Business Development Director - UK Defence

Plexus Corp.; Livingston; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A global technology firm is seeking a Business Development Director to drive revenue growth in the UK Defence sector. This role involves leading the sales cycle, leveraging market insights, and nurturing relationships with customers and internal teams. The ideal candidate will have significant experience and a strong professional network in the sector. The position offers a permanent contract with a variety of attractive benefits, including flexible working arrangements and enhanced pension contributions.

Benefits

Enhanced pension contributions

Private medical insurance

Flexible Hybrid Working Available

33 days of annual leave

Onsite gym/ discounted gym

Qualifications

• Progressive experience in business development or sales leadership role within the UK Defence sector.
• Well-established professional network in the UK Defence industry.
• Demonstrable track record of success in significant revenue generation.

Responsibilities

• Lead sales cycle from initial market engagement to securing contracts.
• Maintain market knowledge to identify risks and opportunities.
• Build relationships with external customers and internal teams.

Skills

Strategic selling principles

Executive-level communication

Analytical skills

Stakeholder influence

Self-management

Education

Bachelor's degree in relevant discipline

Master's degree preferred

Job description

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

Be You - Our people create our best Plexus.

Ingrained in our culture of inclusion is the philosophy that each individual offers diverse perspectives, backgrounds and experiences that create great outcomes when we are united as a team.

We embrace the differences of all our colleagues, celebrate diversity and welcome applications from underrepresented groups and candidates, regardless of their background. We are proud to be registered as the Disability Confident committed employer, and we recruit purely on the basis of skills and experience.

Who we are and what we do?

We help our customers deliver products to the world which have a profound impact on people's lives.
From ultrasound units and 3D printing to network security applications and in-flight Wi‑Fi, we help create products that build a better world.
We're a global team of experts who partner with our customers to bring their products to life through inspired innovation and world-class customer service.

Whether you're looking to start, change, or advance your career find your path at Plexus and leave your mark on the world with us.

As a Business Development Director you'll be responsible for achieving ambitious revenue targets by leading and executing our growth strategy in the UK Defence sector. You'll drive the entire sales cycle, from identifying profitable business opportunities to cultivating multi-level relationships and creating winning proposals. Your role will involve leveraging a deep understanding of the market landscape to inform our strategy, while also acting as a key partner in translating complex customer needs into innovative and deliverable solutions. You'll ensure our efforts not only meet customer expectations but also align with Plexus strategic goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the sales cycle from initial market engagement to securing the win, crafting compelling proposals along the way.
• Maintain comprehensive market knowledge to identify and prioritize risks and opportunities, informing our overall market development efforts.
• Partner with account leaders to support and execute our sector marketing and account-specific strategies.
• Build and nurture multi-level relationships with both external customers and key internal teams, becoming an expert in our end‑to‑end value stream.
• Engage with cross‑functional teams to translate customer needs into innovative solutions that leverage our entire Product Realization Value Chain.
• Advocate for capability requirements to meet evolving customer needs and ensure our solutions contribute directly to Plexus strategic goals.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree (Master's degree preferred) in a relevant discipline, coupled with progressive experience in a business development or sales leadership role within the UK Defence sector.
• A well‑established professional network and a demonstrable track record of success in securing significant revenue within the UK Defence industry.
• Proven expertise in applying strategic selling principles and methodologies to achieve business development targets.
• Exceptional executive‑level communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively engage and build credibility with diverse stakeholders.
• Robust analytical skills with the capacity to interpret market trends, competitive dynamics, and customer intelligence to inform strategic decision‑making.
• formulate and present effective recommendations.
• Strong self‑management skills with a proven ability to independently drive assignments to completion with minimal oversight.
• Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders and navigate complex organizational landscapes effectively.
• A collaborative mindset with the capacity to operate effectively within cross‑functional team structures.
• Due to the nature of project work, we require candidates to hold U.K. nationality or to either have, or be able to go through, U.K. national security vetting and clearance.

At Plexus, we offer a dynamic and challenging environment where accomplished professionals can contribute directly to our strategic growth. This is an exceptional opportunity to leverage your deep expertise in the UK Defence sector to drive significant business impact within a globally recognized organization.

Why you will love it?

At Plexus, we're at our best when opportunities are met with passion, open communication, and teamwork. Our employees work alongside a global team of experts who engage in projects that span a variety of industries - helping our customers in creating the products that build a better world.

At Plexus, you will find:

• A workplace centered on collaboration and integrity
• Supportive leadership teams that value work‑life balance through a flexible work environment
• An inclusive environment that values diverse backgrounds, experiences, and expertise
• Flexible career paths across a variety of disciplines
• Innovative design solutions and state-of-the-art technology that improves lives
• Through our commitment to local community involvement we encourage our employees to participate in outreach activities with charities, local Schools, Universities, and Colleges and to promote careers in the STEM fields

Additionally, when you join, we want you to enjoy what you do and be rewarded for your contribution, so we have a range of attractive benefits on offer:

• Bespoke development plan
• Online learning and formal development programs
• Full‑time, permanent employment contract
• Enhanced pension contributions
• 33 days of annual leave (inclusive of public holidays)
• Paid family leave
• Private medical insurance
• Group income protection insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice Scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Volunteer time off
• Flexible Hybrid Working Available (role dependent)
• Life assurance
• Occupational health
• Vision care discounts
• Discount schemes
• Company sick pay scheme
• Onsite gym/ discounted gym

Application Process

We don't look for culture fit, but culture add. We value all the perspectives our team brings to the table, and we want to hear from YOU. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our positions, and will look at candidates holistically, balancing work, education and additional experiences.