Business Development Associate
Break into B2B sales with the UK’s fastest-growing R&D tax consultancy. At CBTax, we don’t do slow. You’ll be pitching to CEOs, building pipeline, and closing high-value meetings from Day 1
Role: Business Development Associate - Grads wanted
Location: Manchester, Spinningfields
Salary: £25,000 + uncapped commission.
Start Date: September 2025 intake
Who Are CBTax?
CBTax is the UK and Ireland’s fastest-growing specialist R&D tax consultancy firm. We work with ambitious and innovative companies across a wide range of sectors from advanced engineering firms designing the future of infrastructure, to high-tech manufacturers reinventing how things are built, to pioneering software companies and life sciences teams pushing the boundaries of what's possible in health, energy, and sustainability.
Why This Programme Exists:
Sales is one of the most powerful career foundations, and R&D tax is one of the most exciting, fast-growth niches. We built this programme to give smart, hungry graduates the fastest route into a high-performance sales career, with real-world training, uncapped earnings, and exposure to high-value clients from Day 1.
What You'll Actually Do
You'll be trained to learn the fundamentals of B2B sales in a professional services environment. Expect to:
- Master the art of selling– Get expert training in consultative selling, objection handling, R&D tax, and high-impact outreach techniques
- Find new opportunities – Prospect leads, identify decision-makers, and open conversations with business owners, directors and C-suite professionals
- Book high-quality meetings – Your main metric is pipeline: qualifying leads and booking valuable meetings
- Structure your day like a pro – Learn how to prioritise outreach, manage your time, and use tech (Salesforce, sequencing tools, LinkedIn) to amplify results
- Refine your pitch – Use real client and peer feedback to improve every week
- Soak up mentorship – Work alongside high-performing sales pros and shadow live deals to learn what works (and what doesn’t)
- Cross-Functional Exposure - You’ll gain valuable exposure to other areas of the business. Technical consultancy, operations, and client delivery. This not only strengthens your commercial awareness but also helps you identify other areas where you might thrive long-term. Whether it’s pivoting into strategy, client solutions, or people leadership, this experience gives you the runway to explore different career pathways within a high-growth consultancy
What You'll Learn (That University Didn’t Teach You)
- How to actually sell—not just talk
- How to build lasting professional relationships
- How to manage rejection and bounce back stronger
- How to structure, plan, and own your pipeline
- How to pitch & present to c-suit professionals
- How to speak with CEOs and business owners with confidence
- How to become someone people want to buy from
Who We're Looking For
This isn’t a soft-landing job. We want people who want to win. If that’s you:
- You’re naturally confident and sharp on the phone and in person
- You’ve got strong communication skills (think persuasive & likeable, not robotic)
- You’re money-motivated—the idea of earning £50k+ in your first year excites you
- You’re competitive, coachable, and resilient—every “no” just gets you closer to a “yes”
- You want real career progression, not just a job
Perfect for:
- Recent grads (any degree) looking to break into B2B sales
- Those with a competitive edge, especially individuals with a sporting background who thrive in competitive environments and structured discipline
- Anyone who wants to build a high-performance career, fast
What's In It For You
- £25k base + uncapped commission (OTE £50k+ first year)
- Fast-track to Business Development Executive and/or Manager role
- Weekly sales training from top performers & mentors
- Exposure to high-value clients in tech, engineering, manufacturing, and science
- Office-based energy in Spinningfields, Manchester. Trust us, this is where you want to be!
- Incentives, private healthcare, and tech perks
Final Note
This isn’t a graduate scheme where you’ll sit in training for months. It’s real sales, real clients, real growth from day one. You’ll be pushed, supported, and rewarded like a future top biller.
- Department
- Sales
- Locations
- Manchester
About CBTax
CBTax are a leading professional tax consultancy practice operating across the whole of the UK, specialising in R&D Tax Relief claims. With a wealth of experience from qualified, experienced Chartered Tax Advisers, leading Sector Specialists, Chartered Accountants and Research Analysts.
Our team have knowledge of diverse sectors, tax and industry-based experience to maximise our clients R&D Tax Relief claims.
CBTax won the SME - Apprentice Employer of the Year 2024, the Accounting Excellence – Fast-track Firm of the Year 2022 award, previously winning NBEA – Northamptonshire Business of the Year Award 2021 and are finalist for the NBEA – Employer of the Year 2022.
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