Company: Downing Ventures

Apply for the Sales Development Associate

Location: Greater London

Job Description:

Sales Development Associate

Title: Sales Development Associate

Location: London

Department: Sales

Downing is dedicated to delivering investments that matter – for our economy, our health, our society, our local communities and our environment.

For over 35 years, our highly experienced team and our entrepreneurial spirit has driven us to seek out long‑term and unique opportunities that solve challenges faced by investors, companies and society.

From our headquarters in the City of London, and from offices in Cardiff, Glasgow, Helsinki and Stockholm, we structure and manage innovative investments that meet specific investor needs and look to the future with conviction. Our 200‑plus employees drive our vision of long‑term value creation, which we achieve by being bold, straightforward and ambitious.

Guided by these principles we have a broad range of investment opportunities. Our private market offerings include renewable energy infrastructure, private equity and private credit. In public markets, we have a boutique of specialist fund managers that provide a distinctive suite of investment mandates.

As a certified B Corp, we take our responsibilities, to our investors, our stakeholders and society, seriously. We invest for return while always considering our impact on the world.

Diversity is important to us, and we see the benefits that having a team with a range of backgrounds and perspectives can bring. We are bold and ambitious, straightforward and we support each other. These core values are vital to everything we do – from the businesses we invest in, to the people we hire.

Role and responsibilities

The primary function of the Sales Development Associate, based in London is to generate leads through a sales pipeline to convert into Downing new business activity.

The Sales Associate will integrate into the regional teams and support the Business Development Managers and Internal Sales Managers in writing more business and developing new opportunities.

This opening represents a great opportunity to develop a new role within a professional, commercial setting. The role would suit an individual who enjoys varied, challenging and rewarding work within a sales environment.

Your responsibilities will include:

Proactive Sales Calls

Follow up on literature and illustration requests
Engage with pipeline prospects (as agreed with regional teams)
Gather feedback from new supporters to improve service quality
Ensure clients have had a positive onboarding experience

Meetings & Relationship Building

Attend face‑to‑face and Teams meetings with advisers and paraplanners
Shadow senior sales colleagues to gain exposure and build rapport with regional contacts
Take notes and contribute where appropriate to deepen understanding of client needs

Sales Support & Administration

Maintain accurate records of interactions in CRM systems
Assist in preparing meeting packs, presentations, and follow‑up materials
Monitor and report on sales activity and pipeline progress
Support the coordination of regional campaigns and events

Learning & Development

Participate in product and compliance training sessions
Stay up to date with financial products, industry trends, and regulatory changes
The potential to work towards obtaining a financial services qualification (e.g., CII, CISI)

Team Collaboration

Liaise with marketing, compliance, and operations teams to ensure smooth client journeys
Share insights and feedback with internal stakeholders to improve processes
Contribute to team meetings and brainstorming sessions

Education, experience and skills

Degree level or equivalent education
Commercial experience, ideally within a sales environment – have worked through multiple sales cycles and sales funnel process management
An interest in estate planning and/or inheritance tax (IHT) solutions

Personal characteristics

Bright, driven and enthusiastic
Commercially driven and sales focused
A clear, effective and professional communicator
Positive, proactive attitude
Tenacity with strong problem‑solving skills
Hard working and a willingness to go the extra mile
Outgoing and gregarious

Further information

Downing’s values – Be bold and ambitious | Be straightforward | Support each other

Our values serve as a guide that shapes every aspect of Downing. They extend far beyond the conduct of our employees and encompass our products, services, and relationships with our investors and their advisers. By upholding these values, we firmly believe that we can navigate challenges and seize opportunities. Our commitment to these values ensures that we make a positive impact in everything we do, leaving a lasting and meaningful imprint on the world around us.

Hybrid working

Downing operates a hybrid working policy whereby employees are expected to work from the office for a minimum of 3 days each week. If specific days are required in the office, this will be communicated during the interview process.

Diversity and inclusion

At Downing, we work hard to create a safe space for everyone: an environment for people to be themselves, and to be straightforward, honest and candid. Diversity is important to us, and we are passionate about creating an inclusive culture that supports and celebrates this.

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly throughout our recruitment process and every aspect of employment, irrespective of background, disability or any other protected characteristic.

Reasonable adjustments

We will make reasonable adjustments within our recruitment process (and throughout employment) where needed. If you need any adjustments at any stage of our recruitment process, please do not hesitate to speak to the hiring manager or Downing’s People Team (people@downing.co.uk ).

Privacy

To understand what information we collect about you, how we will use it and for what purpose, please read our privacy notice.