Director of Business Development

Talent Guardian; Farnborough; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Talent Guardian is working on behalf of a well-established business aviation group to appoint a high-calibre Business Development Director for Europe. The role focuses on growing the managed aircraft fleet, winning new clients and owning strategic relationships across the continent.

You will lead negotiations, sign deals and drive revenue with no direct reports, collaborating across Charter, Client Support, Finance, CAMO and Operations.

Qualifications

• 5–7 years within business aviation or closely related field.
• 3+ years in business development within aircraft management or related sectors.
• Understanding of aircraft ownership structures and financial mechanics.
• Proven track record of exceeding sales targets.

Responsibilities

• Identify, develop and secure new aircraft management clients across Europe.
• Lead client engagement, negotiations and contract discussions through to signature.
• Build and leverage an industry network to generate qualified opportunities.
• Represent the business at key industry events and client engagements.
• Act as senior point of contact for strategic clients, driving retention and revenue growth.
• Upsell and cross-sell opportunities to grow utilization.
• Conduct financial modelling and forecasting to support pricing decisions.
• Contribute to growth strategy including expansion into new markets and segments.
• Maintain accurate CRM records and pipeline reporting.

Skills

Business development

Aviation industry experience

Sales negotiations

Financial modelling

CRM management

Relationship management

Education

Degree in business aviation/finance/economics

MBA or equivalent advanced degree

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

Business Development Director - Aviation

Farnborough

Talent Guardian is recruiting on behalf of a well established business aviation group with a managed fleet operating across Europe. The client is not named at this stage. We will give you full details before your CV goes anywhere.

This is a new job description for a commercially focused, revenue-generating role. You will grow the managed aircraft fleet across Europe, winning new aircraft management clients and owning the strategic relationships that keep them.

Why this role is worth a conversation Aircraft management business development is a small world, and most of the good roles never get advertised. This one sits close to the top of the commercial structure, reporting into the Head of Aircraft Management with no layers in between. You will own the pipeline, lead the negotiations and sign the deals, rather than passing them upward.

There is no direct team, which means no management admin and full focus on the commercial job. You will work across Charter, Client Support, Finance, CAMO and Operations, so you are genuinely part of how the business runs rather than a standalone salesperson.

The remit is European, so this suits someone with a network across the continent and the appetite to travel and be visible at the industry events that matter.

What you will be doing

• Identifying, developing and securing new aircraft management clients across Europe
• Leading client engagement, negotiations and contract discussions through to signature
• Building and working an industry network to generate qualified opportunities
• Representing the business at key industry events and client engagements
• Acting as senior point of contact for strategic clients, driving retention and revenue growth
• Converting upsell and cross-sell opportunities and growing utilisation across the portfolio
• Conducting financial modelling and forecasting on new opportunities, and supporting pricing decisions
• Contributing to the wider aircraft management growth strategy, including expansion into new markets and client segments
• Maintaining accurate CRM records, pipeline data and conversion reporting into leadership

You will be measured on new managed aircraft secured against target, contracted annual revenue and gross margin, qualified pipeline coverage and conversion, and client renewal and revenue growth across your portfolio. Targets are agreed annually.

What you will need

• Five to seven years within business aviation
• At least three years in business development within aircraft management or a closely related sector
• In-depth understanding of aircraft management and aircraft ownership structures
• A proven record of exceeding sales targets
• Strong numerical and financial literacy, and a good grasp of procurement and negotiation practice
• Experience presenting at industry events and to senior audiences
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to run several live opportunities at once
• Degree in business aviation, finance, economics or a related field
• MBA or other advanced degree

The detail

• Full time, Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:30
• Based in Europe, with travel across the region
• Competitive basic salary plus performance-related bonus, discussed openly at first conversation