Senior Business Development Manager - Cloud, Data & AI

Senior Business Development Manager - Cloud, Data \& AILocation: London - Hybrid (~2-3 days pw in office) Contract: Permanent, Full-time Reporting to: Head of Growth Package: £60,000 - 70,000 base + variable, uncapped OTE + Benefits ( see more below) About Us Appvia is a self-funded, London-based platform engineering, software, and AI enablement consultancy and product company. We help organisations design, build, and operate modern cloud platforms, improve software delivery, and adopt new technologies in a secure, scalable, and practical way. Our work spans Platform Engineering, Modernisation, Data \& AI, Managed Services, Cost Optimisation, and Wayfinder, our internal developer platform product. We work across public and private sector customers, supporting complex transformation programmes and helping engineering teams move faster without compromising reliability, governance, or security. As Appvia continues to grow, we are expanding our commercial function and hiring a Senior Business Development Manager to drive new business across the UK private sector. About the Role We are looking for a hands-on, technically curious Senior Business Development Manager to join Appvia as the first hire under our new Head of Growth. This is a high-impact role focused on generating, qualifying, and closing new business across the UK private sector. You will sell Appvia’s services portfolio across platform engineering, cloud modernisation, Data \& AI, managed services, cost optimisation, and AI accelerator engagements, while identifying opportunities to introduce Wayfinder where it can support long-term customer value. This is not a pure account management or lead generation role. We are looking for someone with a genuine hunter mindset, strong technical curiosity, and the confidence to open doors, build trust with senior stakeholders, and run credible early-stage conversations with CTOs, Heads of Platform, VP Engineering, and technology leaders. You will be joining a lean, ambitious growth function with high autonomy, direct commercial impact, and the opportunity to help shape Appvia’s UK go-to-market approach from an early stage. Interview process * Talent Acquisition screening call * First stage interview with Head of Growth * Commercial assessment * Final interview with the CEO, including an assessment presentation and technical screening Requirements About You We are looking for someone who combines new business drive with genuine interest in technology. You do not need to be an engineer, but you should enjoy learning about cloud, data, AI, DevOps, platform engineering, and modern software delivery. You should be comfortable speaking with technical buyers, asking intelligent questions, and understanding enough of the customer’s world to build trust early. You should bring: * Proven experience in a BDM, Account Executive, or new business sales role within a technical consultancy, cloud services, SaaS, DevOps, data, AI, or software engineering environment * Demonstrable track record of generating new logos and closing revenue * Experience selling professional services, consulting services, managed services, or complex technical solutions * Strong understanding of cloud, platform engineering, DevOps, software engineering, infrastructure, or Data \& AI * Confidence engaging senior technical stakeholders including CTOs, Heads of Platform, VP Engineering, and engineering leaders * Ability to run credible early-stage discovery without needing a solutions engineer in every conversation * Experience developing complex proposals across day-rate, fixed-price, or outcome-based engagements * Strong outbound capability and comfort using modern sales tools such as HubSpot, Salesforce, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Outreach, Apollo, or similar * Existing UK private sector network across technology, engineering, cloud, platform, or infrastructure buyers * Strong work ethic, initiative, curiosity, and resilience * Coachable mindset, low ego, and willingness to learn Ability to operate independently in a lean, fast-moving environment * Key Responsibilities * Generate and close new business across UK private sector accounts * Own the full sales cycle from prospecting and qualification through to proposal, negotiation, and close * Sell Appvia’s services across Platform Engineering, Modernisation, Data \& AI, Managed Services, Cost Optimisation, and AI enablement * Build relationships with senior technical and commercial stakeholders, including CTOs, Heads of Platform, VP Engineering, Heads of Infrastructure, and technology leaders * Run credible first and second conversations around cloud, DevOps, platform engineering, software modernisation, and AI infrastructure * Identify opportunities to position Wayfinder as part of long-term platform and developer enablement strategies * Work closely with delivery, engineering, marketing, and partner teams across AWS, Azure, and GCP to shape opportunities and proposals * Contribute to Appvia’s positioning, messaging, sales playbooks, and go-to-market strategy * Build and maintain an active pipeline using tools such as HubSpot, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and outbound sales platforms * Bring market insight, customer feedback, and commercial intelligence back into the business The kind of person who will do well here This role will suit someone who is commercially driven, self-motivated, and genuinely interested in how technology helps businesses change. You might come from a cloud, DevOps, data, AI, SaaS, consultancy, or systems integrator background. You may have worked in a business where you had to build your own pipeline, create your own opportunities, and find a way through difficult markets. You will enjoy working close to customers, understanding their business problems, and shaping solutions that make sense commercially and technically. We are especially interested in people who demonstrate: * Curiosity about technology, customers, markets, and business models * Initiative and ownership without needing heavy direction * Strong work ethic and follow-through * Ability to build rapport with different personality types and seniority levels * Coachability and openness to feedback * Resilience, adaptability, and a practical problem-solving mindset Desirable* Cloud certifications (AWS Cloud Practitioner, Azure Fundamentals, or above). * Experience generating business in regulated industries (government, finance, insurance). * A background in pre-sales, cloud consulting, or technical account development. Benefits Why join Appvia? We are a self-funded, London-based consultancy, growing rapidly while staying true to what got us here: a human, engineering-led culture built on trust, ownership, and getting things done. As we scale, we’re maturing as a business and expanding into new areas across platform engineering, software, data, and AI. We’re intentional about keeping our culture at the heart of it. We operate with a flat structure, agile ways of working, and a strong focus on collaboration, where good ideas come from anywhere and people are trusted to make an impact. We work alongside our customers to solve complex, real-world problems: modernising systems, improving delivery, and building scalable platforms that enable long-term success. If you want to be part of a team that values people as much as technology and gives you the space to grow while working on meaningful challenges, Appvia is the place to do it. What’s on offer? * ️ Work-life balance * Flexible working hours - because we know life happens outside of work * Hybrid working - outcomes focused working * 25 days’ holiday a year, plus bank holidays * An additional day off for your birthday * Enhanced maternity and paternity to full pay * Workplace Nursery Benefit to help working parents For your well-being * Full Private Healthcare cover for you with partners and children covered 50% * Death in Service * Cycle to Work scheme * Electric Car Scheme * Pension plus a salary sacrifice option for even greater savings * Employee Assistance Programme * Free hygiene products available in the London office Mental health support * Free therapy through AXA * Access to the Headspace App * Trained Mental Health First Aiders Other fun perks * Learning budget of £1,000 a year * Your own MacBook Pro while you work at Appvia * Dog friendly office * Wear what makes you comfortable * Free snacks in the office * Pool table \& ping pong table * Regular team socials, board game nights, industry meetups and more! But don’t just take our word for it, you can check out what our Appvians say about us on Glassdoor and by following us on LinkedIn, Twitter and TikTok. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and actively encourage, respect, and recognise diversity of thought and background throughout the business. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to age, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, family or parental status, national origin, or veteran, neurodiversity, and disability status. Note: While all roles are active and approved at the time of posting, the dynamic nature of our start-up means some applications may be processed to pipeline talent for future opportunities rather than current openings. We will strive to keep you informed of any changes to the status of your application.