Customer Relationship Manager - Defence Industry

DefendTex; Greater Dandenong; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

DefendTex is seeking an experienced Customer Relationship Manager to manage and develop relationships with Defence, Government and allied international customers. This is an end-to-end customer management role overseeing pre-sales and post-sales engagement, from initial enquiries and quotation preparation through to order management, fulfilment and ongoing customer support.

Working closely with Engineering, Production and Operations, you will coordinate customer requirements internally to ensure

Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in customer relationship management and account management.
• Experience handling enquiries, quotations and orders within a B2B environment.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Australian citizenship and eligibility for a Baseline Security Clearance per defence sector requirements.

Responsibilities

• Manage and develop relationships with Defence, Government and allied international customers.
• Act as the primary point of contact for customer enquiries, requests and communications.
• Coordinate customer enquiries, requirements and the preparation of quotations.
• Manage the quotation process from follow-ups to order placement.
• Coordinate customer orders from acceptance through to production, fulfilment and delivery.
• Liaise with internal teams to monitor order progress, production schedules and delivery commitments.
• Proactively communicate order updates, milestones, delays and changes to customers.
• Manage post-sales customer support, feedback and issue resolution.
• Maintain accurate customer, quotation and order records and reporting.
• Identify opportunities to improve customer experience, strengthen relationships and support business growth.

Skills

Customer relationship management

Account management

Sales coordination

B2B experience

Defence industry knowledge

Tools

CRM (M1)

Job description

Customer Relationship Manager - Defence Industry

As winner of the 2024 and 2023 Defence Innovator of the Year and finalist in 2025 and 2026, our values of integrity, innovation, professionalism and passion are at the forefront of everything we do. Our vision is to be a world leader in defence innovation through developing and delivering innovative defence technologies to military and law enforcement communities around the world.

DefendTex is seeking an experienced Customer Relationship Manager to manage and develop relationships with our Defence, Government and allied international customers.

This is an end-to-end customer management role responsible for overseeing all pre-sales and post-sales customer engagement, from initial enquiries and quotation preparation through to order management, fulfilment and ongoing customer support.

Working closely with Engineering, Production and Operations, you will coordinate customer requirements internally to ensure enquiries, quotations and orders are managed efficiently and customers are kept informed throughout the process.

About this role:

Manage and develop relationships with Defence, Government and allied international customers.

Act as the primary point of contact for customer enquiries, requests and ongoing communications.

Coordinate customer enquiries, requirements and the preparation and submission of quotations.

Manage the quotation process, including follow-ups and progression through to order placement.

Coordinate customer orders from acceptance through to production, fulfilment and delivery.

Liaise with internal teams to monitor order progress, production schedules and delivery commitments.

Proactively communicate order updates, milestones, delays and changes to customers.

Manage post-sales customer support, feedback and issue resolution.

Maintain accurate customer, quotation and order records and reporting.

Identify opportunities to improve customer experience, strengthen relationships and support business growth.

About you:

Demonstrated experience in customer relationship management, account management, sales coordination or a similar customer-facing role.

Experience managing customer enquiries, quotations and orders within a B2B environment.

Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage confidently and professionally with customers, stakeholders and internal teams.

Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple customers and competing priorities.

Commercial awareness and an understanding of quotation, order and fulfilment processes.

A proactive, solutions-focused approach with strong attention to detail.

Ability to work collaboratively across multiple business functions.

Experience within Defence, Government, engineering or manufacturing industries highly regarded.

Experience with CRM or ERP, ideally M1, business systems advantageous.

Australian Citizenship - must be eligible to obtain and maintain an Australian Government Baseline Security Clearance

Not be a prohibited person under Section 3 of the Firearms Act 1996 (Victoria)

You are a customer-focused professional who enjoys building strong relationships, coordinating complex requirements and taking ownership of customer outcomes. You thrive in a fast-paced environment, are comfortable working across multiple teams and take pride in delivering a high standard of service.

Why us?

Competitive remuneration package.

Opportunity to work with Australian and international Defence and Government customers.

Be part of an innovative and growing Australian Defence technology business.

Work alongside some of Australia's leading Defence engineers and scientists.

Access to advanced manufacturing, engineering and prototyping facilities.

Professional learning and development opportunities.

A dynamic, innovative and collaborative culture where ideas become reality.

Regular team events and a workplace that genuinely values its people.

We are committed to ensuring diversity, inclusion and equality are embedded throughout our organisation for the benefit of our customers and our employees. We strive for a positive and engaging workplace where mental health and wellbeing are supported. We welcome applicants from all diverse backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.