Business Development Manager - Defence Consulting

RINA Piraeus Team; Chippenham; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days leave (plus bank holidays)

Bonus

Pension

Health Insurance

Professional development

Cycle to work scheme

E-Vehicle Scheme

Generous recruitment referral bonus

Job summary

RINA ASD UK is seeking a Business Development Manager to join the Defence Consulting team. You will drive opportunities across the UK Defence sector, selling a portfolio of consultancy services including Safety Engineering, Engineering Design, ILS, EMC and Project Management.

You will work with the ASD BD Team to identify and win new and repeat business, coordinating with Consulting leads and key clients, and supporting tender responses and strategic alliances.

Qualifications

• Must have at least three years’ BD and sales experience in a consulting or engineering related Professional Services environment.
• Strong knowledge of the Defence domain, across either air, land, sea, and/or cyber.
• Have some understanding of UK Defence procurement processes and frameworks.
• Previous roles in Business Development may include Customer Relationship Manager, Account Executive, Sales Executive or Capture Manager.
• A current personal network within the Defence and Security sector that can be exploited through the ASD portfolio of services is preferable.
• Significant experience of writing compelling and persuasive business-winning responses to Tenders and RFIs/RFPs.
• Due to the security clearance requirements of the role, candidates should be SC cleared at the point of employment, or be a British citizen, willing to undergo vetting.

Responsibilities

• Create and manage a pipeline of profitable new and repeat business through the identification of business opportunities, both with the MOD, prime contractors and within the frameworks.
• Plan BD campaigns, contributing ideas and opportunities aligned to the wider business strategy.
• Act as the Key Account Manager for nominated key clients and prospects.
• Contribute to the generation of business-winning Tender and Proposal responses, act as Capture Manager, when required.
• Support our focus on customer satisfaction, repeat business and develop into new markets.
• Convert prospects to contracts and provide support to the Operational Team during contract mobilisation ensuring clients are on-boarded effectively, and capture lessons learned.
• Identify opportunities for strategic alliances and partnerships to enhance Client Value Propositions.
• Work across the wider RINA Group to augment Business Unit ‘cross selling’ and collaboration.
• Track competitor activity and provide timely updates on competitor news and intelligence to the team.
• Plan for and attend events, expos and conferences, having collaborated with Marketing.

Skills

BD experience

Defence domain knowledge

UK defence procurement

Customer relationship management

Job description

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Business Development Manager - Defence Consulting

Posting Date: 26 Oct 2026

Location: Chippenham, GB, SN15 1BN Lincoln, GB, LN6 7FL Manchester, GB, M1 3LD Southampton, GB, SO15 2WY Leatherhead, GB, KT22 7AJ

Contract Type: Permanent

Level of experience: Intermediate

RINA is looking to recruit an experienced, talented and drivenBusiness Development Manageras part of our Consulting BD Team. You will join our Aerospace and Defence (ASD) Business Unit accountable for targeting and winning growth opportunities with existing and new Defence clients across the UK. The role will be instrumental in driving the business to achieve its ambitious growth targets.RINA operates a hybrid working environment: providing you are happy to travel occasionally, your UK location is not a concern, though our main UK offices are located in Chippenham, Leatherhead, Manchester, Southampton and Lincoln.

The Role:

You will work as part of the ASD BD Team and collaborate with the Consulting leads to identify and win new and repeat business in the UK, selling our portfolio of consultancy services. The portfolio of engineering services RINA ASD provides include: Safety Engineering, Engineering Design, Integrated Logistics Support, Electromagnetic Compatibility and Project Management. RINA also provides high end Defence Training and Learning solutions.

Your responsibilities:

• Create and manage a pipeline of profitable new and repeat business through the identification of business opportunities, both with the MOD, prime contractors and within the frameworks.
• Plan BD campaigns, contributing ideas and opportunities aligned to the wider business strategy;
• Act as the Key Account Manager for nominated key clients and prospects;
• Contribute to the generation of business-winning Tender and Proposal responses, act as Capture Manager, when required;
• Support our focus on customer satisfaction, repeat business and develop into new markets;
• Convert prospects to contracts and provide support to the Operational Team during contract mobilisation ensuring clients are on-boarded effectively, and capture lessons learned;
• Identify opportunities for strategic alliances and partnerships to enhance Client Value Propositions;
• Work across the wider RINA Group to augment Business Unit ‘cross selling’ and collaboration;
• Track competitor activity and provide timely updates on competitor news and intelligence to the team;
• Plan for and attend events, expos and conferences, having collaborated with Marketing;

Qualifications & experience:

• Must have at least three years’ BD and sales experience in a consulting or engineering related Professional Services environment;
• Strong knowledge of the Defence domain, across either air, land, sea, and/or cyber;
• Have some understanding of UK Defence procurement processes and frameworks;
• Previous roles in Business Development may include Customer Relationship Manager, Account Executive, Sales Executive or Capture Manager;
• A current personal network within theDefence and Security sectorthat can be exploited through the ASD portfolio of servicesis preferable;
• Significant experience of writing compelling and persuasive business-winning responses to Tenders and Requests for Proposals (RFPs / RFIs);
• Due to the security clearance requirements of the role, candidates should be SC cleared at the point of employment, or be a British citizen, willing to undergo vetting.

The Person: You will be a highly motivated self-starter, goal focussed and tenacious. Your communication and listening skills teamed with your proactive approach to sales will enable you to identify leads and new opportunities. You are able to present ideas successfully, ask the right questions and negotiate effectively. You will have a flexible approach, be happy to adapt to changing business & client needs and be able to manage the pressure in a fast moving, growth environment. About RINA Aerospace & Defence (ASD) UK: RINA ASD UK is a Gold status member of the Armed Forces Covenant Employers Recognition Scheme and proudly supports those who serve.
We provide Engineering Consultancy to the Defence sector, selling a portfolio of engineering services, including Safety, ILS, Training and Cyber Assurance. It has a proven track record and excellent reputation in supporting and improving performance for some of the military’s most technically advanced programmes across air, land, and sea, with a current focus on supporting autonomous air and marine platforms.

RINA Group

RINA is a 7,000 strong global engineering services firm, with a heritage in Classification and Certification. It provides innovative safety related services to Defence, Aerospace, Energy, Renewables, Transport, Infrastructure and Manufacturing sectors. Operating out of 70 countries, RINA offers significant depth of experience across engineering disciplines to support clients, ensuring the functional safety of products and platforms. RINA has a strong reputation providing services that are of the highest quality, creating significant value add. #LI-JB3

• 25 days leave (plus bank holidays)
• Bonus
• Option to buy more holiday
• Pension
• Health Insurance
• Professional development, support with qualifications
• Pay for professional membership
• Life Assurance
• Support of Military Reservists – 10 additional paid days
• 4 days paid leave for STEM Ambassadors
• Cycle to work scheme
• E-Vehicle Scheme
• Generous recruitment referral bonus

Flexibility and respect drive how we work. We are committed to building a workplace where every person feels valued and empowered to develop their potential. RINA provides equal employment opportunities and does not discriminate on any basis.