Business Development Manager - Defence

Breathehr; Coventry; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and benefits

Bonus / commission

Defence industry events access

Job summary

Breathehr is seeking an experienced Business Development Manager to lead the growth of our engineering consultancy within the Defence sector from Coventry. You will identify new opportunities, build relationships with MOD, defence primes and OEMs, and drive proposals from market engagement to contract award, including long sales cycles and complex procurement.

Travel and security clearances may be required; you will work closely with engineering teams to shape credible, profitable solutions for

Qualifications

• Commercially aware with Defence sector exposure.
• Strong network within UK/international Defence.
• Proven ability to convert opportunities into contracts.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a Defence sector BD strategy.
• Identify opportunities across MOD, primes, OEMs and shipbuilders.
• Maintain a robust sales pipeline and forecast opportunities.
• Lead client engagements with senior Defence stakeholders.
• Coordinate with engineering and project teams for credible proposals.

Job description

Role Purpose

We are seeking an experienced and commercially driven Business Development Manager to lead the growth of our engineering consultancy within the Defence sector. This is a client-facing role focused on identifying new opportunities, developing strategic relationships and converting those opportunities into profitable engineering and consultancy projects. Working closely with our engineering, technical and project delivery teams, you will be responsible for developing opportunities from initial market engagement through to proposal, negotiation and contract award. The successful candidate will bring an established network within the UK and/or international Defence sector and will be able to engage credibly with senior technical, commercial, procurement and programme stakeholders across the Defence ecosystem. The role will require an understanding of the Defence market, including the requirements of the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), Defence Primes, OEMs, shipbuilders, systems integrators and wider Defence supply chain. The successful candidate will be comfortable operating within complex procurement environments and developing opportunities with potentially long sales and programme lifecycles.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Growth

• Develop and implement a business development strategy for the Defence sector.
• Identify new clients, markets, programmes, projects and strategic opportunities across Defence.
• Develop and maintain a robust sales pipeline and accurately forecast future opportunities.
• Build long-term relationships with key Defence stakeholders and decision-makers.
• Identify opportunities to expand existing client accounts and introduce additional engineering and consultancy services.
• Develop strategic partnerships and relationships across the Defence supply chain.
• Identify opportunities to establish the company within new Defence programmes, frameworks and supply chains.
• Monitor Defence market trends, government spending, procurement programmes, competitor activity and emerging technologies to identify opportunities for growth.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the Defence industrial landscape and the evolving priorities of UK and international customers.

Client & Relationship Management

• Act as a senior commercial point of contact for key Defence clients and prospects.
• Develop trusted relationships with senior decision-makers, technical authorities, procurement teams, programme managers and commercial stakeholders.
• Build relationships across MOD, Defence Primes, OEMs, shipbuilders, systems integrators and specialist subcontractors.
• Understand client requirements and translate them into commercially viable engineering and consultancy solutions.
• Maintain regular engagement with existing and prospective clients throughout the business development and programme lifecycle.
• Represent the company at Defence conferences, exhibitions, networking events, industry days and client meetings.
• Develop and maintain account plans for key strategic Defence clients.
• Establish a strong understanding of customer organisations, procurement strategies, future programmes and likely requirements.

Opportunity & Bid Management

• Identify and qualify opportunities from early market engagement and pre-tender activity through to contract award.
• Lead or support responses to RFQs, ITTs, tenders, frameworks and other Defence procurement opportunities.
• Coordinate with engineering and project teams to develop technically credible and commercially competitive proposals.
• Develop proposals, presentations, capability statements and customer-facing materials.
• Support commercial negotiations and contract discussions.
• Ensure opportunities are appropriately qualified in terms of technical capability, strategic fit, commercial value, risk and probability of success.
• Develop appropriate capture strategies for strategically important opportunities.
• Support bid/no-bid decisions and ensure business development activity is focused on opportunities with a strong likelihood of success.
• Maintain accurate CRM records, pipeline information, opportunity plans and sales forecasts.
• Ensure appropriate governance and information management throughout the opportunity and bid process.

Defence Market Development

• The successful candidate will help identify opportunities across relevant Defence markets, which may include:
• UK Ministry of Defence programmes
• Naval Defence and shipbuilding
• Submarine programmes
• Surface fleet and naval platforms
• Land systems and military vehicles
• Defence engineering and systems integration
• Defence infrastructure and facilities
• Uncrewed and autonomous systems
• Maritime security and surveillance
• Sensors, communications and mission systems
• Advanced engineering and manufacturing
• Asset integrity, maintenance and through-life support
• Digital engineering and digital transformation
• Modelling, simulation and systems engineering
• Defence decarbonisation and energy transition
• Export and international Defence markets
• NATO and allied Defence programmes
• Defence R&D and emerging technologies The precise market focus will depend on the company's existing capabilities, customer base and growth strategy.

Qualifications, Experience and Skills Required

We are looking for a commercially minded individual who understands the Defence industry and is comfortable operating at the intersection of engineering, consultancy, procurement and business development.

Essential Experience

• Proven experience in business development, sales, account management or commercial roles within the Defence, engineering, aerospace, marine, naval or related sectors.
• An established network of relevant Defence industry contacts.
• Demonstrable experience developing new business and converting opportunities into contracts.
• Experience working with technically complex products, projects, programmes or engineering services.
• Experience preparing or supporting tenders, bids, proposals and commercial submissions.
• Strong understanding of engineering and technical services.
• Understanding of the Defence procurement environment and supply chain.
• Experience engaging with senior technical, commercial, procurement and programme stakeholders.
• Excellent communication, presentation and negotiation skills.
• Ability to build credibility with senior technical and commercial stakeholders.
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of project profitability.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with technical and operational teams.
• Willingness to travel regularly to meet clients and attend Defence industry events.
• Degree or equivalent qualification in engineering, business, Defence, naval architecture, marine engineering or a related discipline.
• Chartered Engineer or relevant professional membership.
• Existing relationships with the UK MOD, Defence Primes, OEMs, shipbuilders, systems integrators or specialist Defence suppliers.
• Experience selling engineering consultancy, professional services or technical solutions into Defence.
• Knowledge of UK Defence procurement processes and frameworks.
• Experience working with frameworks and/or long-term consultancy and support arrangements.
• Experience of MOD procurement, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), Defence Digital or equivalent Defence organisations.
• Understanding of Defence acquisition, programme management and through-life support.
• Experience working within classified or security-sensitive environments.
• Existing understanding of export controls, security requirements and compliance within Defence.
• Experience of NATO, allied or international Defence markets.
• Experience within naval Defence, aerospace, land systems, systems engineering, advanced manufacturing or Defence technology.

Personal Attributes

• The successful candidate will be:
  • Commercially driven – motivated by winning high-quality, profitable Defence work.
  • Defence-sector credible – able to understand the Defence environment and engage confidently with industry and government stakeholders.
  • Technically credible – able to understand engineering challenges and communicate effectively with technical teams.
  • Relationship focused – able to build trusted, long-term relationships across complex customer organisations.
  • Strategic – able to see beyond individual projects and identify wider account, programme and market opportunities.
  • Entrepreneurial – proactive in finding, developing and converting new opportunities.
  • Influential – confident engaging with senior stakeholders and influencing complex buying decisions.
  • Collaborative – able to bring engineering, commercial and project teams together around customer opportunities.
  • Resilient and patient – comfortable managing long sales cycles and complex Defence procurement processes.
  • Organised – disciplined in managing opportunities, CRM activity, capture plans and forecasting.
  • Security conscious – understands the importance of confidentiality, information security and compliance within the Defence environment.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Success in the role will be measured through:
• Growth in Defence-sector revenue and gross margin.
• Value and quality of the qualified Defence sales pipeline.
• New Defence clients acquired. Growth of strategic/key Defence accounts.
• Number and value of new Defence programmes entered.
• Conversion rate of qualified opportunities.
• Tender, bid and proposal success rate.
• Development of new Defence markets and service lines.
• Development of strategic partnerships across the Defence supply chain.
• Client retention and repeat business.
• Quality and accuracy of CRM and sales forecasting.
• Successful positioning of the company on relevant Defence frameworks and programmes.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Performance-related bonus / commission opportunity.
• Opportunity to work on technically challenging Defence engineering and consultancy projects.
• Direct exposure to senior Defence, industry and technical stakeholders.
• The opportunity to influence the company's Defence-sector growth strategy.
• Professional development and career progression. A collaborative environment working alongside experienced engineering and technical specialists.
• Regular opportunities to attend Defence industry events and develop your professional network.
• The opportunity to contribute to strategically important Defence programmes and technologies.

Location and Travel

• You must be eligible to work in the UK and have no restrictions on worldwide travel.
• You will be based at our Head Office in Coventry; however, the nature of the role will require you to spend significant time travelling to meet clients, prospects, partners and industry stakeholders.
• Regular travel to Defence industry events, customer sites, partner organisations and programme locations will be required.
• The role may involve working within security-sensitive or controlled environments, subject to the requirements of individual customers and programmes.
• The ability to obtain and maintain appropriate UK security clearance may be required for certain programmes.
• We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, or background.