Regional Business Development Leader (Maternity Cover | Contract)

IFS is looking for an experienced Regional Business Development Leader to lead our Business Development function across Asia Pacific, Japan, Middle East & Africa (APJ ME&A) for a fixed term contract.

This role involves leading a diverse team of Business Development Representatives across Japan, Australia and the Middle East, with a goal to build high-quality sales pipeline and create measurable impact for our Market Units.

Responsibilities:

• Lead, coach and develop a regional team of BDRs, creating a high-performance culture focused on quality pipeline and continuous improvement.

• Own regional BDR performance, including performance management, coaching and development.

• Drive results across multiple markets, industries, solutions and campaigns in close partnership with Sales and Marketing.

• Ensure effective lead management and SLA adherence, from initial engagement through qualification and handover to Sales.

• Use data to identify the leading and lagging indicators behind BDR performance, turning insights into actions that improve conversion, productivity and team behaviours.

• Maintain exceptional CRM discipline and lead pipeline hygiene, ensuring accurate, complete and actionable data before opportunities are handed over to Sales.

• Partner with Marketing to build coordinated, multi-channel outreach programs that create consistent engagement across internal BDRs, third-party resources and sales teams.

• Champion AI and automation within Business Development, identifying opportunities to improve prospect research, personalisation, outreach and BDR productivity.

• Drive adoption and effective utilisation of the modern BDR technology stack, including HubSpot, ZoomInfo, Lusha, LinkedIn Sales Navigator and related sales intelligence and engagement tools.

• Build strong relationships with regional Sales and Marketing leaders, ensuring Business Development remains tightly aligned to market priorities and pipeline goals.

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience leading a high-performing Business Development/SDR/BDR teams, ideally across multiple markets or geographies.

• Demonstrated success delivering qualified enterprise sales pipeline through multiple simultaneous campaigns and workstreams.

• Strong understanding of the end-to-end BDR operating model – targeting, prospecting, qualification, conversion, handover and measurement.

• Data-driven leadership with the ability to diagnose performance challenges and continuously improve processes, productivity and outcomes.

• Strong working knowledge of modern sales technology, AI and automation and how these can be practically applied to Business Development.

• Excellent planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities across a complex regional environment.

• A self-starting, resilient and highly accountable leadership style.

• Flexibility to adapt your management approach to different people and markets.