Strategy and Process Improvement Sales Associate

Safran; West Midlands; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Safran seeks a Business Development Manager to drive aftermarket sales targets across Large Commercial, Regional & Business and Helicopter segments. You will build a 12-24 month opportunity pipeline, manage RFQ processes and collaborate with the Marketing and BI teams to grow revenue in the assigned territory.

You will leverage market insights, maintain robust pipeline coverage, and develop lasting customer relationships to deliver sustainable growth and higher win rates on bids.

Qualifications

• Familiar with the aerospace aftermarket industry practices and business models.
• Knowledge of helicopter, regional & business and civil aircraft markets.
• Technical understanding of flight controls and hydraulic systems an advantage.
• Cultural agility to work across all customers and internal facilities.
• Business and commercial acumen.
• Existing customer relationships preferred.
• Ability to perform detailed business analytics using Excel and Power BI.
• Degree in Business preferred and a degree in Aerospace Engineering an advantage.
• Can actively seek out opportunities to leverage the wider organisation.
• Curious, always learning & promotes learning culture.
• Establishes meaningful relationships; empathetic.
• Strong analytical skills and may come from a finance background.

Responsibilities

• Builds and maintains a robust 12-24 month strategic opportunity pipeline aligned to priority platforms and customers.
• Maintains pipeline coverage greater than annual sales target with clear conversion milestones.
• Leverage market insight and customer engagement
• Ensures sustainable long-term growth
• Holds monthly pipeline reviews.
• Further enhance RFQ and bid management processes to improve speed, quality, and win rates of non-contacted work
• Drives improve bid win rate, Reduce RFQ turnaround time and ensures on-time bid submission.
• Build on process improvements already implemented
• Directly drives revenue and customer satisfaction
• Supports development and deployment of marketing plan
• Supports identification of route cause and execute corrective action to ensure issues resolution
• Gather, collate and feedback market intelligence to the Business Intelligence and Proposal team
• Develop and enhance customer relationships and interactions to ensure business growth.

Job description

Safran is an international high-technology group operating in the fields of aerospace (propulsion, equipment and interiors), space and defense. Its mission is to contribute sustainably to a safer world, where air transport becomes ever more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible. Present on every continent, the Group employs 110,000 people and generated €31.3 billion in revenue in 2025. Safran holds, either independently or through partnerships, leading global or European positions in its markets.

Safran was ranked second in the Aerospace & Defense sector in TIME magazine's ""World's Best Companies 2025"" ranking.

Safran Electronics & Defense is an international company with more than 19,000 employees who bring together expertise and team spirit to design high-technology solutions for the aerospace, defense and space sectors. By combining human and technological intelligence, the company develops products and services for both civil and military customers, operating on land, at sea, in the air and in space.

The primary objective of this role is to support the delivery of the aftermarket sales, Intake plan and growth targets for Large Commercial, Regional & Business and Helicopter business segments within the assigned territory. Typically, this would be circa $180M pa. Be part of a small team of Business Development Managers that including oversight, business objectives, performance management and customer relationships.

Key Responsibilities

• Builds and maintains a robust 12-24 month strategic opportunity pipeline aligned to priority platforms and customers.
• Maintains pipeline coverage greater than annual sales target with clear conversion milestones (incremental opportunities that delivery sales plan with factored probability)
• Leverage market insight and customer engagement
• Ensures sustainable long-term growth
• Holds monthly pipeline reviews.
• Further enhance RFQ and bid management processes to improve speed, quality, and win rates of non-contacted work
• Drives improve bid win rate, Reduce RFQ turnaround time and ensures on-time bid submission.
• Build on process improvements already implemented
• Directly drives revenue and customer satisfaction
• Supports development and deployment of marketing plan
• Supports identification of route cause and execute corrective action to ensure issues resolution
• Gather, collate and feedback market intelligence to the Business Intelligence and Proposal team
• Develop and enhance customer relationships and interactions to ensure business growth.

Skills & Experience

• Familiar with the aerospace aftermarket industry practices and business models.
• knowledge of helicopter, regional & business and civil aircraft markets.
• Technical understanding of flight controls and hydraulic systems an advantage.
• Cultural agility to work across all customers and internal facilities.
• Business and commercial acumen.
• Existing customer relationships preferred.
• Ability to perform detailed business analytics using Excel and Power Business Intelligence.
• Degree in Business preferred and a degree in Aerospace Engineering an advantage.
• Can actively seek out opportunities to leverage the wider organisation
• Curious, always learning & promotes learning culture
• Establishes meaningful relationships; empathetic
• Strong analytical skills and may come from a finance background