Business Development Manager (Defence)

Delkia; Haydock; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

5% employer pension contributions

4-day working week

23 days holiday plus additional discretionary days

Birthday Day Off

Healthcare cash plan

Volunteering time for STEM activities

Professional Membership fees

Free tea, coffee, and fruit

Team collaboration and social events

Cycle to Work scheme

Free onsite parking

Training and development opportunities

Company bonus scheme

Job summary

A leading engineering company in the UK seeks a Business Development Manager to lead the sales management team and cultivate new business opportunities in the Defence sector. This senior role requires strong leadership and communication skills, along with an understanding of defense operations. You will manage tendering processes and collaborate with clients to provide viable solutions, contributing to the company’s growth and mission of ensuring safety-critical systems.

Qualifications

• Experience in leading sales teams.
• Ability to develop strategies for defence sector.
• Competency in managing tender processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Delkia Sales Management team and drive growth.
• Identify and develop new business in the Defence Domain.
• Manage the tendering process and submissions.

Skills

Leadership skills

Communication skills

Understanding of the defence sector

Security clearance

Education

Relevant degree or equivalent qualification

Chartered Engineer or similar certification

Job description

Attendance: Hybrid (2 days a week from any site)

Job type: Permanent / Full time

Delkia is a specialist engineering and technology company focused on safety-critical and mission-critical systems in highly regulated industries, including aerospace, clean energy, and maritime. Our services include engineering design, technical consultancy, and systems integration, serving defence and nuclear sectors.

At Delkia, we believe engineering is more than technology, manufacturing, and innovation—it’s about the people behind it. By fostering a culture of passion, commitment, and innovative thinking, we ensure our teams are at the heart of our business, delivering exceptional results for our customers. We are proud to have signed the Armed Forces Covenant and actively invest in future talent through STEM initiatives, apprenticeships, placements, and summer internships.

Our Head Office is the Delkia Nexus Centre, Haydock, supported by facilities in Sutton House, Dovenby Hall, Cumbria. Alongside these locations, we have a network of skilled staff working across the UK, forming a dynamic and highly capable team.

Join a company that values its people and is growing rapidly.

Overview of the role:

The successful candidate will be outgoing and a confident orator, able to quickly assimilate the clients’ needs and aspirations. Taking these requirements, the successful BDM will propose credible solutions to their challenges and turn that demand into a viable proposal and winning business opportunity that benefits both parties.

This senior position demands a candidate who is well organised, self-assured, able to work alone or as part of an established teams. The successful candidate should be competent in leading a team. Integrity and reliability are integral to the role.

What you’ll be responsible for:

• Lead the Delkia Sales Management team, direct and manage the Defence Team to realise our strategy (and help evolve it), driving growth, innovation, productisation, and keeping to our core values.
• Identify, develop, and win new clients and business in the Defence Domain through portals, frameworks, personal and business relationships, and new ventures (innovation and technology focused). This will include future business strategy development into wider markets (civilian maritime and future export aspirations).
• Manage the tendering process and submit winning PQQ, bids, tenders, and submissions. This will dovetail into the broader Corporate and sales strategies.

What you’ll bring:

• Must have a reasonable overview of the defence sector.
• Must understand the basic Defence Organisation (Front Line Commands and supporting arms).
• Must Be able to obtain or hold suitable security clearance.

Nice to have:

• Have a working knowledge of the Defence Acquisition Framework (available online)
• Have an engineering and/or operational background to understand the context of the client’s demand.
• Be experienced in the Defence Sector (such as a senior Lieutenant from any Armed Service)
• Be incorporated, a Chartered Engineer or similar relevant professional body.
• Understand the CADMID cycle and Defence Lines of Development.
• Understand lifecycle, configuration, and requirements management.
• Have a working knowledge across the wider defence capability programmes.

Armed Forces Covenant Commitment:

• As an Armed Forces Covenant Bronze Member, striving towards Silver, we commit to ensuring Armed Forces personnel leaving the service and Armed Forces Veterans WILL be actively considered alongside other candidates. This job has been mapped to Senior NCO/SO3, SO2 level. Please highlight your previous service to the talent acquisition team as early as possible.

What we offer:

• Employers pension contributions of 5%
• 4 day working week - Mon to Thurs
• 23 days holiday, plus 3 discretionary days to cover the Christmas closedown period (plus Bank Holidays)
• Birthday Day Off (in addition to your holiday entitlement)
• Healthcare cash plan – allowing you to reclaim the cost of everyday healthcare
• Volunteering time including 1 day for STEM related activities
• Professional Membership fees
• Free tea, coffee and fruit in the workplace
• Team collaboration and social events including a fully funded Christmas Party
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Free onsite parking
• Training and development
• Excellent company standards
• Company bonus scheme
• Great team spirit

Our Vision:

To be the UK’s leading engineering and technology partner for safety-related and mission-critical systems.

Our Mission:

To enable a safer, more resilient world through the provision of engineering and technological solutions. We take pride in our role as a partner for safety-critical systems, ensuring the protection of people, assets, and missions that matter most.

Our Values:

• Collaboration and teamwork
• Integrity, trust and accountability
• Safety and security
• Client focused
• Positive social value and impact

Our Purpose:

• At Delkia we are driven by our purpose to protect lives and critical assets.

Equal opportunities: Delkia is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity.

Please be aware that many roles working for Delkia will be subject to UK national security vetting restrictions. Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK and satisfy requirements for national security vetting clearance as appropriate.

All applications will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence. If you require any reasonable adjustments during any part of the application process, please get in touch to discuss.

Note to Agencies: Delkia has a commitment to sourcing candidates directly and as such we do not accept speculative CVs from agencies. Please note that any unsolicited CVs submitted will be deemed as gifted to Delkia and any terms & conditions associated with the use of such CVs will be null and void.