Senior Customer Engagement Lead

Plexal works at the intersection of government, industry and emerging technology, bringing together organisations to tackle complex public sector challenges through practical, delivery-focused innovation. 

We design and deliver programmes that help public sector organisations explore new ideas, test solutions, and turn innovation into real-world impact. 

As Senior Customer Engagement Lead, you will play a central role in developing and growing Plexal’s work with public sector organisations. 

You will build and lead senior stakeholder relationships, identify and shape new opportunities, and work closely with internal teams to turn early engagement into defined, deliverable programmes. 

This is not a traditional account management role. You will operate across a dynamic portfolio of customers and challenges, focusing your efforts where there is the greatest opportunity to create impact and develop new work. 

This role sits at the heart of Plexal’s growth. You will help define where and how Plexal engages-working with public sector leaders to tackle complex challenges and translating those into practical programmes of work that deliver measurable outcomes. 

You will operate with a high degree of autonomy, taking ownership of key relationships and opportunities while playing a central role in driving Plexal’s growth in the public sector. 

• Lead and grow relationships with senior stakeholders across government, arm’s length bodies and regional organisations 
• Act as a trusted advisor on complex, cross-cutting challenges 
• Develop a deep understanding of customer priorities, constraints and strategic objectives 
• Define and drive engagement approaches across priority customers and sectors
• Represent Plexal in senior meetings, workshops and external forums

• Take ownership of a defined portion of the opportunity pipeline, ensuring strength, diversity and forward visibility 
• Drive the identification, prioritisation and progression of high-value opportunities 
• Shape early-stage engagement into clear, actionable opportunities 
• Lead the conversion of opportunities into funded programmes 
• Maintain visibility of pipeline status, risks and next steps 

• Lead the shaping of complex customer challenges into structured, deliverable approaches 
• Set direction on how Plexal responds to customer needs, ensuring approaches are clear, compelling and commercially viable 
• Work closely with delivery, technical and commercial teams to define scope, outcomes and delivery models 
• Develop proposal that are practical, testable and aligned to user needs 

• Drive collaboration across customers, departments and partners to unlock shared value 
• Identify and engage partners across government, industry and academia 
• Support the development of joint initiatives, co-delivery models and collaborative programmes 
• Strengthen Plexal’s position within the broader innovation ecosystem 

• Use CRM, stakeholder mapping and pipeline tools to enable coherent and joined-up engagement 
• Contribute to structured engagement planning across customers and opportunities 
• Embed consistent approaches to customer engagement, reducing reliance on individual relationships 
• Capture and share customer insight and feedback to improve engagement and service design 

• Lead alignment across engagement, commercial and delivery teams to ensure opportunities are effectively shaped and delivered 
• Contribute to a coordinated, organisation-wide approach to pipeline development and customer engagement 
• Support a culture of collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement 

• Capture and interpret customer insight and emerging themes from engagement activity 
• Translate insight into clear priorities and areas of focus for future engagement 
• Identify patterns in demand and areas of growth opportunity 
• Contribute to shaping Plexal’s go-to-market approach and sector focus 

What success looks like 

• A strong, diversified pipeline of high-quality opportunities across priority sectors 
• Consistent conversion of engagement into funded programmes 
• Senior stakeholder relationships that lead to repeat and expanded work 
• Tangible contribution to Plexal’s growth and presence in the public sector 
• Clear impact on how Plexal develops and progresses opportunities 

• 8+ years’ high-performance experience in business development, commercial, or go-to-market roles within central govenment 
• Demonstrable expertise in designing, shaping, and negotiating significant (£1m+ / multi-year) commercial engagements to meet complex customer needs 
• Extensive networks with government and private sector decision-makers  
• Proven team leadership and management experience, including building and scaling high-performing teams 

Highly desirable: 

• Experience excelling in a scaleup or high-growth environment 
• Experience spanning both public and private sector roles in central government  

•  First-hand experience supporting government users to develop and adopt new/emerging technology capabilities 

• Strategic thinker with entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for innovation 
• Ability to thrive in ambiguous, fast-paced environments 
• Collaborative, inclusive, and values-driven approach 
• Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills 
• Willingness to undertake regular national travel (>40%) and occasional international travel 
• Open to UK Nationals who hold or are eligible for Security Check (SC) clearance. (See more on clearance eligibility.) 
• Commitment to Plexal’s values of diversity, equity, and inclusion 
• Degree-level education or equivalent professional experience 
• Additional sector-specific or leadership qualifications are advantageous

Plexal’s Values:

Mission: We inherit the mission of UK government and deliver it in an agile and creative fashion.

Collaboration: We believe in the power of working together.

Equality: We strengthen ourselves as a team by embracing the different.

Care: People are at the heart of what we do; we care about our customers, members and colleagues.
 
As a start-up, we thrive in a dynamic and fast-paced work environment dedicated to empowering innovators. We embrace individuals who leverage technology and creativity to tackle our greatest challenges head-on. We strongly advocate for maintaining a harmonious work-life balance, our goal is to ensure every member of our team can authentically be themselves and live their best lives. We firmly believe that innovation and creativity flourish when we cultivate a diverse workforce, comprising highly skilled individuals with a wide range of perspectives to contribute.
 
In return we will offer you:

• Salary: £80,000 - £100,000 depending on skills and experience
• Annual bonus scheme
• A generous pension scheme (with a company contribution of up to 10%)
• Private healthcare, life assurance and critical illness cover
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Volunteering day