procurement frameworks, policy developments and market trends to identify new commercial opportunities.

• Develop trusted relationships with senior civil servants, cyber leaders, learning and development teams and procurement stakeholders. 
• Lead customer engagement throughout the full sales lifecycle, from initial discovery through to contract award and programme handover. 
• Act as the primary commercial contact for assigned accounts, ensuring an exceptional customer experience. 
• Conduct regular account reviews to identify new opportunities and ensure continued customer success. 
• Support successful onboarding and ongoing growth of customers within SANS programmes. 
• Represent SANS at government, cyber security and industry events to strengthen market presence and generate new opportunities.

• Manage the full sales process including opportunity qualification, solution development, pricing, proposals, contracts and tender submissions. 
• Maintain accurate forecasting, pipeline management and CRM records through Salesforce. 
• Operate effectively within UK Government procurement processes and commercial frameworks. 
• Collaborate closely with Marketing, Customer Success, Product Management and internal stakeholders to maximise opportunities. 
• Ensure commercial governance and compliance throughout all sales activities. 
• Support marketing campaigns and SANS-hosted events targeting Civilian Government audiences.

• Identify emerging cyber skills requirements across Civilian Government and align SANS solutions to customer needs. 
• Develop a detailed understanding of Government capability frameworks, including the Government Security Profession and Cyber Security Council disciplines. 
• Share customer insight, market intelligence and competitive information with the wider UKI team. 
• Support the Head of UK & I in identifying strategic growth opportunities and sector priorities.

• Deliver agreed revenue targets, KPIs and strategic objectives. 
• Take ownership of assigned tenders and procurement opportunities. 
• Build collaborative relationships across SANS to ensure effective delivery of customer programmes. 
• Promote the SANS brand, mission and values in every customer interaction. 
• Undertake additional responsibilities appropriate to the seniority of the role.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Significant business development or enterprise sales experience within the UK Public Sector
• Demonstrable success in achieving and exceeding revenue targets through consultative, solution-based sales. 
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships with senior government stakeholders.
• Experience working with Government procurement processes and frameworks. 
• Experience managing complex sales opportunities involving multiple decision-makers. 
• Experience using Salesforce or a comparable CRM platform. 

• Deep understanding of the UK Public Sector 
• Knowledge of government procurement and commercial processes.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of standards set by UK Cyber Security Council.
• Awareness of current cyber security trends and workforce development challenges.
• Understanding of consultative and value-based sales methodologies.

• Excellent relationship-building and executive stakeholder management skills. 
• Strong consultative selling and commercial negotiation capabilities. 
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills. 
• Ability to influence senior decision-makers and executive leaders. 
• Strategic account planning and opportunity management. 
• Strong commercial forecasting and pipeline management. 
• Excellent organisational, analytical and problem-solving skills. 
• Ability to manage multiple complex opportunities simultaneously.
• High levels of commercial judgement and professionalism. 

• Highly motivated, self-directed and results oriented. 
• Commercially astute with a customer-first mindset. 
• Professional, credible and confident when engaging with senior executives. 
• Collaborative and supportive team player. 
• Resilient, adaptable and able to thrive in a fast-paced environment. 
• High levels of integrity, accountability and professionalism. 
• Passionate about delivering exceptional customer outcomes.
• Curious, with a continuous learning mindset. 

• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience.
• Eligible to obtain UK Government Security Check (SC) clearance.

• Experience selling cyber security education, technical training or workforce development programmes. 
• Experience responding to public sector tenders. 
• Knowledge of organisational learning and capability development initiatives.

• Current UK Government Security Check (SC) clearance. 
• Developed Vetting (DV) clearance.
• Sales methodology accreditation (MEDDICC, Miller Heiman, SPIN or equivalent). 
• Cyber security or information security qualifications. 
• Relevant professional memberships.

About
SANS Institute (SANS) launched in 1989 as a cooperative for information security thought leadership, it is SANS’ ongoing mission to empower cyber security professionals with the practical skills and knowledge they need to make our world a safer place. We fuel this effort with high quality training, certifications, scholarship academies, degree programs, cyber ranges, and resources to meet the needs of every cyber professional. Our data, research, and the top minds in cybersecurity collectively ensure that individuals and organizations have the actionable education and support they need.Join the SANS TeamAt SANS, our culture is defined by Mission, Brand, People. Our goal is to hire people who understand the importance of continuing to fight against the cyber security threats (Mission) while delivering the highest quality training (Brand) to our students.  We want employees whose personal values align well with our culture of fairness, honesty, customer focus, and pragmatic approach (People).