Business Development Manager - EPD

At Smartbox, we believe that real-life experiences help us thrive, connect, and become the best versions of ourselves. As Europe’s leading experience brand, we are evolving from a gift box company into an experience company.

MissionYour role as a Business Development Manager is to identify and approach potential partners for our experience portfolio, through both telephone and in-person outreach. You’ll represent Smartbox to hotels, restaurants, activity providers, and wellness venues.

This includes conducting market research to select new partners, handling the end-to-end sales process—from prospecting to closing—and managing contract creation and onboarding. You will maintain data accuracy in Salesforce, proactively manage your sales pipeline, and work strategically to identify market gaps and develop innovative partnership formats.

While driving business growth through strong presentations and negotiation skills, you will ensure alignment with Smartbox’s global vision and deliver on key KPIs such as net commission targets, contract volume, and partner quality standards.

Responsibilities

• The BDM's performance is measured using the following dimensions:
• Lead Generation and Prospecting
• Generate and identify new leads and prospects through proactive outreach (telephone and in-person).
• Build initial relationships with potential partners and maintain a strong hunter profile with minimum 20 calls/contacts per day.
• Sales Pitch and Presentation

Skills

• Create and deliver compelling presentations that integrate data analysis from BI tools (MA report, Bacon tool, Comm calculator).
• Effectively convey Smartbox’s value proposition and ensure alignment with global strategy.
• Negotiation and Deal Closing
• Negotiate competitive commercial terms (commission, exclusivity) and close deals to maximize value.
• Prepare and manage partner contracts, ensuring minimum 14 contracts closed per quarter.
• Partner Onboarding and Activation
• Lead onboarding meetings, configure partners in systems, and ensure they understand all processes.
• Monitor activation and quality standards (e.g., TA score ≥ 4, margin aligned with country average).
• Sales Pipeline Management
• Build and maintain a structured pipeline, ensuring progression through all sales stages.
• Maintain Salesforce data accuracy (95%) and report pipeline evolution regularly.
• Market and Competitor Awareness
• Research market trends, benchmark competitors, and identify gaps to develop strategies.
• Attend fairs/events when possible and propose innovative partnership formats (exclusive offers, seasonal activations).
• Vision and Brand Alignment
• Translate Smartbox’s global strategy into actionable value propositions for partners.
• Ensure partners adopt and reflect Smartbox brand values.
• Adaptability and Growth Mindset
• Demonstrate resilience in dynamic environments, share best practices, and participate in training programs to foster continuous learning.

Requirements

• Required skills and characteristics, which support the dimensions above, include:
• Proven experience in B2B sales, preferably in hospitality, travel, or leisure industries.
• Strong negotiation and communication skills, with the ability to close a minimum of 14 contracts per quarter.
• Hunter mindset with persistence in cold calling (minimum 20 calls/contacts per day) and in-person meetings.
• Analytical and structured approach
• Experience in Salesforce CRM with a focus on data accuracy and pipeline management.
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic environment, demonstrating adaptability and resilience.
• Commitment to continuous learning, sharing best practices, and participating in training programs.
• Positive, sales-oriented, and relationship-driven, capable of building authentic connections with partners.
• Creative problem-solving skills and ability to develop innovative partnership formats.
• Experience in the hotel and travel industry is a significant plus.

What we offer

• Opportunity to join an international and growing experience companypermanent contract/full timesalary range: 28,5k/30k gross annual salary (RAL) depending on experience and skills
• Annual variabel bonus: 20% of gross annual salary
• CCNL applied: Terziario Distribuzione e Servizi (ex Commercio) - 3° livelloticket restuarant 8€ per working dayremowe working policy: 2 days per week
• Welfare program
• Employee discount on Smartbox products and corporate benefits platform
• Work x life pack and wellbeing initiatives