Head of Business Development - eCommerce

Role Overview This is a senior commercial role for someone who can lead new business through informed, consultative conversation. BAO is not a hard-sales agency. Our approach is thoughtful, considered and built around understanding whether we are the right partner for a client before recommending a way forward. This is not a generalist sales role. The right person will need meaningful experience in eCommerce, Shopify, digital delivery or brand-side commerce. You should be able to speak confidently about eCommerce platforms, UX/UI, Shopify, data, technology stacks, integrations, product architecture, internationalisation, AI and the operational realities of ambitious online brands. The role sits within the Commercial Team and reports directly into the Commercial Director. You will work closely with the Commercial Director, Managing Director and wider internal team, including Design, Development, Strategy, Project Management, Account Management and Solutions. The ambition for this role is that you become a senior owner of BAO’s new business process: leading discovery conversations, diagnosing requirements, shaping technical and commercial recommendations, creating proposals and pitch decks, managing opportunity information, and helping BAO win the right projects and retainers. We have Solutions Architect capability within the Commercial Team, particularly for very complex technical solutions, custom private apps or unusually detailed integration architecture. However, this role is not a messenger role. We need someone who can consult diagnostically, think clearly in the room, and create detailed written proposals and decks themselves. That ability to understand, challenge, recommend and shape a solution during the sales process is a major part of how BAO demonstrates care, expertise and value upfront. This role would suit someone who combines commercial confidence with technical curiosity, strong writing, good judgement and excellent interpersonal skills. You will need to be credible with owner-founders, senior eCommerce teams and enterprise-grade stakeholders, while also understanding that every recommendation must respect brand, design, taste level and the commercial realities of delivery. Core Responsibilities New business ownership You will own and manage BAO’s new business opportunities, ensuring that enquiries and proactive conversations are reviewed, qualified and progressed with clarity and consideration. You will be responsible for understanding which opportunities are right for BAO, which require further discovery, which should be prioritised and which should be politely declined. Diagnostic eCommerce consultancy You should be able to ask intelligent questions, identify technical and commercial considerations, and guide the conversation in a way that is confident, useful and collaborative. This means being able to discuss areas such as Shopify Plus, replatforming, internationalisation, UX/UI, frontend technology, product and collection architecture, URL structure, data, analytics, back-office integrations, app ecosystems, AI and wider eCommerce operations. Technical scoping and solution development This could include shaping replatforming approaches, proposing technology stack features, mapping back-office integration considerations, recommending URL structures, outlining product architecture, framing UX/UI priorities and explaining how BAO would approach a project or retainer. For very complex requirements, custom private apps or detailed technical architecture, you will work with BAO’s Solutions Architects and wider technical team. However, candidates should be comfortable doing a significant amount of solution thinking themselves. We are looking for someone who can contribute meaningfully to scope, not simply relay requirements from a client to a technical specialist. Proposal, deck and RFP development This will involve working closely with internal specialists across Development, Design, Strategy, Solutions, Project Management and Account Management to shape recommendations that are technically considered, commercially appropriate and operationally realistic. A strong proposal from BAO should combine commercial clarity, technical understanding, brand sensitivity and confidence in the quality of our work. Sales reporting and opportunity intelligence You will be responsible for ensuring that BAO’s new business information is captured and maintained in a way that is simple, accurate and commercially useful. This means ensuring that the right information is available at the right time: where opportunities are coming from, what stage they are at, what they are worth, how likely they are to progress, what type of work they represent, when they may land and what they may require from the wider team. Contact database and targeted outbound activity You will also be responsible for building and maintaining a high-quality sales contact database. BAO is not looking for a volume-led cold sales approach. Instead, we want to build a more considered view of the brands, contacts, partners and opportunities that are genuinely aligned with our positioning, experience and ambitions. Agency representation and industry events You may be expected to represent BAO externally at industry events in the UK and internationally. This could include attending eCommerce events, participating in panels or fireside chats, presenting on stage, contributing to partner-led events and speaking with prospective clients, partners and industry contacts. You should be comfortable acting as an ambassador for BAO: articulate, well-presented, commercially aware and able to communicate our perspective with confidence. What Success Looks Like Success in this role means BAO has a clear, well-managed and commercially intelligent new business process, with suitable opportunities being progressed confidently and unsuitable opportunities being handled professionally. Over time, we would expect the Head of New Business, eCommerce Solutions to: Diagnose client requirements confidently across eCommerce, Shopify, UX/UI, integrations, data, technology stacks and brand experience. Create detailed written proposals, scopes and pitch decks that demonstrate clear technical and commercial thinking. Contribute meaningfully to solution development rather than relying on internal specialists to interpret every requirement. Provide weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual sales reporting that supports decision-making. Increase confidence across the team that new work has been understood, scoped, sold and briefed in properly. Help BAO win high-quality project and retainer clients that align with the agency’s positioning, values and capabilities. About You You will likely have: Proven experience in a new business, sales, commercial, solutions or consultancy-led role within eCommerce, Shopify, digital, technical or agency environments. Meaningful understanding of Shopify, Shopify Plus or another major eCommerce platform. The ability to lead consultative new business conversations with senior client stakeholders. Strong understanding of eCommerce requirements, including UX/UI, platform functionality, frontend experience, integrations, data, analytics, technology stacks and operational workflows. Experience creating detailed written proposals, scopes of work, pitch decks, RFP responses or commercial documents. The ability to translate client conversations into clear recommendations, not simply pass requirements to technical colleagues. Strong commercial judgement and the ability to identify good-fit and poor-fit opportunities. Confidence discussing technical subjects with clients while knowing when to involve deeper technical expertise. High standards of personal presentation, whether in writing, on video calls, in decks or in person. Confidence representing a business externally at client meetings, industry events or partner conversations. A collaborative, low-ego approach to working with internal teams. UK-based availability, with flexibility to travel for client meetings, pitches and industry events where required. We are open to candidates from agency or brand-side backgrounds. Brand-side experience can be highly relevant, particularly where someone has developed deep Shopify, eCommerce or digital delivery knowledge. However, this knowledge needs to be practical, current and transferable into a consultative new business role. Desirable Experience The following would be advantageous, but not essential: Experience working in a Shopify Plus agency, eCommerce agency or digital product consultancy. Experience working with fashion, beauty, luxury, lifestyle or premium consumer brands. Familiarity with replatforming projects, especially migrations to Shopify or Shopify Plus. Experience shaping recommendations around back-office integrations, ERP, PIM, OMS, CRM, loyalty, search, merchandising or subscription tools. Experience discussing URL structures, product architecture, collection logic, data structures or content models. Experience creating sales decks, RFP responses, technical-commercial proposals or board-level presentations. Experience reporting on opportunity performance, lead source, conversion rate, sales cycle, average deal value or revenue forecast. Experience participating in webinars, podcasts, panels, fireside chats or industry events. Existing relationships within the Shopify, eCommerce, fashion, beauty, luxury or premium retail ecosystem. Benefits Highly competitive salary DOE 24 days of annual leave + 8 bank holidays +1 extra day per year served Training budget for courses or online training relevant to your role High-spec Apple machine Opportunity to travel globally for key eCommerce industry events and client pitches Working with a primarily luxury, innovative and high-profile international client base No micro-management culture Remote working or office-based, or a combination of the two, depending on your location In-person and online social events throughout the year Clear career progression paths and a structured employee review process