Senior Business Development Manager

MAHLE; Northampton; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

MAHLE Powertrain in Northampton, UK seeks a commercially driven Senior Business Development Manager to grow engineering consultancy services in Defence and/or Marine sectors. You will lead consultative sales, build strategic accounts, and convert opportunities into funded programmes.

You will engage with engineering, procurement and senior leadership, promote advanced propulsion and powertrain capabilities, and shape growth opportunities across automotive markets.

Qualifications

• Minimum five years' experience in technical sales or business development.
• Existing network within Automotive, Defence and/or Marine sectors.
• Strong consultative selling and relationship management skills.
• Proven track record in generating and converting new opportunities.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Experience engaging with engineering, procurement and senior leadership.
• Knowledge of propulsion, powertrain, electrification or hydrogen tech is valuable.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute business development strategies aligned with growth objectives at MAHLE Powertrain.
• Identify, qualify and pursue new business opportunities within Automotive, Defence and Marine markets.
• Build and maintain a robust pipeline to support revenue and profitability targets.
• Develop strategic account plans for key customers and prospects.
• Convert opportunities into awarded programmes through customer engagement and value-based selling.
• Promote MAHLE Powertrain's engineering consultancy, testing and development capabilities.
• Act as the primary commercial interface between customers and MAHLE Powertrain.
• Identify customer challenges and align capabilities to deliver value-added solutions.
• Secure RFQs and support proposal development activities.
• Monitor market trends and competitor activity.

Skills

Technical sales

Consultative selling

Negotiation

Account planning

Customer engagement

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Together, we move the world—we’ve been doing it for over 100 years. At MAHLE, as a leading international development partner and systems supplier to the automotive industry, we pursue the objective of making mobility more efficient, more environmentally friendly, more convenient, and more economical. As part of our dual strategy, we are working both on the intelligent combustion engine for the use of hydrogen and other nonfossil fuels and on technologies for fuel cells and e-mobility.

MAHLE generated sales of €11.3 billion in 2025. Employing just under 65,000 people at 127 production locations and 11 technology centers, the company is represented in 28 countries. (as at: 12/31/2025). Join our MAHLE team!

MAHLE Powertrain (MPT) is one of the UK's leading engineering consultancies, delivering advanced engineering, propulsion and powertrain solutions to customers across the automotive, defence, marine, commercial vehicle and off-highway sectors. As part of the global MAHLE Group, we combine world-class engineering expertise with the agility and innovation of a specialist consultancy.

We are looking for a commercially driven Senior Business Development Manager to lead the growth of our engineering consultancy services within the Defence and/or Marine sectors. The successful candidate will be an established business development professional with experience of consultative selling within technical or engineering environments and a proven ability to influence stakeholders at both technical and executive levels.

Your Contribution

• Develop and execute business development strategies aligned with MAHLE Powertrain's growth objectives.
• Identify, qualify and pursue new business opportunities within Automotive, Defence and/or Marine markets.
• Build and maintain a robust pipeline of opportunities to support revenue and profitability targets.
• Develop strategic account plans for key customers and prospects.
• Convert opportunities into awarded programmes through effective customer engagement and value-based selling.
• Promote MAHLE Powertrain's engineering consultancy, testing and development capabilities to prospective customers.
• Act as the primary commercial interface between customers and MAHLE Powertrain and organise and support customer visits.
• Identify customer challenges and align MAHLE Powertrain capabilities to deliver value-added solutions.
• Ensure high levels of customer satisfaction and long-term account development.
• Secure Requests for Quotation (RFQs) and support proposal development activities.
• Monitor market trends, competitor activity and emerging technologies.
• Provide regular market and customer intelligence reports to senior management.
• Identify new markets, partnership opportunities and adjacent growth sectors.
• Represent MAHLE Powertrain at industry events, conferences and exhibitions.

Your Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum five years' experience in technical sales or business development within an engineering-focused environment.
• Existing network within the Automotive, Defence and/or Marine sectors.
• Strong consultative selling and relationship management skills with strong negotiation capabilities.
• Demonstrable success in generating and converting new business opportunities.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Experience engaging with engineering, procurement and senior leadership stakeholders.
• Experience using Microsoft Office applications.
• Knowledge of propulsion, powertrain, electrification, hydrogen or advanced mobility technologies is valuable.

We will provide a collaborative environment working on exciting assignments, along with personal & career development opportunities.

After inviting you to the recruitment process, the next step will typically be a screening call followed by video or personal interview(s).

TeamMAHLE is diverse and we see that as a great advantage! We welcome applications with diverse experiences, backgrounds, and identities.

Do you have any question?

[e-mail]

Facts about the job

Entry level: Experienced hires

Part- / Full-time: Full Time

Functional area: Sales

Department: BU1 Powertrain and Charging

Location: Northampton, GB

Closing date for applications

Don't waste any time, apply while the position is online.

Your future at MAHLE

As a team player and someone who thinks ahead, you can deploy all your skills with us. In cooperation with colleagues from different countries and areas, you contribute in designing the mobility of the future. When selecting MAHLE, you choose trend-setting technologies and strategies. Are you interested in working with us and developing efficient and environmentally-friendly solutions, optimising existing products, and turning innovative ideas into reality? Then MAHLE is the right address for you.