Sudlows delivers specialist engineering and facilities management services for critical infrastructure and data centre environments. The Data Centre FM team supports clients whose operations depend on resilient power, cooling, controls, fire, security and building services, with a strong emphasis on safety, compliance, uptime and whole-life asset performance.

We are seeking an experienced Account Manager/BDM to join the Sudlows Data Centre Facilities Management team. This is a client-facing commercial role responsible for protecting and growing FM accounts, converting customer requirements into deliverable service solutions, and creating new opportunities across the UK data centre and mission-critical market.

Role Purpose

The Account Manager will own the commercial and relationship strategy for an agreed portfolio of existing and target clients. Working closely with FM Operations, Service Delivery, Engineering, Commercial, Estimating and Bid teams, the role will ensure that proposed solutions are operationally credible, commercially sound and aligned to each client’s risk, compliance and availability requirements.

Success will be measured through client retention, profitable account growth, qualified pipeline, contract renewals, new logo wins, margin performance and customer satisfaction, rather than sales volume alone.

Core Accountabilities

Strategic Account Management

  • Build and maintain trusted relationships with client stakeholders across facilities, engineering, operations, procurement, commercial and senior leadership functions.
  • Develop and maintain structured account plans covering stakeholder mapping, asset and service scope, contract dates, risk profile, growth opportunities and competitor position.
  • Lead regular client reviews, ensuring operational performance, risks, actions, additional works and improvement opportunities are clearly understood and progressed.
  • Protect contract retention by identifying service concerns early and coordinating timely recovery plans with the relevant operational owner.
  • Act as the commercial point of coordination for renewals, extensions, variations and additional service opportunities.

Growth and Business Development

  • Create and manage a qualified pipeline across existing accounts and agreed target sectors, with clear values, probabilities, timescales and next actions.
  • Generate opportunities through client referrals, consultant and contractor relationships, industry networks, events, targeted campaigns and disciplined prospecting.
  • Identify opportunities for planned preventative maintenance, reactive support, 24/7 response, resident engineering, lifecycle replacement, compliance services, energy optimisation and minor works.
  • Qualify opportunities against Sudlows capability, delivery capacity, commercial return, risk appetite and strategic fit before committing bid resources.
  • Meet agreed revenue, gross margin, pipeline, meeting and conversion targets while maintaining accurate CRM and sales forecasts.

Data Centre FM Solution Development

  • Translate customer requirements into clear scopes of service, asset assumptions, service levels, resource models, mobilisation plans and commercial proposals.
  • Coordinate technical input for critical power, generators, UPS, LV/HV systems, cooling, BMS/controls, fire detection and suppression, security, fabric and associated infrastructure.
  • Ensure proposals reflect the operational realities of live data centre environments, including change control, permits, RAMS, escalation, incident response, resilience and business continuity.
  • Engage OEMs, specialist subcontractors and supply-chain partners where required, ensuring responsibilities, exclusions and dependencies are clearly defined.
  • Support site surveys, asset verification, due diligence and risk reviews before final pricing and contract commitment.

Tendering and Commercial Governance

  • Coordinate high-quality PQQ, RFI, ITT, proposal and presentation submissions in line with Sudlows standards and customer deadlines.
  • Work with Estimating, Commercial and Operations to develop robust pricing, labour assumptions, subcontractor costs, lifecycle allowances, overhead and profit, and risk provisions.
  • Maintain clear control of clarifications, qualifications, exclusions, contract departures and client dependencies.
  • Lead commercial negotiations within delegated authority and ensure approval is obtained before commitments are made.
  • Coordinate a structured handover to mobilisation and operations teams, retaining involvement through contract start-up and early-life review.

Performance, Reporting and Collaboration

  • Provide accurate weekly and monthly reporting on pipeline, forecast, account activity, risks, conversion and margin.
  • Collaborate closely with FM Operations so that growth commitments are deliverable and operational performance supports the account strategy.
  • Share market intelligence on customer investment, competitor activity, procurement routes, framework opportunities and emerging data centre requirements.
  • Maintain high standards of document control, CRM records, commercial confidentiality and professional conduct.
  • Promote a one-team approach across Sudlows, using the wider organisation’s engineering, project and service capabilities to create value for clients.

Person Specification

Essential Experience and Knowledge

  • Proven account management or business development experience in data centre FM, critical facilities, engineering maintenance, building services or a closely related technical market.
  • Experience managing complex B2B customer relationships and developing opportunities from initial qualification through proposal, negotiation and contract award.
  • Understanding of planned and reactive maintenance in operationally critical environments.
  • Commercial awareness, including pricing, margin, risk, contract terms, variations and forecasting.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to prepare professional tenders, reports and presentations.
  • Competence in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, together with disciplined use of CRM or sales reporting systems.
  • Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel to client sites across the UK.

Desirable Experience

  • Knowledge of UPS, generators, switchgear, cooling systems, BMS, fire and security systems within live data centre environments.
  • Experience of FM mobilisation, asset verification, service-level design, lifecycle planning or subcontractor management.
  • Familiarity with recognised data centre and FM good practice, such as Uptime Institute concepts, SFG20 maintenance schedules, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and applicable statutory compliance.
  • Experience working with colocation operators, enterprise data centres, public-sector clients, consultants or principal contractors.
  • Relevant commercial, engineering, facilities management or business qualification.

Vacancy Summary

We offer a competitive package commensurate with qualifications and experience to the right candidate including professional training and long-term career development opportunities.

Type: Permanent
Location: Oldham with UK-wide client travel
Salary: To be negotiated dependent on experience.

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer.