Business Development Lead - Germany

Wenham Carter; Deutschland; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Wenham Carter is seeking an experienced German defence business development leader to drive growth in Germany. You will own the market, decide focus areas, and build productive relationships across government and industry to convert early discussions into credible commercial opportunities.

You will coordinate with leadership and technical teams to align customer priorities with the company’s capabilities and guide opportunities through lengthy buying processes.

Qualifications

• Eight+ years of experience winning or developing business in the German defence market, with a track record of progressing complex opportunities and building enduring customer relationships.
• Fluency in German and English, with ability to explain technical propositions to diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Set commercial priorities for Germany and translate into an actionable growth plan.
• Develop and manage relationships with military customers, public-sector decision-makers, procurement organisations and industrial partners.
• Assess potential programmes and contracts, including customer needs, routes to market, competitive positioning and likelihood of success.
• Lead priority pursuits, coordinating internal contributors and external partners to develop compelling bids.
• Establish teaming arrangements with larger contractors, manufacturers and integration businesses.
• Provide guidance on acquisition procedures, purchasing requirements and market rules.

Skills

Business development

German market knowledge

Stakeholder engagement

Opportunity management

Negotiation

Technical communication

Job description

We are recruiting on behalf of a defence technology business seeking an experienced BD leader to drive growth in Germany.

This is a senior, hands-on opportunity for someone who understands how defence customers buy, can build productive relationships across government and industry, and knows how to turn early discussions into credible commercial opportunities.

The Opportunity

You will take ownership of the German market, deciding where to focus, which relationships to develop and how best to position the business for future contracts. Working closely with leadership and technical colleagues, you will connect customer priorities with the company’s capabilities and guide opportunities through lengthy, complex buying processes.

Your remit will include:

• Setting commercial priorities for Germany and translating them into an actionable growth plan.
• Developing relationships with military customers, public-sector decision-makers, procurement organisations and industrial partners.
• Assessing potential programmes and contracts, including customer needs, routes to market, competitive positioning and likelihood of success.
• Managing priority pursuits, bringing together the right internal contributors and external partners to develop compelling bids.
• Establishing teaming arrangements with larger contractors, manufacturers and integration businesses.
• Providing practical guidance on acquisition procedures, purchasing requirements and relevant market rules.
• Keeping leadership informed about policy changes and wider developments that could affect customer demand or business opportunities.
• Building the company’s presence through customer meetings, industry forums and relevant events.

What you will bring

You will have at least eight years’ experience winning or developing business in the German defence market, with a record of progressing complex opportunities and building enduring customer relationships.

We are particularly interested in candidates who offer:

• First-hand knowledge of German military procurement and the organisations involved in funding, evaluating and purchasing defence capabilities.
• Established relationships across relevant government, armed forces and industry stakeholders.
• Evidence of delivering growth through focused account development, partnerships and structured opportunity management.
• Strong commercial judgement and confidence negotiating with senior stakeholders.
• The ability to explain technical propositions clearly and work effectively with engineering teams.
• Professional fluency in German and English.
• A self-directed approach, comfort with changing priorities and a willingness to help build processes as the business grows.

Experience with C-UAS, GBAD, or other technically complex defence products would be valuable.