Director of Business Development

Nicholas Associates; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive Salary up to £100,000

Equity/share options

Performance-based incentives

Innovation-driven working environment

Job summary

A leading recruitment firm is seeking an experienced Director of Business Development to join a pioneering start-up in Cambridge. This strategic role focuses on driving growth through commercial partnerships, fundraising, and marketing. Candidates should have a strong background in optics and significant business development experience. The position offers a competitive salary up to £100,000 plus share options in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• 5-10+ years of relevant experience; 10+ for Director-level roles.
• Experience in high-tech products or optics-based environments.
• Proven success in business development and fundraising.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute sales, marketing, and fundraising strategies.
• Build and manage a pipeline of customers and partners.
• Secure key partnerships and customer opportunities.

Skills

Knowledge of Optical Engineering

Business development success

Fundraising experience

Sales and marketing alignment

Technical translation into commercial value

Leadership experience (5-10+ years)

Education

MBA or equivalent business training

Job description

This range is provided by Nicholas Associates. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

Direct message the job poster from Nicholas Associates

We are seeking an experienced Director of Business Development to join the leadership team of a pioneering start-up company in Cambridge. This is a strategic role focused on driving growth through commercial partnerships, fundraising, and go-to-market execution.

This position combines commercial leadership with strategic influence, helping shape the company’s business roadmap and market positioning. You will lead sales, marketing, and fundraising activities to support the commercialisation of advanced optical technologies designed for next-generation extended reality devices. The company can offer a competitive salary up to £100,000 plus share options.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive sales, marketing, and fundraising strategy.
• Build and manage a qualified pipeline of enterprise customers, strategic partners, and investors.
• Identify and secure key partnerships and customer opportunities.
• Provide input on product‑market fit, positioning, and commercial strategy.
• Collaborate across engineering, R&D, and leadership teams to align product and market goals.
• Represent the company at industry events, investor meetings, and trade shows.
• Deliver engaging presentations and product demonstrations to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Lead all aspects of fundraising including narrative development, investor outreach, and due diligence.
• Build and manage investor relationships, CRM, and reporting.
• Support financial modelling, KPI tracking, and investor communications.
• Identify and pursue non‑dilutive funding opportunities such as grants and strategic programmes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of Optical Engineering, Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Proven success in business development or commercial leadership within a high‑tech product or optics‑based environment.
• Track record in fundraising (pre‑seed, seed, or Series A) or securing non‑dilutive funding.
• Experience aligning sales and marketing plans with technical product roadmaps.
• Strong ability to translate technical innovation into commercial value.
• 5–10+ years of relevant experience (10+ years for Director‑level applicants).
• MBA or equivalent business training is advantageous.

What’s on Offer

• Strategic leadership role in an emerging optical technology business.
• Competitive Salary up to £100,000
• Competitive compensation with performance‑based incentives.
• Equity/share options.
• Opportunity to shape both commercial strategy and long‑term growth.
• Fast‑paced, collaborative, and innovation‑driven working environment.

Sounds good, how do I apply?

• Option 1: Click the apply button, don't worry if you don't have an up‑to‑date CV, we can discuss whatever you have to hand.
• Option 2: Find Mel Glover on LinkedIn and drop me a message or connection request