The posting
Job Brief
The Business Development Linker will play a pivotal role in growing Q5’s presence and commercial pipeline across the Media & Creative Industries sector. This is an externally focused, relationship-led growth role. The Linker will build and activate an existing strong network of senior decision-makers, identify and develop greenfield opportunities, and connect client needs with the breadth of Q5’s expertise.
Working closely with Sector Leads, Client Partners, Engagement Leads and Q5’s wider offering teams, the Linker will help shape differentiated propositions and convert opportunities into long-term client relationships. The role prioritises opening doors and generating sustainable growth, while staying engaged with accounts as appropriate and ensuring a thoughtful handover into client partnering and delivery.
1. Business & Commercial Acumen
- Demonstrates a highly commercial mindset and sound judgement when qualifying opportunities, shaping commercial propositions and assessing risk.
- Understands the commercial dynamics and organisational challenges of Media & Creative Industries clients, and translates this insight into relevant growth opportunities for Q5.
- Works with Client Partners and offering specialists to develop commercially robust scopes, pricing approaches and resourcing assumptions.
- Balances Q5’s commercial objectives with long-term client interests, making values-led decisions rather than pursuing short-term wins.
2. Gaining & Developing New Business
- Proactively hunts for greenfield opportunities and opens new relationships and accounts across the Media & Creative Industries market.
- Builds, owns and actively progresses a qualified pipeline, converting introductions and exploratory conversations into well-shaped opportunities and new revenue.
- Identifies hooks for new business, connects insights across conversations and brings the right Q5 colleagues into opportunities at the right time.
- Helps lead and shape pitches, proposals and senior commercial conversations, ensuring the client solution draws on the best of Q5 and has a distinctive Q5 feel.
- Works alongside Client Partners to transition newly won accounts effectively and remains engaged to support relationship continuity and further growth.
- Contributes to Q5’s sector growth priorities and market positioning through intelligence, ideas and external engagement.
3. Relationship Building & Management
- Builds and nurtures a credible, senior external network, including C-suite decision-makers and influential stakeholders across METTS.
- Takes a relationship-first approach, investing in trust and long-term relevance rather than transactional selling.
- Curates and activates a network through purposeful introductions, meetings, events, forums and ongoing contact.
- Is generous with connections and acts as a trusted thought partner who listens carefully, understands client priorities and spots opportunities to help.
- Works closely with existing Q5 Client Partners, avoiding siloed ownership and connecting clients to the right expertise.
4. Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
- Quickly diagnoses complex client challenges and identifies where Q5 can add distinctive value.
- Connects market intelligence, client conversations and Q5’s capabilities to shape practical, credible responses.
- Brings an informed point of view, constructively challenges senior stakeholders and engages specialists when deeper expertise is needed.
- Uses creativity and sound judgement to navigate ambiguity, setbacks and long sales cycles.
5. Influential Communication & Engagement
- Communicates Q5’s proposition and insight with clarity, credibility and conviction to senior external audiences.
- Builds an authentic external profile through thoughtful contributions to sector conversations, events, professional networks and relevant content.
- Listens actively, asks powerful questions and adapts communication style to the audience and situation.
- Develops compelling opportunity narratives and supports colleagues to articulate client value in proposals and pitches.
6. Leading a Room
- Confidently leads senior business development meetings, discovery conversations and pitch discussions.
- Reads the room, adapts in the moment and knows when to ask questions, challenge or bring in a colleague with specialist expertise.
- Creates constructive, inclusive discussions and leaves clients clear on the value Q5 could bring and the appropriate next steps.
7. Programme & Project Management
- Maintains disciplined oversight of relationship plans, opportunity progression and follow-up actions across the business development pipeline.
- Coordinates effectively with Sector Leads, Client Partners and Engagement Leads on account strategy, opportunity mobilisation and handover.
- May contribute sector expertise or relationship support to selected client engagements, while the primary accountability remains business development.
- Flags delivery, commercial and reputational risks early and supports effective mitigation with accountable delivery colleagues.
8. Analysis & Tooling
- Uses sector intelligence, client research and commercial information to prioritise accounts and identify opportunities.
- Keeps clear, reliable records of relationships, opportunities and pipeline activity using Q5’s agreed systems and processes.
- Combines qualitative insight with commercial analysis to review progress, learn from wins and losses, and refine the approach to market.
9. People Leadership
- Role models collaborative, outward-facing business development and generously shares market insight, introductions and learning with Q5 colleagues.
- Coaches and supports less experienced colleagues to build relationship habits, commercial confidence and effective BD behaviours.
- Contributes to the wider Q5 ecosystem, supporting team development, feedback, recruiting efforts, wellbeing and inclusive working practices.
10. Values & Behaviours
- Demonstrates Q5’s values consistently in client relationships, commercial decisions and collaboration with colleagues.
- Shows resilience and tenacity in the face of rejection while remaining thoughtful, curious and respectful.
- Acts with personal accountability, integrity and a “we not I” mindset, prioritising the success of Q5 and its clients over individual recognition.
- Stays visible externally, brings market insight back into Q5 and contributes to continuous improvement.
Requirements
Experience, Skills and Qualifications
- A minimum of 12 years’ combined industry and management consulting experience, including at least 5 years in management consulting, with a strong understanding of the consulting environment and a proven track record of building senior client relationships, developing new business and growing accounts.
- Deep industry knowledge and a strong, established senior-level network, with the ability to open doors, build new relationships and create commercial opportunities. We are particularly interested in candidates with experience and networks across Media / B2B Media, Technology (including Big Tech and SaaS), and Gaming & Gambling.
- A substantial, active senior network within Media & Creative Industries with evidence of being able to open doors, make introductions and build C-suite relationships.
- A demonstrable track record of originating new business and building sustainable revenue, ideally with long, complex consultative sales cycles.
- Strong knowledge of the sector’s commercial landscape and the organisational, strategic and operational challenges facing its businesses.
- Ability to connect client challenges to consulting solutions across strategy, organisation, operating model, people, culture and performance, drawing on specialist expertise as required.
- Experience shaping proposals, leading senior client conversations and navigating commercial negotiations.
- An entrepreneurial, self-directed approach, combined with resilience, sound judgement and a collaborative mindset.
- Excellent listening, communication, relationship-building and influencing skills, with a credible external presence.
The sort of person we look for at Q5
Highly adaptable and flexible in thinking style – We often find ourselves working across a variety of contexts and a ‘simple’ challenge turns out to be much more complex than it first appears. You need to be able to quickly join the dots together and develop a plan to move forward. You also need to be able to adapt that plan when it is not working.
Collaborative in working style – This is one of our key differentiators. It’s not about being the smartest person in the room but instead helping to bring different stakeholders together to create a solution that works for the business. There is a “we” not “I” mindset
Genuinely care about your clients and colleagues and help them to succeed– When Q5 was founded it was to be more than a typical, transactional consulting firm. We are genuine partners with our clients focused on their long-term success, which means we hire people who a wired to care, be empathetic and get joy from seeing others succeed.
Can build trusted relationships and bring people on the journey– One of the things our clients say about us is that we are able to bring people together and take them on the journey. This role will require building (and sustaining) people trust and engaging key people in the business to craft the right answer
Resilient in the face of challenges, tight timelines and demanding clients – We continually strive to create a positive working environment, but the reality of our work is that it is hard and therefore not for everyone. The people who succeed at Q5 can work under the pressure without losing their sense of humour or care for others.
You get your hands dirty and step-up – We have a flat structure. If you enjoy getting stuck into a client’s challenge, pushing the team forward and solving problems with others you will thrive. We pride ourselves on developing our junior team members and creating supportive environments where people can bring their true selves to work (and in turn do their best work). We're firm believers that everyone needs to roll up their sleeves to get the job done!
Unique and offers something special – We don’t do cookie-cutter or formulaic and we need people who think differently, are intensely curious about solving our clients’ problems and stand-out from the crowd.
Use of AI
We recognise that AI can be a useful tool when preparing your application, and you're welcome to use it appropriately. However, anything you submit should genuinely reflect your own experience, thinking and capabilities.
For some assessments, we may ask you not to use AI where we want to understand your individual thinking, judgement or communication. If this applies, we'll always make this clear in advance.
Our aim is to create a fair and transparent recruitment process that allows us to get to know the real you.
You can find out more about our approach to AI and recruitment on our Careers page.
Benefits
Finance
- Performance Related Bonus
- Contributory Pension Plan
- Life Assurance and Income Protection
- New Starter Loan
Health & Wellbeing
- Private Medical Insurance
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Access to Digital GP and Wellbeing Apps
- Internal Wellbeing Programme
Family & Lifestyle
- Electric Car and Cycle to Work Schemes
- Enhanced Parental Leave
- Subsidised eye tests and support with the cost prescribed glasses for DSE use
