Senior Business Development & Key Account Manager – Defence (all genders) Business Development & Sales Munich →

ERC System GmbH; München; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working hours

Remote work option

Health & wellbeing: EGYM Wellpass

Subsidized lunch

Team events

Job summary

ERC System GmbH in Munich is seeking a Senior Business Development & Key Account Manager – Defence to lead market-entry and account growth with German military and NATO partners. You will translate operational needs into capture plans, drive opportunities end-to-end, and collaborate with Product, Engineering, and Flight Operations to deliver capable defence solutions.

The role demands strong English and German communication, deep defence sector knowledge, and the ability to navigate complex

Qualifications

• Approximately 5 years of experience in business development or sales in defence or governmental sector.
• Proven record closing complex opportunities with military, governmental, defence-industry, or enterprise customers.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder-management, and negotiation skills in English and German.
• Ability to navigate military procurement processes and acquisition pathways in Germany.

Responsibilities

• Develop account and market-entry plans for Germany and selected NATO/allied markets.
• Build, maintain, and expand durable relationships with military users, capability planners, procurement stakeholders, prime contractors, and operational units.
• Identify and qualify defence opportunities ahead of formal tenders; maintain account plans, develop opportunity-specific capture plans, and set pipeline priorities.
• Drive opportunities from initial engagement to contract signature, including customer briefings, requirement shaping, proposal development, offer coordination, negotiations, and follow-up.
• Navigate military procurement processes and coordinate complex stakeholder landscapes across end users, requirements owners, procurement bodies, industry partners, and internal teams.
• Work closely with Product, Engineering, Flight Operations, and Leadership to translate operational needs into mission concepts, demonstration narratives, product requirements, and commercially viable solutions.
• Support the planning and execution of product demonstrations, trade fairs, and industry events; and represent ERC at customer meetings, delegation visits, demonstrations, field exercises, trade fairs, and defence events.

Skills

Communication

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

English

German

Job description

Senior Business Development & Key Account Manager – Defence (all genders)

Business Development & Sales

Full Time

Build Europe's next chapter in vertical lift and make it count. Join ERC and help us prove the case: capability, engineering, flight proof, European sovereignty, and mission flexibility.

ERC is bringing Victor, our hybrid-electric heavy-lift cargo UAS, to military operators and customers to enable critical missions when roads, runways, or crewed aviation are unavailable, impractical, or operationally constrained. In this role, you will drive the introduction of this new capability based on a clear view of customer missions, capability needs, procurement pathways, and operational constraints.
You will build and own ERC's relationships with the Armed Forces of Germany, NATO partners, and global allies. Combining strategic market development, hands-on key account ownership, and capture execution, you will turn operational needs into qualified opportunities, test and evaluation projects, and contracts. In pursuing your mission, you will be working closely with our Commercial Leadership as well as Product, Engineering, Flight Operations, and Communications.

What you will do

• Develop account and market-entry plans for Germany and selected NATO/allied markets
• Build, maintain, and expand durable relationships with military users, capability planners, procurement stakeholders, prime contractors, and operational units
• Identify and qualify defence opportunities ahead of formal tenders; maintain account plans, develop opportunity-specific capture plans, and set pipeline priorities
• Drive opportunities from initial engagement to contract signature, including customer briefings, requirement shaping, proposal development, offer coordination, negotiations, and follow-up
• Navigate military procurement processes and coordinate complex stakeholder landscapes across end users, requirements owners, procurement bodies, industry partners, and internal teams
• Work closely with Product, Engineering, Flight Operations, and Leadership to translate operational needs into mission concepts, demonstration narratives, product requirements, and commercially viable solutions
• Support the planning and execution of product demonstrations, trade fairs, and industry events; and represent ERC at customer meetings, delegation visits, demonstrations, field exercises, trade fairs, and defence events.

what you bring

• Approximately 5 years of experience in business development, key account management, or sales, ideally in the defence or governmental sector or in complex B2B enterprise sales
• A proven record of developing and closing complex opportunities with military, governmental, defence-industry, or enterprise customers
• Strong commercial judgement and the ability to combine account strategy with hands-on project execution
• Excellent communication, stakeholder-management, and negotiation skills, including with senior military, governmental, and industrial counterparts in English and German
• A strong understanding of the German defence ecosystem and acquisition pathways
• A structured and ownership-oriented working style
• Authorization to work in Germany, the eligibility to obtain the appropriate security clearances as may be required; and willingness to travel.

• Approximately 5 years of experience in business development, key account management, or sales, ideally in the defence or governmental sector or in complex B2B enterprise sales
• A proven record of developing and closing complex opportunities with military, governmental, defence-industry, or enterprise customers
• Strong commercial judgement and the ability to combine account strategy with hands-on project execution
• Excellent communication, stakeholder-management, and negotiation skills, including with senior military, governmental, and industrial counterparts in English and German
• A strong understanding of the German defence ecosystem and acquisition pathways
• A structured and ownership-oriented working style
• Authorization to work in Germany, the eligibility to obtain the appropriate security clearances as may be required; and willingness to travel.

Moreover, it would be helpful if you also

• bring an active network among military users, requirements owners, and procurement stakeholders
• are familiar with military procurement processes of NATO and allied countries.

ERC particularly encourages veterans and former military service members to apply for this position.

What we offer

• Full-scale aerospace engineering, not concept slides
• A 60+ engineer team at Ottobrunn
• Real ownership and flat hierarchies: a modern startup culture where your input shapes decisions, not just execution
• Flexible working hours, remote work, and competitive compensation
• Health & wellbeing: EGYM Wellpass membership and subsidized lunch in our canteen
• Office extras: espresso coffee, fresh fruit, and soft drinks, plus regular team and company events, and plenty more once you're on board