Regional Business Development Manager

Svitzer Middle East Limited (Dubai Branch); Dubai; On-site; AED 300,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Svitzer Middle East Limited (Dubai Branch) is seeking a Regional Business Development Manager to drive growth across AMEA, shaping opportunities before tenders and leading commercial decisions with senior stakeholders.

The role emphasizes pipeline development, financial and contractual risk assessment, and cross-functional collaboration to translate strategy into viable investment cases and delivery plans across towage and marine services.

Qualifications

• Experience in a commercial, business development, or tendering role within maritime, infrastructure, or asset-heavy industries.
• Track record of contributing to growth through opportunity development and execution.
• Strong commercial, financial, and legal acumen, including experience developing business cases and financial modelling.

Responsibilities

• Drive pipeline and opportunity development across AMEA.
• Lead tender processes end-to-end from positioning to submission and negotiation.
• Prepare high-quality proposals, business cases, and commercial materials.
• Own commercial assumptions and analysis supporting business cases with Finance, Operations and Technical teams.
• Align internal stakeholders across countries and functions to enable timely decision-making and successful execution.
• Support inorganic growth initiatives such as partnerships, JVs, and potential M&A activities.

Skills

Commercial experience

Business development

Tendering

Maritime industry

Financial modelling

Legal acumen

Stakeholder management

Job description

About the role

Svitzer AMEA is looking for a Regional Business Development Manager to support and accelerate our growth journey across one of our most dynamic and complex regions. In AMEA, growth is rarely linear. Markets are diverse, regulatory environments vary, and opportunities often need to be shaped long before a formal tender exists. This role is for a commercially driven professional who thrives in that reality - someone who can create strategies, understand investment/financial models, build relationships and deliver tenders whilst understanding contractual risks and opportunities. Working closely with the Regional Chief Commercial Officer, take day-to-day ownership of a prioritized portfolio of growth opportunities across AMEA. Translate strategic direction into validated commercial propositions, investment cases and development plans, coordinating with our teams in AMEA markets and functional specialists from early qualification through approval, negotiation and handover. In addition to a commercial mindset, you will have an advantage if you have experience in towage, marine services or an adjacent sector such as ports, terminals, shipping, offshore energy or infrastructure services.

Who we are

Svitzer is a global leader in towage and marine services, helping customers safely and efficiently maneuver large vessels in and out of more than 200 ports and terminals worldwide. We build on almost 200 years of experience. Today, our 4,587 colleagues operate 510 vessels across 38 countries, helping keep goods flowing, businesses moving and communities connected. Guided by our values (Constant Care, Humbleness, Uprightness, Our Employees and Our Name), we are also shaping a cleaner, smarter future for towage through digital solutions, greener technologies and new partnerships.

What you can look forward to

You will be part of a collaborative and high-performing commercial environment, working across countries, functions and cultures. This is a role with strong exposure to senior stakeholders and real impact on how Svitzer grows in AMEA. You will operate at the intersection of strategy and delivery - contributing to where we grow, while actively driving how we win.

What you will do

As Regional Business Development Manager, you will support and drive Svitzer’s commercial agenda across AMEA, with a strong focus on pipeline development, opportunity shaping, and execution. Your key responsibilities will include:

• Driving pipeline and opportunity development
• Establish and understand the customer needs, identify key decision-makers, competitive positioning, partner requirements and credible route to securing award for each priority and opportunity.
• Evaluate Commercial value for every opportunity, financial viability, economics, risks and evidence/information gaps to propose decisions, and recommend whether to advance, reshape, defer or stop.
• Build relationships to shape opportunities early in the opportunity funnel.
• Build and maintain a strong, forward-looking commercial pipeline aligned with the AMEA growth strategy.
• Identify and develop new market opportunities through data-driven insights and market intelligence.
• Shape and mature opportunities from early market engagement, often ahead of formal tenders, positioning Svitzer for success.
• Support prioritisation of opportunities based on value, risk, and strategic fit.
• Tendering and commercial execution
• Lead and support tender processes end-to-end, from early positioning to submission and negotiation.
• Prepare high-quality proposals, business cases, and commercial materials.
• Own the commercial assumptions and analysis supporting business cases, working with Finance, Operations and Technical teams to validate inputs.
• Compare alternative fleet, ownership and delivery solutions, including newbuild, second-hand, purchase and charter options where relevant.
• Assess pricing, cash flow, returns, downside exposure and customer value, and present clear recommendations and sensitivities.
• Ensure disciplined commercial governance, pricing, contractual risk assessment and compliance across opportunities, working closely with the Legal team where appropriate.
• Customer and stakeholder engagement
• Build and maintain strong relationships with customers, partners, and key stakeholders across the region.
• Develop a deep understanding of customer needs and challenges to develop the right commercial solutions.
• Support development of strategic customer plans and long-term partnerships.
• Collaborate with Finance, Operations, Technical, Legal and other functional experts to develop robust commercial solutions and execute growth opportunities.
• Align internal stakeholders across countries, region, and headquarters to drive timely decision-making and successful commercial execution.
• Lead through influence rather than formal authority, mobilising cross-functional teams and stakeholders across countries, functions and leadership levels to deliver commercial outcomes.
• Supporting growth initiatives
• Contribute to inorganic growth initiatives, including partnerships, joint ventures, and M&A activities.
• Support the development of business cases and investment proposals for new opportunities.
• Provide market insights, competitor intelligence, and strategic input to strengthen commercial decisions.
• Towage and/or adjacent industry knowledge
• Experience in towage, marine services or an adjacent sector such as ports, terminals, shipping, offshore energy or infrastructure services is an advantage.
• You bring an understanding of the operational and commercial drivers of asset-intensive service businesses, including fleet capability, utilisation, safety, service reliability and long-term contract economics.
• Direct towage experience is an advantage.
• Candidates from adjacent sectors should demonstrate the ability to translate technical and operational requirements into credible customer propositions, commercial structures and investment cases.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for a commercially sharp and proactive professional who is comfortable working across both strategy and execution in a complex, international environment. You likely bring:

• Experience in a commercial, business development, or tendering role, ideally within maritime, infrastructure, or other asset-heavy industries.
• A track record of contributing to growth through both opportunity development and execution.
• Strong commercial, financial, and legal acumen, including experience developing business cases and financial modelling.
• Demonstrated ability to balance commercial opportunity, contractual risk and long-term strategic value when making recommendations.
• Experience working with complex, multi-stakeholder opportunities.
• The ability to structure work, manage multiple priorities, and drive progress.

You are

• Commercially driven and execution-focused.
• A strong relationship builder with cultural awareness.
• Curious, proactive, and comfortable taking ownership.
• Structured in your approach, with attention to detail.
• Motivated by working in an international and fast-paced environment.

Why join Svitzer

At Svitzer, you will be part of a global company with nearly 200 years of experience and a strong position in a critical industry. You will have the opportunity to contribute directly to our growth in AMEA, working on meaningful opportunities that shape our future presence in the region. If you are motivated by turning strategy into action, shaping opportunities, and driving commercial impact, we would like to hear from you.

Building a Diverse Workplace

In Svitzer we value the diversity of our talent and will always strive to recruit the best person for the job – we value diversity in all its forms, including but not limited to gender, age, nationality, race, sexual orientation, disability, or religious beliefs. We are proud of our diversity and see it as a genuine source of strength for building high performing teams.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that members from some under‑represented groups are less likely to apply for jobs if they don’t meet every single qualification. At Svitzer we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles, and we are excited about hearing from you!

Building a Diverse Workplace

In Svitzer we value the diversity of our talent and will always strive to recruit the best person for the job – we value diversity in all its forms, including but not limited to gender, age, nationality, race, sexual orientation, disability, or religious beliefs. We are proud of our diversity and see it as a genuine source of strength for building high performing teams.