Business Development Manager

Role Summary

The Business Development Manager is responsible for driving growth by recruiting, onboarding, and managing financial adviser representatives, while identifying strategic partnership opportunities to expand the company’s market presence. The role focuses on building a high-performing advisory distribution network, supporting advisers in accelerating their production, and fostering strategic alliances, all while operating strictly within the regulatory frameworks set by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS).

Key Responsibilities

1. Financial Adviser Recruitment &Acquisition

· Identify, source, and recruit high-caliber financial adviser representatives and premier advisory teams to join the firm.

· Manage the end-to-end talent acquisition pipeline, from initial market mapping and pitching to offer negotiation and contracting.

· Collaborate with the Compliance and Operations teams to ensure seamless fit-and-proper checks and MAS notification processes during onboarding.

2. Distribution Management &Representative Enablement

· Act as the primary relationship manager for the firm’s financial advisers, driving engagement, retention, and loyalty.

· Deliver strategic coaching and sales enablement resources to help representatives scale their advisory businesses.

· Conduct regular business reviews with top-tier advisers to identify growth bottlenecks and formulate joint action plans.

3. Production & Revenue Growth

· Develop and execute strategic sales campaigns, incentive programs, and production drives to accelerate revenue growth.

· Monitor key distribution performance indicators, including Assets Under Management/Advising (AUM), New Business Premium, and active adviser ratios.

· Work closely with the Product Governance and Tech teams to equip advisers with competitive product suites and advanced digital advisory tools.

4. Strategic Partnerships & Alliances

· Identify, negotiate, and establish institutional partnerships (e.g., corporate employee benefits, professional associations, family offices) to generate high-quality lead pipelines for the advisory force.

· Manage relationships with strategic external partners to ensure mutually beneficial commercial outcomes.

5. Training & Professional Development

· Collaborate with product and technical experts to deliver comprehensive product training, market insights, and sales advisory concepts to representatives.

· Ensure all training initiatives reinforce high sales quality, regulatory compliance, and robust customer suitability frameworks.

6. Market Intelligence & Strategy

· Monitor industry trends, competitor movements, compensation structures, and shifting consumer demands to ensure the firm's value proposition remains highly competitive.

· Provide regular strategic insights and growth metrics reporting to the Executive Management team.

Qualifications

· A recognized University Degree, ideally in Business, Marketing, Finance, Economics, or a related discipline.

· Relevant regulatory certifications under the Financial Advisers Act (FAA) (e.g., CMFAS Modules 5,8, 9, 9A, HI) are highly advantageous.

· Strong understanding of the Financial Advisory landscape and distribution channels in Singapore.

· Good knowledge of MAS regulations governing representative conduct and marketing activities.

· Familiarity with financial products across Life Insurance, General Insurance, and Investment platforms.

Experience

· >5 years of experience in Business Development, Agency Management, or Distribution Support within the Financial Advisory, Wealth Management, or Insurance sectors.

· Proven track record of successfully recruiting and scaling financial adviser networks or high-performing sales teams.

· Demonstrated success in managing complex B2B partnerships or institutional alliances.

Skills

· Exceptional relationship-building, networking, and stakeholder management capabilities.

· Strong commercial acumen with a proven track record of meeting or exceeding growth targets.

· Compelling pitching, negotiation, and public presentation skills.

· A collaborative mindset with the ability to bridge the gap between commercial sales goals and strict compliance/governance standards.