Business Development Manager - Microsoft Training

About us

At Code Nation, we’re not just a tech training provider, we’re a mission-driven team using education to transform careers, empower businesses, and shape the future of the digital workforce. If you’re passionate about making an impact, helping people succeed, and being part of a growing organisation at the forefront of tech skills development, you’ll feel right at home here.

Who We Are

Code Nation delivers industry led, hands-on training that helps learners and employers thrive in an ever-evolving digital world. From complete beginners to experienced professionals looking to upskill, we provide practical programmes that open doors to real, meaningful opportunities.

As a Microsoft Training partner, we specialise in coding, data analytics, AI, cyber security and digital transformation, and deliver both off the shelf and bespoke courses. Everything we teach is built with employers, focused on real-world skills, and designed to meet the demands of today’s tech landscape.

A Place Where Everyone Can Succeed

We believe tech should be accessible to all. That ethos shapes everything we do — from how we design our curriculum to how we support our learners and partners. When you join Code Nation, you become part of a team that celebrates potential, champions diversity, and changes people’s lives through opportunity.

Part of the Reed Group

Code Nation became part of the Reed Group in 2024, strengthening our ability to help businesses address digital skills gaps at scale. Through solutions such as Train the Gap, Recruit Train Deploy as well as bespoke tech training programmes, we’re uniquely placed to support employers and create pathways into tech careers.

We’re proud to be recognised as an Ofsted ‘Good’ provider — a testament to the quality, care, and impact that define our work.

Role Summary

As a Microsoft Training Partner, the Business Development Manager is responsible for generating, developing and securing new business for our Microsoft Training portfolio across the UK market as well as bespoke tech training with a prime focus on SME businesses. This includes building relationships with organisations to understand their digital skills needs, identifying opportunities for upskilling and workforce development, and promoting tech training solutions that support productivity and capability growth.

The role involves proactive new business acquisition requiring a consultative approach, strong commercial acumen, and a deep interest in helping businesses close digital skills gaps through Microsoft learning pathways.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Sales

• Proactive outreach to targeted SME clients, creating a strong sales pipeline of sales opportunities.
• Conduct needs analyses to understand clients’ strategic priorities and any subsequent digital skills gaps.
• Engagement with Technical leads to effectively translate the client requirement and help shape the training solution.
• Create and present tailored proposals including Microsoft 365, Azure, Dynamics, Power Platform, as well as bespoke tech training courses and IT literacy for both technical and non-technical audiences
• Meet and exceed monthly, quarterly, and annual sales targets.

Client Engagement & Account Management

• Engage senior decisionmakers (Tech, HR, L&D,) across SMEs.
• Build trusted, long-term relationships with clients, ensuring regular engagement and ongoing understanding of their changing needs.
• Provide professional advice on upskilling pathways, certification routes and potential government funding sources
• Maintain relationships with key stakeholders, post training to encourage and secured repeat business.

Market & Product Insight

• Maintain current knowledge of Microsoft training products, certifications and industry trends.
• Understand wider tech workforce development needs where relevant (e.g., internal restructures, redundancies, new tech adoption affecting demand).
• Identify opportunities to cross sell or integrate Microsoft training into broader business challenges.

Events, Marketing & Employer Engagement

• Attend partner or industry events to promote the tech training offer.
• Plan and deliver employer engagement events, webinars and profile-raising activities.
• Secure employer speakers where beneficial for thought leadership or client engagement sessions.
• Create case studies, success stories and client insights to support campaigns.

Operational Excellence & Reporting

• Record all engagement, leads and opportunities accurately in the CRM system.
• Engage with senior management to articulate progress of pipeline for forecasting purposes
• Ensure all client contracts, proposals and associated documentation are completed accurately and on time.
• Maintain high-quality recordkeeping and compliance with internal processes.

Professional Development

• Take ownership of personal development, including expanding knowledge of Microsoft technology and training ecosystems.
• Stay updated on trends in digital skills, including how government schemes can support employer engagement on the skilling IT agenda.

Skills & Experience

Essential

• Proven success in a B2B sales role, ideally within training, technology or professional services.
• Demonstrated ability to exceed targets in a fast-paced, commercially driven environment.
• Proven track record of self-generating leads, building pipelines and closing business.
• Strong understanding of digital skills, tech workforce development and/or tech training pathways (or willingness to learn).
• Excellent communication, presentation and influencing skills.
• Strong consultative selling and problem solving ability.
• Ability to think strategically, adapt approaches and create compelling proposals.
• Ability to work within a small team, or SME start up business environment.

Desirable

• Experience in selling Microsoft or tech training solutions.
• Knowledge of how upskilling/reskilling supports business productivity, growth and talent retention.
• Previous knowledge of working for a training provider

Competencies

• Articulate, credible and able to flex communication style for different audiences.
• Empathetic, relationship driven and client focused.
• Organised with the ability to manage short deadlines and multiple priorities.
• Creative and confident with proposal creation and written communications.
• Curious, proactive learner able to pick up new tech concepts quickly.
• Strong commercial awareness and ability to identify business value and ROI for clients.

Benefits

• Competitive salary + bonus scheme
• Fully remote or hybrid working option
• Pension scheme
• 30 days annual leave
• Opportunities to gain Microsoft certifications and expand technical knowledge