About Us
The FT has an uncompromising mission: delivering independent, quality information, news and services to individuals and companies around the globe. It’s the cornerstone of our reputation and the heart of our ambitions for the future. But for our people, the FT offers so much more than what we do. FT people come from all kinds of backgrounds and work across a huge range of disciplines and locations, and find an empowering, warm and welcoming culture that values curiosity and rewards smart, ambitious thinking. Those who are willing to unite around our mission and live our values will find plenty to challenge, inspire and interest them. Like the audiences we serve, no two FT people are the same; but together we help our audience be better informed and understand the world around them. It’s a job that’s never mattered more, and a career that can take you anywhere you want to go.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace
At the FT, we aim for employees across all regions to have a voice so that diverse perspectives are heard and valued. We believe that a supportive workplace is one where employees feel they can be themselves at work and have the flexibility they need to meet their personal needs. We'll continue to remove barriers for all, and in particular barriers facing employees from underrepresented groups.
The Role / Position Overview
FT’s B2B Enterprise business has a well established value proposition which enables organisations to read our journalism on FT.com and via third party platforms. The next chapter of success for the B2B Enterprise business involves continued growth of the core business plus accelerated growth through significant investment in new products and services. It is predicated on a cross-functional focus on increased productivity and customer-focus.
As part of this new strategy, the department is building a brand new commercial team called “Pathfinder”. The role of this team is to support our Product function in the identification, development and commercialisation of new solutions that offer value to our customers over and above that of the existing value proposition.
This exciting role requires a sharp, curious and entrepreneurial mindset and would suit a highly consultative sales professional with strong stakeholder management experience and a track record in closing business. This is a highly impactful position that will contribute significantly to the FT’s new enterprise business goals and will require selling globally to a multitude of different senior stakeholders across different sectors.
Key Responsibilities
Working closely with the Head of Pathfinder to develop the skills of the team and increase organisational confidence in more differentiated/new value propositions
Closing new business
- Work closely with “Pathfinder” Business Development Representatives (BDR) to generate leads and meet customer meeting quotas
- Articulate a clear value proposition - highlighting benefits to the specific prospect
- Sell/Engage directly to the C-Suite
- Comprehensive stakeholder engagement and mapping
- Managing expectations
- Agreeing contract terms and conditions
- Negotiating deals
- Hitting commercial targets
Validating new product ideas
- Establishing core target audiences
- Understanding unique benefits for different customer types
- Strong ability to probe and explore user needs
- Obtaining qualitative and quantitative customer feedback to recommend valuable improvements
- Be able to sustain discussions around potential features and hypothetical value
- Contributing to pricing strategy
- Hitting validation targets
Identifying commercial opportunities
- Using findings to identify new opportunities
- Understand value drivers for different types of organisation
- Understanding of profitability and feasibility
Communicating with core enterprise sales team (CRM, CSM and Marketing), Sales Programmes and Product Managers
- Liaising with key account managers to align tactical selling
- Know when to pull in other FT stakeholders e.g. Product, Global Strategic Accounts (GSA)
- Document and share findings
- Ability to build and present a business case
- Understand all FT Group product offerings
- Maintaining impeccable documentation on Salesforce.
Required Skills / Experience
- At least 5 years of experience in a technical customer facing role to the financial service sector
- At least 2 years of sales experience
- Strong commercial awareness and understanding of current affairs
- Self-starter
- Strong sense of team spirit
- Problem solver
- Attention to detail
- Strong ability to network
- Excellent questioning skills
- Excellent listening skills
- Strong follow through
- Resilient
- Agile
- Confident
- Excellent communication
- Knowledge of start-up culture would be a plus (but not essential).
What’s in it for you? Our Benefits
Our benefits vary depending on location, but we are committed to providing best in class perks across all our offices as well as an inclusive environment to develop your career. Examples of our benefits include; generous annual leave allowances, flexible working (including working from home), medical cover, enhanced maternity & paternity packages, subsidised gym memberships and Giving Back opportunities. Full details of our benefits can be found here.
Further Information
The FT is committed to providing an inclusive working environment for all. We are an equal opportunities employer who seeks to recruit and appoint the best talent regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief. We have implemented a hybrid working model and we also promote flexible working and will consider specific requests around flexibility for all roles where it can be accommodated. Please let us know if you require any adjustments as part of the application process or to enable you to attend an interview. If you would like to discuss your requirements, or have any questions, talent@ft.com and a member of our team will be happy to help.
#LI-NE1
