Business Development Manager - Defence & Secure Communications

Solid State Group PLC; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

EV Salary Sacrifice Scheme

26 Days Annual Leave + Bank Holidays

Pensions Plan

Company Sick Pay Scheme

Life Assurance Scheme

Profit Share Scheme

All Employee Share Plan

Job summary

Steatite, based in Redditch, is seeking an experienced Business Development Manager to grow our defence and secure communications presence across the UK. You will manage opportunities through the full sales lifecycle, engaging with defence and security customers and collaborating with engineering and commercial teams.

The role requires knowledge of MoD structures, strong relationship skills, and a proactive approach to proposals, tenders, and negotiations.

Qualifications

• Experience within defence, government or secure communications.
• Knowledge of UK MoD structures and defence procurement.
• Strong consultative selling and relationship management skills.
• Experience developing pipelines and progressing opportunities.
• Experience preparing proposals, quotations or tender submissions.
• Strong commercial awareness, communication and negotiation skills.
• CRM and sales forecasting experience.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel.

Responsibilities

• Develop relationships across UK defence, government and security customers.
• Build and manage a strong pipeline of qualified opportunities.
• Identify customer requirements and develop commercially viable solutions.
• Prepare proposals, quotations and tender responses.
• Support bids, pricing and commercial negotiations.
• Manage opportunities, forecasting and CRM activity.
• Travel to customer and partner locations in the UK and internationally as required.

Skills

Consultative selling

Pipeline management

CRM experience

Driving licence

Travel readiness

Relationship management

Defence sector knowledge

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

Business Development Manager - Defence & Secure Communications

Redditch

Salary: Competitive
Job Type: Permanent

This role requires Security Check (SC) clearance. Candidates must be willing and able to undergo the relevant security vetting process; existing SC or DV clearance would be advantageous.

About Us

At Steatite, we design, manufacture, and supply advanced technology solutions - from industrial embedded computing and custom lithium battery packs to secure communications, antennas, and imaging systems.

Our innovations operate in some of the world's most demanding environments. From the ocean floor to the edge of space, Steatite technology ensures critical systems perform reliably, consistently, and safely - 24/7. Whether enabling scientific discovery in extreme conditions, transmitting high-bandwidth data across challenging terrain, processing vast volumes of traffic data, or supporting secure transactions on the move, our solutions are built to perform when it matters most.

From day one, you will be part of an organisation that prioritises your safety and wellbeing, values your contribution, and is committed to making your career both rewarding and impactful.

We are now looking for an experienced Business Development Manager to help grow our presence across the UK defence and secure communications market.

The Opportunity

This is a consultative, relationship-led role where you'll engage with defence end users, understand their operational challenges and work with our technical teams to develop commercially successful solutions.

You will manage opportunities throughout the full sales lifecycle, from identifying and developing new business through to proposals, negotiations and order placement.

What You Will Be Doing

• Develop relationships across UK defence, government and security customers.
• Build and manage a strong pipeline of qualified opportunities.
• Identify customer requirements and develop commercially viable solutions.
• Prepare proposals, quotations and tender responses.
• Support bids, pricing and commercial negotiations.
• Manage opportunities, forecasting and CRM activity.
• Support customer demonstrations, field trials, exhibitions and operational exercises.
• Promote Steatite's Wave Relay® and wider communications portfolio.
• Work closely with Engineering, Commercial and Project teams.
• Monitor market developments, competitors and emerging defence technologies.
• Travel to customer and partner locations in the UK and internationally as required.

What We Are Looking For

You will bring:

• Experience within defence, government or secure communications.
• Knowledge of UK MoD structures and defence procurement.
• Strong consultative selling and relationship management skills.
• Experience developing pipelines and progressing opportunities.
• Experience preparing proposals, quotations or tender submissions.
• Strong commercial awareness, communication and negotiation skills.
• CRM and sales forecasting experience.
• Full UK driving licence and willingness to travel.

Experience in tactical/secure communications, MANET, networking, RF or IP communications would be particularly valuable.

We are also interested in hearing from ex-military professionals with relevant defence and customer-facing experience who are looking to move into a commercial business development career.

Why Join Steatite?

You will join a specialist technology business where your work has genuine operational impact. You'll work alongside experienced engineers and technical specialists, build relationships across the defence community and help bring innovative communications solutions to customers operating in demanding environments.

Benefits For You

• EV Salary Sacrifice Scheme
• 26 Days Annual Leave Plus Bank Holidays + More For Length of Service
• Pensions Plan
• Company Sick Pay Scheme
• Life Assurance Scheme
• Profit Share Scheme
• All Employee Share Plan

We are an equal opportunity employer fostering an inclusive recruitment experience for all candidates.