Business Development Manager

Oxford Quantum Circuits; Reading; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading quantum technology firm in Reading is seeking a Business Development Manager to identify new opportunities and build strategic partnerships within the public sector. The ideal candidate will have experience in business development, particularly within the defense sector, and strong interpersonal skills. This role offers a chance to impact quantum innovation while collaborating with technical teams to craft compelling narratives that resonate with government clientes.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

Company benefits and positive work culture

Qualifications

• Experience in business development in the public sector or defense.
• Strong understanding of market dynamics and customer needs.
• Ability to create and deliver compelling pitches.

Responsibilities

• Identify high-value opportunities across the public sector.
• Manage the pipeline and qualify leads.
• Build long-term customer relationships.
• Contribute to commercial proposals and tender responses.
• Monitor public-sector trends and analyze market signals.

Skills

Business development

Customer relationship management

Public sector knowledge

Market analysis

Exceptional communication skills

Job description

Business Development Manager

As a Business Development Manager, you will be at the forefront of identifying new opportunities, forging high-impact global partnerships, and bringing fresh market insight to drive OQC’s growth and shape quantum innovation targeted at the public sector. If you thrive on building relationships, spotting strategic openings, and influencing commercial direction in a fast-moving, deep-tech environment, this is your chance to make a real impact.

You’ll thrive in this role if you’re someone who has grown commercially understanding the public sector landscape but is motivated by the fast-moving and innovative world of technology - ideally in the security & defence sector where innovation at pace is critical. You’ve worked with the public sector or a defense prime and built long‑term customer relationships that go beyond transactions and become true partnerships. You’re equally comfortable with product and technical teams helping shape pitches that turn complex capabilities into compelling commercial stories. Whether you’ve explored the realms of quantum computing, experimented with machine learning, or supported cutting‑edge applications, you bring curiosity, commercial instinct and a passion for turning breakthrough tech into real‑world impact.

You'll play a key part of our commercial team - working with Caro Ehrman (Head of Commercial) and her team, you’ll be:

• Unearthing high-value opportunities across the public sector whilst using insights to identify patterns, track engagement and surface emerging markets
• Owning the front end of the pipeline, identifying and qualifying leads that could transform OQC’s impact, and working with the Head of Commercial to decide where to sharpen our focus.
• Creating and delivering standout pitches, tailoring OQC’s technical capabilities into captivating stories that resonate with government and adjacent customers.
• Driving tender excellence whilst contributing to commercial proposals, tapping into our technical teams to produce winning responses to RFIs, tenders and major strategic programmes.
• Building long-term relationships, managing key accounts, strengthening customer satisfaction, and ensuring OQC contributes meaningfully to partners’ future capability goals.
• Keeping OQC ahead of the curve, monitoring public‑sector trends, analysing market signals, and feeding actionable insights back into the business to influence positioning and commercial strategy.
• Representing OQC on the ground, attending key industry events, conferences and meetings to expand our network and open new doors, then translating those interactions into clear, actionable next steps and wins

In a company pushing the boundaries of quantum technology, we need someone who can translate complexity into clarity and build trust in a space where precision really matters. You’ll bring exceptional communication skills — both written and verbal — paired with the ability to actively listen, ask the right questions and distil technical and customer requirements into insight that drives partnerships. Your strength in building relationships and understanding customer requirements will help you navigate the public‑sector landscape, while your creativity and attention to detail ensure every pitch, proposal and conversation reflects the quality and ambition of OQC’s work. You’ll be adaptable in how you present ideas, confident in networking with stakeholders ranging from technical teams to senior government partners, and committed to delivering outstanding customer care at every stage.

Above all, you’ll collaborate naturally across teams, helping us turn breakthrough quantum capabilities into solutions that truly move the needle for our customers.

🌐 Learn more about our benefits and positive work culture here: https://oqc.tech/company/careers-at-oqc/