Senior Business Development Manager, Belgium (Enterprise)

Application Deadline: 31 July 2026

Department: Sales

Location: Amsterdam

Description

The Senior Business Development Manager is responsible for leading Belgium’s most complex, high-value, and strategically significant commercial opportunities across SANS’ portfolio. The role combines senior-level new business development with ownership of strategic accounts, while acting as a commercial leader within Mainland Europe’s sales organisation.

This role is responsible not only for delivering revenue, but also for driving SANS' growth and long-term success in the Belgium market. It focuses on driving deal strategy, strengthening executive-level customer relationships, mentoring sales colleagues, and ensuring that SANS is positioned as a trusted long-term partner across enterprise and regulated industries. The Senior BDM acts as a commercial role model and senior point of reference and escalation for the wider team.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development

• Own and drive the acquisition of new SANS customers from defined strategic target lists, with a focus on complex, high-value, and multi-stakeholder opportunities.
• Lead and shape large, programmatic, and enterprise-level sales opportunities from initial engagement through to close, taking ownership of commercial strategy and solution design.
• Identify, qualify, and progress new business through a consultative, insight-led, and solution-oriented sales approach aligned to customer outcomes.
• Demonstrate deep expertise across the SANS portfolio to create differentiated propositions spanning training, certification, programmes, and partnerships.
• Take ownership of deal strategy for priority opportunities, including pricing, commercial structure, risk management, and stakeholder alignment.
• Consistently achieve and exceed annual sales and revenue targets, with a focus on quality, sustainability, and long-term value creation.
• Maintain accurate forecasting, pipeline management, and reporting within CRM systems (e.g. Salesforce), ensuring visibility of strategic opportunities and risks.
• Support the successful onboarding of newly acquired customers to ensure strong early outcomes and long-term retention.

Client, Account, & Partner Engagement

• Build and sustain trusted, senior-level relationships with CISOs, security leaders, HR and L&D executives, procurement, and wider business stakeholders.
• Take ownership of selected strategic accounts, driving long-term account planning, expansion, renewals, upsell, and cross-sell opportunities.
• Act as a senior commercial escalation point for customers, resolving complex commercial, contractual, or delivery-related challenges with confidence and authority.
• Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders across sales, marketing, product, operations, instructors, and delivery teams to ensure seamless execution and exceptional customer experience.
• Represent SANS Institute externally at industry events, conferences, and senior forums, strengthening brand presence, credibility, and thought leadership across the Belgium market.
• Ensure a consistently high standard of post-sale customer engagement and dedicated priority support, for strategically important clients.

Sales Process, Governance, & Execution

• Take ownership of the end-to-end sales cycle for assigned opportunities, including commercial strategy, proposals, pricing, contracting, and handover.
• Develop and execute structured account and territory plans using agreed sales methodologies and frameworks.
• Adhere to agreed sales processes, governance, and compliance requirements while exercising sound commercial judgement in complex scenarios.
• Support and collaborate on local marketing initiatives, campaigns, and SANS events to drive pipeline creation and revenue growth.
• Maintain strong commercial discipline across forecasting, deal reviews, and opportunity management.

Team Contribution, Mentoring & Leadership

• Actively mentor and coach Business Development Managers and other commercial team members on strategic selling, enterprise deal execution, and senior stakeholder engagement.
• Provide hands-on guidance on complex opportunities, helping elevate deal quality and sales capability across the team.
• Share market insight, customer intelligence, and best practice to strengthen overall team performance and commercial maturity.
• Support the onboarding and development of new team members through structured knowledge sharing and role-modelling of best practice.
• Contribute to a collaborative, high-performance sales culture aligned with SANS values, behaviours, and long-term growth objectives.
• Act as a trusted internal point of reference for strategic accounts, complex customer scenarios, and commercial decision-making.

Other Responsibilities

• Achieve agreed revenue targets, KPIs and strategic objectives in line with SANS’ priorities for Belgium.
• Take ownership of the tender and procurement process for complex enterprise opportunities, where applicable.
• Actively build, promote, and protect the SANS brand, values, and mission across all customer and partner engagements.
• Undertake additional responsibilities consistent with the seniority and scope of the role, as required.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Educated to degree level or equivalent.
• Substantial field-based B2B sales experience, with a proven track record of success in the commercial enterprise market.
• Fluent in English and French (Written and verbal).
• Able to deliver against agreed KPIs and targets.
• Strong influencing and negotiation skills in a business environment.
• Able to work well under pressure.
• Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills.
• Able to manage change, whilst aligning and prioritising multiple tasks.
• Sales focused and commercially aware of new business opportunities.
• Strong IT Skills, including experience of working with all Microsoft Office products.
• Able to use social media platforms such as LinkedIn.
• Proficient in managing customers using a CRM system.
• Able to align and prioritise multiple client accounts whilst delivering a world class service.
• Ability to use initiative and creativity to overcome customer objections.
• Decisive and forward thinking, with strong vision and strategic capability.
• The ability to plan and prioritise own workload and work to strict deadlines.
• Ability to plan, forecast and report against sales plan and targets.
• Translate customer needs into customer driven solutions.
• Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team.
• Ability to network and communicate at all levels both internally and externally.
• Ability and desire to travel to SANS events across Europe