Hybrid: 4 days per week in London office; some domestic and international travel may be required

Location: Office near Spitalfields Market

Salary: £70k base + commission package

About KidsKnowBest

We are KidsKnowBest, a leading strategic and creative agency specialising in the kids, youth and family sectors. We connect top-tier brands across toys, entertainment, gaming, FMCG, fashion and lifestyle with the next generation of consumers.

For years, our mission was simply to give kids a voice. Today, handing over the microphone is not enough. We are here to champion their power. Our approach is built on a simple premise: we don't just tell you what kids say; we help you build the future they want. By deleting the traditional corporate playbook and installing Playground Rules, we turn the fast-moving chaos of youth culture into the blueprint for tomorrow.

We reject the generic, automated slop of modern marketing in favour of the Human Signature. This is the craft, intuition and authenticity that creates meaningful commercial impact. As we continue to grow, we're looking for an experienced Head of New Business to help introduce more ambitious brands to KidsKnowBest.

Our Values

GROW WISE, NEVER UP

Perpetual curiosity. Fresh eyes on stale problems

ENEMY: “we’ve always done it this way.”

PLAY IS POWER

Seriously playful. Use fun to unlock truth

ENEMY: awkward boardroom silence

FAST FEET, FULL HEARTS

Agile loyalty. Move fast, never leave partners burning

ENEMY: sticking to a dead plan

DARE TO CARE

Kind candor. Don’t sugarcoat, but always from support

ENEMY: “let’s circle back.”

Above all, Be Nice.

The Role

We're looking for an ambitious, commercially driven and highly self-motivated Head of New Business to lead our outbound business development activity and generate sustainable agency growth.

Reporting directly to the CEO, you will be responsible for executing the agency's new business development plan by identifying, engaging and converting prospective clients into qualified commercial opportunities. You'll own the new business pipeline, proactively building relationships with brands, agencies and decision-makers to create a consistent flow of opportunities that contribute to the agency's revenue targets.

This is an autonomous role suited to someone who enjoys opening doors, building lasting relationships and creating opportunities through strategic outreach, networking and lead generation. You'll be expected to work independently while collaborating closely with the Senior Leadership Team to ensure new opportunities align with the agency's commercial priorities and delivery capability.

Once an opportunity progresses into a formal brief or pitch, ownership transfers to our Client Services team, who lead the proposal, onboarding and ongoing client relationship. Your focus remains on acquiring new clients, while our Business Director focuses on growing existing client relationships and expanding revenue within our current client portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

New Business Development

• Execute the agency's new business development plan to deliver sustainable revenue growth
• Build, manage and maintain a healthy pipeline of qualified prospects
• Identify and target brands and organisations aligned with the agency's proposition and growth ambitions
• Generate new opportunities through outbound prospecting, networking, referrals, partnerships, industry events and social selling
• Build meaningful relationships with senior decision-makers and position KidsKnowBest as a trusted strategic partner
• Qualify opportunities and manage them through the sales pipeline until handover to Client Services

Revenue & Pipeline Management

• Deliver agreed annual revenue targets and commercial KPIs
• Maintain an accurate CRM and ensure all pipeline activity is up to date
• Produce reliable sales forecasts and pipeline reporting
• Monitor conversion rates and identify opportunities to improve commercial performance
• Provide regular updates on pipeline health, sales activity and revenue forecasts

Commercial Collaboration

• Work closely with the CEO to align new business activity with the agency's commercial objectives
• Collaborate with the Business Director to ensure a seamless transition from new client acquisition to long-term account growth
• Partner with the Finance Director on revenue forecasting and pipeline reporting
• Liaise with the Operations Director to understand agency capacity and ensure opportunities align with delivery capability
• Produce high-quality client briefs that enable a smooth transition into Client Services
• Support major pitches where appropriate by providing commercial context and relationship continuity

Market Development

• Monitor market trends, competitor activity and emerging commercial opportunities
• Identify new sectors, markets and partnership opportunities
• Represent KidsKnowBest at networking events, conferences and industry functions
• Share market intelligence and client insights with the Senior Leadership Team

What We're Looking For

Must Haves

• Minimum seven years' experience in business development, new business or B2B sales
• Proven track record of consistently delivering against revenue targets
• Strong experience building and managing outbound sales pipelines
• Excellent communication, presentation and relationship-building skills
• Commercially astute with strong negotiation and influencing skills
• Confident engaging with senior stakeholders and decision-makers
• Highly organised with excellent CRM and pipeline management skills
• Self-motivated, resilient and comfortable working independently
• Results-driven with a proactive approach to identifying and converting opportunities

Nice to Haves

• Experience within an insights-led, creative, marketing, advertising or digital agency
• Understanding of the kids, youth and family sectors
• An established network of industry contacts and decision-makers ("black book" of relevant contacts)

Success Measures

Success in this role will be measured through:

• Achievement of annual revenue targets
• Delivery against agreed business development KPIs
• Qualified pipeline value and overall pipeline health
• Number and quality of qualified opportunities generated
• Conversion rates across the sales funnel
• Forecast accuracy and CRM management
• Quality of handovers into Client Services
• Contribution to the agency's long-term commercial growth

Benefits

• Hybrid working
• Two weeks of remote working per year
• 28 days' annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• Employee Assistance Programme
• MediCash Plan
• Birthday gift
• Early Finish Fridays (last Friday of the month)
• Team-building events
• Opportunities to expand your knowledge of our target markets through our Be More Kid initiative
• Access to exclusive discounts