Atkins wishes to appoint a Client Manager working within its Aerospace and Defence Market team, focused on a portfolio of clients within the MOD.

Responsible for building the portfolio sales pipeline, the role holder will identify and shape new business opportunities, plus extensions to existing business within the portfolio. The role holder will lead on developing opportunities to the point of approval to bid/creation of formal proposal, at that point handing over to a bid team and empowering them to convert the sales opportunity to won work.

This will require strong relationship-based business development and influencing skills and an ability to work closely with both client stakeholders and Atkins staff. An innate ability to identify and understand the strategic and operational challenges of clients is essential and this will require expert understanding of the Defence market and the MOD, including DE&S, Dstl and the Front-Line Commands.

Performing successfully in this role will require high levels of energy, self-motivation and drive to succeed. Working closely with both client stakeholders and Atkins Account Managers, well developed ¬relationship-based business development skills and an expert understanding of the Defence Industry market and future trends will be essential.

Crucially, the role holder will need strong business acumen to identify and qualify real client needs and associated business opportunity. The ability to filter out the noise and focus on leads that have real potential will be key to success. Experience in shaping creative solutions based on leveraging multiple capabilities ranging engineering and business consulting will be a distinct advantage. Ideally this will include knowledge of how to embed digital tools and products within solutions to support business transformation and to also create sustainable revenue streams for Atkins.

Responsibilities

• In line with the market strategy and through the application of Key Account Management, build a significant pipeline of qualified opportunities in agreed areas of MOD with the potential for long term revenue.
• Deliver order intake to support in year revenue targets and grow future work in hand
• Work collaboratively across the business to motivate and mobilise a virtual team to support you in pipeline build and revenue growth.
• Work with the practice resource centres and key stakeholders to maximise utilisation of Atkins own staff
• Execute best practice Pipeline and Opportunity Management and disciplined usage of CRM
• Understand in detail the client’s strategy, organisational design, key points of influence, culture, external drivers, challenges, risks and opportunities and work to share this across the business enabling a shared consciousness for our business priorities, thereby empowering people to help grow our business.
• Be recognised as the key relationship holder with senior clients; providing knowledge, resources and acting as advisor and critical friend.
• Provide timely/accurate forecasting of opportunities on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis
• Provide MOD domain expertise/support to bid teams as required

Essential Experience

• You will bring an in-depth understanding of the UK defence market and the MOD, including DE&S, Dstl and the Front-Line Commands.

• You will have exceptional relationship building and influencing skills, proven within MOD by a track record of long-term value-add relationships.
• A strategic thinker with a grasp of the detail, you will have helped senior stakeholders in the MOD with their challenges and opportunities and gained long term credibility and return on investment for them and your current organisation.

• A motivator, team builder and leader, you will be able to align groups of Atkins stakeholders behind your strategy for growth and support and enable them in winning new business.
• A pro-active decision maker with a confident yet diplomatic operating style - someone who deals easily with cultural diversity
• You will commercially and financially astute with experience of profitable £multi-million deals in the MOD or its supply chain.

Desirable Experience
• Experience with multidisciplinary service delivery, consulting or engineering support would be an advantage

Key Performance Indicators
• Market and account in-year budget performance
• Market and account growth performance
• Order intake
• Pipeline coverage
• Win loss ratio
• Client satisfaction

Location
 The role will be based in Atkins Bristol offices but spend most of their time in the market with the client portfolio. Visits to other Atkins sites will be needed to work with internal Atkins Stakeholders

Management 
 The role holder will report to the Client Director, MOD.

Timescales
This is a full-time position starting as soon as possible.
Applications for this vacancy close on Friday 21st June 2019. Interviews for this role will be conducted in the Bristol office w/c 1st or w/c 8th July and candidates will be required to complete a presentation for the interview (details to be provided) and an OPQ behavioural assessment.

This role may require security clearance and offers of employment will be dependent on obtaining the relevant level of clearance. If this is necessary it will be discussed with you at interview.

If applying to this role please do not make reference to (in conversation) or include in your application or CV, details of any current or previously held security clearance.