Business Development Manager

Platform Recruitment; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension 10%

Bonus scheme 20% OTE

Car lease

Private medical insurance

Life assurance 6x salary

Job summary

Platform Recruitment''s Cambridge client, a defence technology consultancy, seeks a Defence Business Development Lead to own the full sales lifecycle for defence campaigns. Hybrid work, top-tier engineering and a strong network across military and primes are essential.

The role requires translating complex engineering into commercial propositions, building strategic account plans and delivering sustained growth in a high-security sector.

Qualifications

• Proven success in defence, security, aerospace or adjacent technology sales.
• Deep understanding of the UK defence ecosystem and procurement routes.
• Ability to manage full sales cycle from prospecting to account expansion.
• Technical credibility with an engineering/electronics background.
• Strong presentation skills and stakeholder engagement across levels.
• Excellent networking across defence primes, SMEs and partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead defence opportunities from qualification through to close and account expansion.
• Develop a structured defence sales plan aligned to growth priorities.
• Execute account plans across defence primes, MOD facing organisations, and partner ecosystems.
• Translate engineering capability into compelling customer propositions across RF, sensing, radar and comms.
• Monitor market trends, funding priorities and procurement frameworks for differentiation.
• Generate and qualify new opportunities through networking and industry events.
• Own capture planning including win themes, pricing assumptions and bid decisions.
• Coordinate high-quality bid responses with engineering, delivery and finance.
• Negotiate scope, pricing, terms and milestones while protecting margins.
• Ensure robust handover from sales to delivery and maintain customer confidence.

Skills

Defence sales

UK defence ecosystem

Full sales cycle

Technical credibility

Briefing to propositions

Stakeholder engagement

Sales structure & CRM

Collaboration

Networking

Initiative & resilience

Job description

Defence Business Development Lead, Maritime (Permanent)

Location: Cambridge, hybrid

Salary: £80k to £90k, depending on background and experience, plus benefits

Industry: Defence Technology Consultancy

Our client is a technology and engineering consultancy with a world class reputation in antenna design, high frequency electronics, digital signal processing and embedded systems. They are a leader in low size, weight, power and cost communications, radar and sensing systems, with a varied and technically challenging project portfolio across defence, space, security and other sectors.

They are seeking an experienced Sales / Business Development Manager to own the full sales lifecycle for campaigns within their defence business, from market insight and account strategy through to capture, proposal, negotiation, contract award, handover and account growth. This role suits a commercially astute and technically credible sales professional who can build trusted relationships across military commands, prime contractors, defence SMEs, government stakeholders and specialist technology partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead sales activity for defence opportunities from early market engagement and qualification through to close, mobilisation and account expansion
• Build a structured defence sales plan aligned to the company’s growth priorities and technical strengths, as directed by senior leadership
• Develop and execute account plans across defence primes, MOD facing organisations, innovation frameworks, specialist SMEs and partner ecosystems
• Translate advanced engineering capability into compelling customer propositions across RF, sensing, communications, radar, electronic warfare, AI/ML, resilient navigation and low SWaP solutions
• Monitor defence market trends, funding priorities and procurement frameworks to identify where the company can create differentiated value
• Generate and qualify new opportunities through networking, referrals, industry events, direct outreach and partner engagement, shaping them before formal procurement wherever possible
• Own capture planning for priority opportunities, including stakeholder mapping, win themes, partner strategy, bid decisions, pricing assumptions and negotiation approach
• Lead the commercial development of proposals, coordinating engineering, delivery, finance and leadership inputs into high quality, timely bid responses
• Negotiate scope, pricing, terms and milestones while protecting delivery quality, margin and the long term customer relationship
• Ensure a robust handover from sales into delivery, and stay engaged through delivery to maintain customer confidence and identify follow on work
• Develop long term account plans that convert successful projects into repeat business, framework activity and strategic partnerships
• Maintain a clear pipeline, accurate forecasting and disciplined sales governance, and represent the company at defence events, forums and customer meetings

Essential skills and experience

• Proven success in defence, security, aerospace or adjacent technology sales, selling complex engineering, R&D, consultancy or capability led solutions
• Strong understanding of the UK defence ecosystem, including MOD, defence primes, specialist SMEs, procurement routes, innovation funding and collaborative bid environments
• Demonstrable ability to manage the complete sales cycle, from prospecting and qualification through to capture, negotiation, close, handover and account expansion
• Technical credibility, ideally supported by an engineering, science, electronics, communications, systems, software, RF or sensing background
• Ability to absorb complex technical briefings and turn them into clear, outcome led commercial propositions
• Confident engaging at all levels, from engineers and project leads to senior military, government and executive stakeholders
• Structured sales approach with strong pipeline management, forecasting, account planning and CRM discipline
• Collaborative style, able to bring technical, delivery and commercial colleagues together to pursue opportunities
• Existing networks across defence customers, primes, SMEs, technology partners or innovation communities would be highly advantageous
• Initiative, resilience and curiosity, with strong presentation skills and the ability to deliver effective sales campaigns in a long cycle, relationship driven market

Benefits

• Employer pension contribution of 10%
• Company bonus scheme with OTE potential of 20% of salary
• Car lease scheme available
• Private medical insurance
• Life assurance at 6x salary

Working arrangements and start date

• Hybrid working: 2 days working remotely and 3 days onsite
• Slightly more flexibility for sales roles, with 2 days per week onsite tolerated for candidates who live far away
• Start date as soon as possible. Candidates with notice periods longer than 3 months may be ineligible