Business Development Manager

About the Role

At Oliver James Amsterdam, we are seeking a Business Development Manager to propel our growth and lead client strategy within the Netherlands. Your core responsibility will involve implementing our global strategy at a local level, managing crucial negotiations, and nurturing essential client relationships. This role primarily focuses on secondment/staffing solutions across various disciplines, including IT, Change Management, and Tech. You will be the driving force behind our business development team, ensuring that performance targets are consistently met and exceeded.

This is a challenging position where you will leverage a minimum of 3 years of experience to identify new commercial opportunities, expand our existing client portfolio, and manage relationships at all levels (C-suite, vendor managers, and HR). Your strategic insight and ability to build strong connections are vital for advancing and expanding commercial activities in the Netherlands.

Key Responsibilities

• Execute the local commercial strategy and lead client engagement, maintaining existing client relationships while actively acquiring new clients for long-term partnerships.
• Manage our largest account at operational, tactical, and strategic levels.
• Actively contribute to business development growth through daily involvement in cold acquisition, including telemarketing, and organizing meetings with potential and existing clients, continuously monitoring performance.
• Develop and support our Business Development team, managing performance and organizing monthly follow-ups with external stakeholders.
• Build strong relationships with key stakeholders and collaborate closely with internal teams to advance client strategy and report to the board.
• Ensure commercial performance is monitored and all relevant contracts and account plans are current and well-documented.

This role is not only highly strategic externally but also demands strong internal leadership. As a Business Development Manager, you will be the link between clients and the internal organization:

• Actively involve the recruitment team in client plans, ongoing vacancies, and projects.
• Effectively pitch roles to consultants, ensuring they fully understand client needs.
• Motivate and inspire consultants to find the best talent and meticulously prepare candidates for interviews.
• Generate enthusiasm by providing clear context, commercial insights, and direction, ensuring everyone knows where opportunities lie and what success looks like.
• Foster strong collaboration between Business Development and Recruitment, providing guidance and empowering teams to deliver their best work.

What You Bring

• HBO/WO (higher professional education/university) working and thinking level.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in a commercial role within recruitment, preferably focused on flexible staffing and new business generation.
• Strong commercial insight to drive growth and the ability to proactively approach existing and new companies, offering them the best Oliver James experience throughout the entire recruitment cycle.
• Demonstrable ability to work with KPIs and a results-oriented mindset.
• Competencies: sales-driven, customer-focused, self-starter, independent, connecting, and proactive. You convince Oliver James that you can help achieve growth ambitions. You are highly motivated by constantly meeting new people.
• Excellent command of both Dutch and English, written and verbal.

What We Offer

• The opportunity to grow with us in a driven, professional work environment with unlimited possibilities.
• Collaborate with leading companies across our active disciplines, significantly expanding your network and boosting your career.
• Prospect of a permanent contract.
• Full-time position (40 hours per week).
• A good base salary with an above-average commission scheme.
• 25 vacation days (20 freely usable), with an additional day for each promotion.
• Company lease car.
• Sports subscription reimbursement.
• High-performance coaching to maximize your potential.
• Exciting incentives like our lunch club, Friday afternoon drinks, Michelin-star restaurant visits & trips to places like Dublin, Madrid & Flachau.
• Various company events with your Benelux colleagues, such as our annual Summer Party & Christmas Gala.
• A company laptop.

We also foster a true athlete's mentality at Oliver James, believing vitality is more than just a workout, and we always encourage healthy behavior with:

• Extra lunch time for sports.
• Weekly Padel games with colleagues.
• Social sports events like business football and hockey tournaments.
• Organized runs (e.g., Zuidas run and Amstel Gold Race).
• A subscription to Headspace (mindfulness app).

Our Location & Culture

We are located in Amsterdam's tallest tower, the Rembrandttoren, on the 15th floor, offering a stunning view over the Amstel. We offer a hybrid work setting: for a full-time week, we'd like to see you 4 days in the office, with Wednesday as your work-from-home day.

Founded in 2002 by Oliver & James in the UK, we've grown into a specialized and recognized recruitment organization by connecting the right professionals with our clients. With 14 offices in global business hubs like London, Milan, New York, Singapore & Hong Kong, we provide flexible and structural staffing solutions in Finance & Risk, Commercial Banking & Insurance, Technology & Change, Compliance, Legal & HR.

We continue to innovate and grow. With 80 people in the Netherlands, our core business and strength remain our people. Each team at Oliver James is composed of individuals where everyone thrives in their strengths, working together inclusively. With a strong focus on recognizing and developing talent, we guide professionals to the next phase of their careers. Entrepreneurship, high performance, self-development, and a structured, results-oriented approach form the DNA of our organization.

Key skills/competency

• Business Development
• Client Relationship Management
• Sales Strategy
• Negotiation
• Recruitment Solutions
• Account Management
• Cold Acquisition
• Team Leadership
• Performance Monitoring
• Market Expansion