Director of Business Development
2 Months ago • All levels
About the job
About Sumo Group
Sumo Group is one of the largest suppliers of end-to-end creative development services to the video games and entertainment industries. Comprising of veteran video game studios, an agile publishing team and an award-winning creative services studio, Sumo Group teams are delivering on ground-breaking projects across the globe.
Sumo Group currently employs over 1,700 talented team members across 19 studios in the UK, Poland, North America and India. In the UK, Sumo Group received the top level of accreditation from Best Companies in 2021, receiving a 3* World Class Award and listed as one of the Best Large Companies to Work for within the UK.
With a reputation for developing deep relationships with some of the world’s largest video game publishers, developers, platform manufacturers and entertainment brands, Sumo Group is dedicated to growing a sustainable business that provides security for its people, whilst delivering a first-class experience to partners and players.
Day in the Life of a Business Development Director:
The Business Development Director is a key part of the front-line Business development leadership team, and part of the wider Business Development Department of Sumo Group. Focused on finding and developing new accounts, they will take a driving role in identifying the right potential partners for Sumo, unearthing new opportunities, and making sure Sumo Digital and its studios are at the forefront of our partners mind when looking for support.
This role is responsible for ensuring the that we are supplying Sumo’s business pipeline with new work from either entirely new, or recently developed partners. With a particular focus on the short to midterm (immediate deals to deals within 12 months) the Business Development Director will work to build key client contacts that helps to surface the most opportunities with each partner possible. They will also be a key figure in our external client approach strategy, working with the wider BD team to identify new potential clients or services Sumo can offer.
On a more practical level, the Business Development Director also inputs into groupwide information on their accounts and the market, bringing insight that helps to drive strategic conversation and planning. This aspect of the role is delivered in close partnership with the core Business Development Team, Key Account Director, and other internal stakeholders.
To give a rough indication of duty balance, this role is:
• 70% client development and planning (including client syncs, strategic planning, and business development alongside other collaborators).
• 20% account and market information maintenance and service reviews (keeping critical account and market information collected and up to date to help others generate reports, and helping to identify service opportunities the group may be missing).
• 10% team leadership (as required).
What you need to do this job:
This role requires someone who is a skilled communicator, an inspiring and enthusiastic team player that enjoys collaboration with broad teams and has an entrepreneurial outlook around problem solving. The successful candidate will thrive in a challenging and ever-changing environment where shifts in the market and client needs must be adapted to the benefit of the group. They’ll be an excellent and persuasive communicator, capable of dealing with a wide variety of international clients, internal staff, and external partners. They are comfortable and confident with big picture thinking and helping to drive new client development, as well as growing recently acquired partners with input from other internal stakeholders.
• Identify and drive new business partnerships and short-term opportunities with existing clients working with the Core Business Development Team, Accounts Team, and Creative/Product Team.
• Take part in proposing new services and marketing strategies to ensure Sumo remains the "partner of choice" externally .
• Act as the main point of contact within the Front-Line Business Development team for assigned clients and working with the wider BD team to plan growth targets.
• Provide leadership when required to BD Managers to ensure our outreach is appropriately coordinated.
• Work with stakeholders to develop and regularly review Sumo’s new client strategy and workflow for outreach.
• Responsible for building a relationship with external teams and collaborating to share and leverage market knowledge and data for internal reports that would be useful for Sumo.
The Interview Process:
The interview process will consist of 3 stages:
1st Stage: A 30-minute informal call (via Teams) with a member of the Talent Acquisition team.
2nd Stage: A 1-hour competency based interview (via Teams) meeting our VP of Business Development and a member of our HR team to discuss your approaches to BD, collaboration and past experience.
Final Stage: A 1-hour interview (via Teams) meeting our Commercial Director and VP of Business Development to discuss your experience to date in further detail, your understanding of the role at Sumo and a candidate led Q&A.
*This is a rough outline of the interview process and could change in certain circumstances.
What’s in it for you?
Sumo also offers a highly personable benefits package which has something for everyone, no matter where you are in your career.
Financial: Annual bonus, flexible benefits allowance, salary sacrifice pension, benefits hub, payroll giving, an employee referral scheme (up to £3,000), financial/home buying consultations, workplace ISA and other schemes for tech loans, car loan and bicycles.
Work-life balance: Flexible working, 21 free choice days holiday (increasing to 22 with service), bank holidays, birthday day off, a duvet day (increasing to 4 with service), Christmas shutdown (Christmas Eve to New Year) and options to buy or sell up to a week of annual leave*.
Health and Wellbeing: Dental insurance, income protection, life assurance, BUPA private healthcare*, leading EAP programs (remote GP, mental health, physio, nutrition, lifestyle coaching and second opinions (medical)), critical illness cover*, health cash plan*, flexible gym (in-studio or discounts) and funded flu vaccines/eye tests.
Personal Development: Structured Personal Development tool, regular appraisals, annual salary reviews, access to Udemy learning platform, 5 learning days per annum (1 can be used as a volunteer day), award-winning L&D team and yearly attendance to the Sumo Developers Conference (link to video).
Extra Perks: A variety of in-studio perks, regular care packages, studio days out (family welcome), studio-led social activities (game jams, yoga, quizzes, life drawing and more), sabbaticals (at 10 years’ service) and an annual gaming subscription.
*These benefits are part of our flexible benefits options and are opt in selections.
Inclusion and Belonging at Sumo Digital:
We are dedicated to growing a sustainable business that provides security to our people while delivering a first-class experience to our partners and players.
As a people business, the success of our people is the success of our company. We prioritise taking care of them with a focus on supporting them, nurturing their talent and providing a healthy, friendly, enriching, creative and safe environment in which to work.
Sumo's employee diversity group, PRISM, exists to promote diversity, inclusion, equity, equality & wellbeing across the company and plays a key role in Sumo's ongoing goal of fostering environments where all employees feel safe, welcome & represented.
Our charitable and community initiatives provide support for meaningful causes that matter to our employees, clients and partners.
We continue to work to improve diversity in our recruitment and promotion processes, and to actively encourage people from marginalised groups to consider a career in the games industry.
Day in the Life of a Business Development Director:
The Business Development Director is a key part of the front-line Business development leadership team, and part of the wider Business Development Department of Sumo Group. Focused on finding and developing new accounts, they will take a driving role in identifying the right potential partners for Sumo, unearthing new opportunities, and making sure Sumo Digital and its studios are at the forefront of our partners mind when looking for support.
This role is responsible for ensuring the that we are supplying Sumo’s business pipeline with new work from either entirely new, or recently developed partners. With a particular focus on the short to midterm (immediate deals to deals within 12 months) the Business Development Director will work to build key client contacts that helps to surface the most opportunities with each partner possible. They will also be a key figure in our external client approach strategy, working with the wider BD team to identify new potential clients or services Sumo can offer.
On a more practical level, the Business Development Director also inputs into groupwide information on their accounts and the market, bringing insight that helps to drive strategic conversation and planning. This aspect of the role is delivered in close partnership with the core Business Development Team, Key Account Director, and other internal stakeholders.
To give a rough indication of duty balance, this role is:
• 70% client development and planning (including client syncs, strategic planning, and business development alongside other collaborators).
• 20% account and market information maintenance and service reviews (keeping critical account and market information collected and up to date to help others generate reports, and helping to identify service opportunities the group may be missing).
• 10% team leadership (as required).
What you need to do this job:
This role requires someone who is a skilled communicator, an inspiring and enthusiastic team player that enjoys collaboration with broad teams and has an entrepreneurial outlook around problem solving. The successful candidate will thrive in a challenging and ever-changing environment where shifts in the market and client needs must be adapted to the benefit of the group. They’ll be an excellent and persuasive communicator, capable of dealing with a wide variety of international clients, internal staff, and external partners. They are comfortable and confident with big picture thinking and helping to drive new client development, as well as growing recently acquired partners with input from other internal stakeholders.
• Identify and drive new business partnerships and short-term opportunities with existing clients working with the Core Business Development Team, Accounts Team, and Creative/Product Team.
• Take part in proposing new services and marketing strategies to ensure Sumo remains the "partner of choice" externally .
• Act as the main point of contact within the Front-Line Business Development team for assigned clients and working with the wider BD team to plan growth targets.
• Provide leadership when required to BD Managers to ensure our outreach is appropriately coordinated.
• Work with stakeholders to develop and regularly review Sumo’s new client strategy and workflow for outreach.
• Responsible for building a relationship with external teams and collaborating to share and leverage market knowledge and data for internal reports that would be useful for Sumo.
The Interview Process:
The interview process will consist of 3 stages:
1st Stage: A 30-minute informal call (via Teams) with a member of the Talent Acquisition team.
2nd Stage: A 1-hour competency based interview (via Teams) meeting our VP of Business Development and a member of our HR team to discuss your approaches to BD, collaboration and past experience.
Final Stage: A 1-hour interview (via Teams) meeting our Commercial Director and VP of Business Development to discuss your experience to date in further detail, your understanding of the role at Sumo and a candidate led Q&A.
*This is a rough outline of the interview process and could change in certain circumstances.
What’s in it for you?
Sumo also offers a highly personable benefits package which has something for everyone, no matter where you are in your career.
Financial: Annual bonus, flexible benefits allowance, salary sacrifice pension, benefits hub, payroll giving, an employee referral scheme (up to £3,000), financial/home buying consultations, workplace ISA and other schemes for tech loans, car loan and bicycles.
Work-life balance: Flexible working, 21 free choice days holiday (increasing to 22 with service), bank holidays, birthday day off, a duvet day (increasing to 4 with service), Christmas shutdown (Christmas Eve to New Year) and options to buy or sell up to a week of annual leave*.
Health and Wellbeing: Dental insurance, income protection, life assurance, BUPA private healthcare*, leading EAP programs (remote GP, mental health, physio, nutrition, lifestyle coaching and second opinions (medical)), critical illness cover*, health cash plan*, flexible gym (in-studio or discounts) and funded flu vaccines/eye tests.
Personal Development: Structured Personal Development tool, regular appraisals, annual salary reviews, access to Udemy learning platform, 5 learning days per annum (1 can be used as a volunteer day), award-winning L&D team and yearly attendance to the Sumo Developers Conference (link to video).
Extra Perks: A variety of in-studio perks, regular care packages, studio days out (family welcome), studio-led social activities (game jams, yoga, quizzes, life drawing and more), sabbaticals (at 10 years’ service) and an annual gaming subscription.
*These benefits are part of our flexible benefits options and are opt in selections.
Inclusion and Belonging at Sumo Digital:
We are dedicated to growing a sustainable business that provides security to our people while delivering a first-class experience to our partners and players.
As a people business, the success of our people is the success of our company. We prioritise taking care of them with a focus on supporting them, nurturing their talent and providing a healthy, friendly, enriching, creative and safe environment in which to work.
Sumo's employee diversity group, PRISM, exists to promote diversity, inclusion, equity, equality & wellbeing across the company and plays a key role in Sumo's ongoing goal of fostering environments where all employees feel safe, welcome & represented.
Our charitable and community initiatives provide support for meaningful causes that matter to our employees, clients and partners.
We continue to work to improve diversity in our recruitment and promotion processes, and to actively encourage people from marginalised groups to consider a career in the games industry.
About The Company
Founded in 2003, and celebrating its 20th Anniversary this year, award-winning Sumo Digital employs over 1,200 people globally in the UK, Europe, India and Canada.
Our 17 studios are in Sheffield, Nottingham, Newcastle (Atomhawk and Sumo Newcastle), Brighton (The Chinese Room), Leeds (Red Kite Games), Leamington Spa (Sumo Leamington, Lab42 & Midoki), Warrington in the UK, Pune and Bangalore in India, Wroclaw, Poland and Czech Republic (PixelAnt) and Vancouver, Canada (Atomhawk and Timbre Games).
Developing successful games across all platforms and genres, Sumo is recognised for its versatility, proprietary technology and creativity across a portfolio of games featuring titles for major publishers including Microsoft, Sony, Sega and 2K.
Sumo Digital is part of Sumo Group Ltd.
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