Senior Business Development Associate (UAE National)

Svitzer; Dubai; On-site; AED 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Svitzer is seeking a Senior Business Development Associate to support growth across AMEA, with emphasis on market intelligence, opportunity development and strategic tenders. You will collaborate with regional leaders to translate insights into commercial actions.

In this UAE-enabled role, you will analyse markets, build business cases and financial models, and contribute across tendering, pricing and governance processes to drive disciplined growth in the AMEA region.

Qualifications

• 2–5 years in commercial analysis, corporate finance, strategy, tendering or business development.
• Strong analytical capability, including financial modelling and business case development.
• Basic legal acumen to assess contractual risks and support decisions.
• Experience with market research, commercial analysis and competitor assessments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain market intelligence on customers, competitors and opportunities.
• Build financial models and commercial business cases to support growth.
• Prepare tenders, proposals and pricing submissions.
• Provide market insights and coordinate cross-functional inputs for strategy.

Skills

Commercial analysis

Financial modelling

Business development

Strategic planning

Tendering

Legal acumen

Education

Finance/Economics/Business degree

Job description

About The Role

Svitzer is looking for a Senior Business Development Associate to support our growth journey across the Africa, Middle East and Asia (AMEA) region. This position is specifically open to UAE Nationals.

Svitzer is looking for a Senior Business Development Associate to support our growth journey across the Africa, Middle East and Asia (AMEA) region. This position is specifically open to UAE Nationals. 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 curious and analytically minded professional who enjoys analysing markets, evaluating commercial opportunities, and turning information into commercial insight and supporting disciplined growth.

Working closely with the Regional Chief Commercial Officer, Business Development Managers and wider regional teams, you will play an important role in supporting Svitzer’s growth across AMEA. You will collect and maintain market intelligence, analyse commercial opportunities, develop business cases and financial models, support tenders and commercial proposals, coordinate inputs from multiple stakeholders and provide the commercial analysis that supports disciplined decision‑making.

Supporting opportunities across both terminal and harbour towage markets, you will contribute throughout the commercial lifecycle, from early opportunity assessment and opportunity evaluation through to tender submission and commercial execution.

Who We Are

Svitzer is a global leader in towage and marine services, helping customers safely and efficiently manoeuvre 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 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 and supporting how we win.

What You Will Do

As Senior Business Development Associate your key responsibilities will include:

Market Intelligence & Opportunity Development

• Develop and maintain market intelligence on customers, competitors and emerging opportunities.
• Develop a strong understanding of customer needs and challenges to support the development of the right commercial solutions
• Analyse terminal and harbour towage and adjacent marine service markets to identify commercial opportunities across AMEA.
• Maintain the regional opportunity pipeline and support opportunity prioritisation.
• Identify trends, risks and growth opportunities through market research and commercial analysis.

Business Cases & Financial Analysis

• Develop and maintain financial models and prepare commercial business cases to support growth opportunities.
• Prepare investment proposals, commercial evaluations and decision papers.
• Coordinate inputs from Finance, Operations, Technical, Legal and other functions.
• Support commercial pricing and financial analysis throughout the opportunity lifecycle.

Tendering & Commercial Support

• Support the preparation of tenders, proposals and customer presentations.
• Contribute to commercial strategies, value propositions and pricing submissions.
• Ensure commercial documentation is accurate, complete and aligned with governance and contractual requirements.
• Support negotiations and commercial discussions where appropriate.

Supporting Growth Initiatives & Commercial Coordination

• Support strategic growth initiatives, partnerships and business development projects.
• Provide market intelligence and commercial insight to regional strategy discussions.
• Work collaboratively across countries and functions
• Support continuous improvement of commercial tools, reporting and market intelligence.

Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for a commercially curious and analytically strong professional who enjoys solving complex business problems and turning information into insight. You are comfortable working across both strategy and execution and thrive in a collaborative, international environment.

You Will Bring

• UAE Nationality with UAE Family Book
• A degree in Finance, Economics, Business, or a related discipline.
• 2-5 years’ experience in commercial analysis, corporate finance, strategy, consulting, tendering or business development roles, ideally within maritime, ports, terminals, terminal towage, harbour towage, offshore, infrastructure, or other asset‑heavy industries
• Strong analytical capability, including financial modelling and business case development.
• Basic legal acumen, ability to assess contractual risks and support commercially sound decision‑making
• Experience conducting market research, commercial analysis and competitor assessments.
• Experience working with complex, multi‑stakeholder opportunities
• The ability to structure work, manage multiple priorities, and drive progress

You Are

• Curious, commercially aware, and analytically strong.
• Structured and organised in your approach, with excellent attention to detail
• Comfortable managing multiple projects, prioritising competing demands and meeting deadlines.
• Collaborative and able to build relationships across countries and functions
• Motivated by working in an international, 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 analysing markets, solving commercial challenges and helping shape Svitzer's future growth across AMEA, we'd love to hear from you. This is an opportunity to build your commercial career while working on some of the region's most exciting maritime growth opportunities.

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!