Sector Client Director - DfE

Building a sustainable tomorrow

BAM UK&I are looking for a strategic and client-focused Sector Client Director – DfE focused but then taking up the role covering the wider education sector over time. This senior leadership role is central to BAM’s client-centric growth strategy, driving relationship-based sales and positioning BAM as a trusted advisor to key Department for Education (DfE) clients. Then driving and reviewing the wider Further Education and Higher Education markets.

Reporting to a Sector Director and working in matrix with the Head of Key Accounts, you will lead on selectivity and prioritisation, identify growth opportunities, and deliver tailored value propositions that improve win rates. You’ll ensure C-suite alignment between BAM and key DfE stakeholders, and coordinate engagement across all stages of the project lifecycle. As the Sector Client Director, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring a single view of the accounts within your sector, maintaining the quality of all communications and engagements.

Your mission

- Lead BAM’s relationship-based sales model across the DfE sector.

- Focus on the key deliverables and relationships within the Key Account Plan, ensuring this is live and up to date at all times.

- Build and maintain a robust and prioritised pipeline by identifying emerging opportunities and positioning early.

- Working alongside and very closely with Framework Manager, Design and Digital leads and the Commercial Manager within the DFE/Education sector team.

- Maximise cross-sector capabilities to broaden BAM’s service offering to DfE clients.

- Build trust and loyalty through credible, client-first relationships.

- Align BAM stakeholders with DfE executives to shape strategic priorities.

- Maintain engagement before, during and after tender phases.

- Conduct monthly and quarterly reviews of account pipelines and positioning.

Client-Facing

• Building trust by demonstrating credibility, reliability and intimacy, putting the client's needs first
• Building relationships via one-to-one conversations with key stakeholders and executives, to build client loyalty and trust
• Ensuring executives at key clients are directly engaged with BAM Segment Executive Directors and Sector (Managing) Directors.
• Supporting the strategic direction of accounts by describing and demonstrating the value that BAM adds to clients, maximising cross-sell opportunities
• Acting as a client advocate internally throughout BAM, developing and sustaining productive and trusted client relationships, including alignment of key personnel between the businesses
• Develop a deep understanding of key account roadmaps, challenges and the services or solutions that BAM is able to provide in all sectors
• Maintaining an awareness of client engagement throughout the project lifecycle, including before, during and after tender phases, ensuring client needs and strategic goals are supported by BAM
• Proactively expanding the network and build new strategic relationships within key accounts

Governance:

• Conducting monthly reviews of key accounts within your sector, collaborating with key business areas to assess leads and progress positioning
• Conducting regaular reviews of account pipeline accuracy and check for future opportunities, to ensure alignment with company goals and optimise strategic planning. Ensure that the future pipeline continues to focus on and prioritise volumes with key clients over other opportunities
• Ensuring that processes are in place to provide early visibility of new tenders with key accounts and that engagement strategies are effectively being planned and executed

Collaborative working:

• Contributing to client account and marketing front-end engagements ensuring the right level of representation from the BAM senior leadership team
• Ensuring early visibility of tenders, engagement before the bid and that opportunities to influence scope are maximised
• Working with Enabling Services to identify what affects an account through changes in policy and exploring opportunities to influence by gaining access to key forums for both BAM and key accounts
• Orchestrating engagement and agree responsibilities and alignment between the BAM senior leadership team and key accounts
• Working with the Head of Market Insights to support wider government and stakeholder engagement relevant to their account and wider sector portfolio

Who are we looking for?

- Degree-level education or equivalent.

- Proven experience in client-facing and work-winning roles within the built environment.

- Strong leadership, strategic planning, and change management capabilities.

- Skilled in stakeholder engagement, New Engineering Contracts, and CRM (Dynamics 365).

- Awareness of sustainability and environmental priorities.

- Role model for BAM’s values: sustainable, reliable, inclusive, collaborative, and ownership.

- Experience in the education and DFE sector

Competencies:

Creates strategic value / Learns from successes and failures

• The ability to create and articulate an inspiring vision for the organisation, not only for the areas directly responsible for, but the enterprise as a whole
• Can step back and see the big picture – and if needed – drill down into the details across disciplines from both a (project) management as well as a technical perspective
• The inclination to seek and evaluate data from a variety of sources to support judgements and to align others with the organisation's overall strategy
• The ability to effectively balance the desire/need for broad change with an understanding of how much change the organisation is capable of handling, to create realistic goals and implementation plans that are achievable and successful

Values differences / Is open to others and self-aware

• A leader who is self-reflective and aware of their own limitations; leads by example and drives the organisation's performance with an attitude of continuous improvement by being open to feedback and self-improvement
• A calculated risk-taker who seeks data and input from others to foresee possible threats or unintended circumstances from decisions
• A person who is viewed by others as having a high degree of integrity and forethought in their approach to making conclusions; the ability to act in a transparent and consistent manner while always taking into account what is best for the organisation

Empowers others / Builds Trust

• Naturally connects and builds strong relationships with others, demonstrating strong emotional intelligence and an ability to communicate clearly and persuasively
• An ability to inspire trust and followership in others through compelling influence, powerful charisma, passion in their beliefs, and energetic drive
• Encourages others to share the spotlight and visibly celebrates and supports the success of the team
• Can delegate to others, is regarded as being fair and reasonable, and is willing to hold people accountable in terms of delivery in a consistent and non-judgmental manner

Fosters a high performance culture / Strives for Improvement

• The ability to set clear goals while committing the organisation to improved performance; tenacious and accountable in driving results
• Entrepreneurial spirit who believes a thorough balance between commercial and risk responsibility is important to the viability of BAM
• The ability to persevere in the face of challenges and exhibit a steadfast resolve and relentless commitment to higher standards, which commands respect from followers

Champions our purpose to build ownership / Steps up to address difficult issues

• Creates a sense of purpose/meaning for the team that generates followership beyond their own personality and engages others to the greater purpose for the organisation as a whole
• An entrepreneurial and creative approach to developing new, innovative ideas that will stretch the organisation and push the boundaries within the industry
• Comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty; the ability to adapt nimbly and guide others through complex situations

What’s in it for you?

In addition to a competitive salary and benefits package, you’ll be part of a forward-thinking organisation that values innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement. You’ll have the opportunity to shape strategic client relationships and contribute to BAM’s long-term success in the education sector.

Your work environment

The art of building is about building for communities; it’s about building for life.

Where others stop, we go further, leading the way towards a sustainable tomorrow for us and future generations. As an industry leader, we raise the bar.

Our values: sustainable, inclusive, collaborative, reliable and ownership, enable us to achieve our ambitions. Today, tomorrow and every day.

Who are we?

The art of building is about building for communities; it’s about building for life.

Where others stop, we go further, leading the way towards a sustainable tomorrow for us and future generations. As an industry leader, we raise the bar.

Our values: sustainable, inclusive, collaborative, reliable and ownership, enable us to achieve our ambitions. Today, tomorrow and every day.

Our recruitment process, what you need to know?

BAM is committed to ensuring a fully inclusive recruitment and onboarding process, so if at any time you feel we need to do something to make it more accessible to you, do not hesitate to speak with one of our team, and we will do our best to support you.