Business Development Manager - London

the opportunity

4d•Remote

About The Position

We’re looking for a driven, food-loving Business Development Manager to help grow First Table’s presence in London, one of the UK’s most dynamic dining scenes. This is a relationship-focused role where your ability to connect, pitch, and follow through will make a real impact. You’ll join a collaborative team of London-based BDMs, each owning their own patch. In this role, you’ll take ownership of your area, working closely with an existing portfolio of restaurant partners while identifying new opportunities to grow our footprint. This is a remote-first role with regular in-person meetings with restaurant partners. At First Table, our vision is simple: to be the first place diners go to book a table. Proudly established in Queenstown, New Zealand - where our head office is based - we've been leading the charge in the hospitality tech industry for over a decade, with operations spanning New Zealand, Australia, and the UK. First Table now offers our great dining experiences at amazing restaurants across the UK. Following the recent city launches in Bournemouth, Leicester, Norwich, and Southampton, we are doubling down on building a strong presence and connected team across the UK. First Table is a dining discovery platform that connects diners to restaurants through their love of food. Through our clever tech, we help restaurants get their night off to a great start and give diners a compelling reason to try somewhere new. It’s a win-win situation. From early bird offers to last table reservations, we make discovering and booking great dining experiences fast, easy, and rewarding. At the heart of everything we do are our values: Grow Together, Win-Win-Win, and Own It. These guide how we show up for each other, our restaurant partners, and our diners and they’re a big part of what makes First Table a great place to work. Join us at a truly exciting time of growth as we expand First Table’s presence across the UK. As a Business Development Manager, you’ll build relationships with local restaurants, uncover new opportunities, and bring our platform to more diners to help restaurants thrive. This role is tailor-made for individuals who thrive on networking, can take ownership, embrace challenges with open arms, and value the essence of teamwork.

Requirements

Proven experience in a similar role such as business development, field sales and partnerships experience.
Excellent relationship-building, communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
Be a self-starter with a commercial mindset - someone who thrives in an autonomous environment and knows how to spot opportunities (then go after them).
A “can do attitude” and the drive to grow with us.
Applicants must already be based in Greater London to be considered for this role
Applicants for this position must have pre-existing rights to work in United Kingdom

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with the hospitality industry is a massive plus, and your ability to hit the ground running with existing contacts will push you to the top of the queue for this position.
You don’t need to have done this exact role before, but you should be the kind of person who could convince a Londoner to queue for jellied eels.

Responsibilities

Own and grow your local market within London.
Build long-lasting, win-win relationships with restaurants in your assigned patch.
Maintain an in-depth understanding of market trends and competitors, using this knowledge to identify new opportunities.
Drive user acquisition and retention strategies.
Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams.