Business Development Manager APAC (IT Outsourcing & AI Solutions)

SmartDev; Malaysia; On-site; MYR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SmartDev is seeking a Business Development Manager in Malaysia to lead AI-enabled enterprise selling across the APAC region. You will identify, prospect, and close complex AI solutions, translating capabilities into measurable business value for CTOs, CMOs, and CDOs.

This role blends strategic pipeline development with technical acumen and deal-structure know-how. As an individual contributor, you will collaborate with Solution Architects, form partnerships with SI and cloud providers, and shape

Qualifications

• 5+ years in B2B solution sales or business development.
• At least 2 years selling AI, ML, or data science capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Identify and target enterprise accounts across APAC.
• Build and manage a 12-month AI solutions pipeline.
• Lead consultative discovery mapping client pain points to AI blueprints.

Skills

Solution selling

Enterprise sales

AI/ML sales

Strategic partnerships

Job description

Job DescriptionSmartDev is looking for a Business Development Manager - an individual contributor with excellent solution selling skills who can create solid and AI competence sales funnels and drive sustainable, predictable growth in the APAC region. We need a BDM as a hybrid player who can translate complex AI capabilities into tangible business outcomes. You will identify, prospect, and close enterprise deals for custom AI solutions. Unlike a standard SaaS BDM, you must be comfortable discussing data pipelines, model accuracy, and ethical AI with CTOs while building a value-based ROI case for CMOs and CDOs.

Strategic Business Development (70%)

• Identify and target high-potential enterprise accounts across Media, Fintech, and Logistics.
• Build a 12-month pipeline in AI solution opportunities.
• Lead consultative discovery: Map client pain points (e.g., manual data entry, churn prediction, document processing) to AI solution blueprints.
• Structure and negotiate complex contracts (POCs, pilot-to-production, managed services).
• Develop strategic partnerships with SI partners, cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP), and tech vendors.

Solution & Technical Acumen (20%)

• Collaborate with Solution Architects to scope technical feasibility and effort estimates.
• Translate technical differentiators (e.g., fine-tuned vs. RAG-based LLM) into competitive business advantages.
• Educate prospects on AI risks (hallucinations, data privacy, bias) and our mitigation strategies.

Internal Collaboration (10%)

• Act as the voice of the customer to influence product roadmaps.
• Work with Marketing to create AI-specific sales collateral (case studies, ROI calculators).
• Provide feedback on pricing models (consumption-based, outcome-based, subscription).

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): Pipeline generation; Won deals; Pilot-to-production conversion rate; Average deal cycle.

Must-Have

• 5+ years in B2B solution sales or business development, with at least 2 years selling AI, ML, or data sc