Business Development Director - Offshore Systems

X Laboratory; Rotterdam; On-site; EUR 180,000 - 290,000; Full time

Job summary

X-Laboratory is seeking an experienced offshore commercial professional to drive major international opportunities in offshore motion compensation, robotics and maritime systems.

You will lead from first engagement through technical-commercial development, negotiation and contract award, building senior client relationships across Europe, the Middle East and Asia while ensuring commercial discipline and credible technical dialogue.

Qualifications

• Proven success selling high-value engineered equipment, systems or ETO projects, preferably in the €20-40+ million range.
• Significant experience in offshore, offshore wind, subsea, shipbuilding, heavy lifting or related capital equipment.
• Demonstrable experience personally developing and closing complex international B2B opportunities.
• Strong existing industry network.
• Experience negotiating substantial equipment or system contracts.
• International sales experience across Europe and preferably the Middle East and Asia.
• Sufficient technical understanding to engage credibly with engineering organisations.
• Willingness to travel internationally.
• Excellent professional English.

Responsibilities

• Develop major opportunities with offshore contractors, vessel owners, shipyards, OEMs and subsea companies.
• Build senior client relationships and strategic partnerships across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
• Identify real operational problems and develop them with engineering into commercially viable X-Laboratory solutions.
• Establish the client need, decision makers, budget, competition, procurement route, decision timeline and probability of award before treating a lead as qualified.
• Lead commercial strategy, pricing and negotiation in close coordination with CEO, project management and engineering.
• Maintain accurate CRM records, next actions, decision dates, probabilities and weighted forecasts.
• Represent X-Laboratory internationally at client meetings, vessels, shipyards and industry events.
• Maintain customer relationships beyond contract award and actively develop repeat business.
• Never commit technical scope, performance, schedule, price or contractual conditions without the required internal agreement.

Skills

High-value sales

Offshore market

Contract negotiation

Strategic account management

International sales

Engineering literacy

English proficiency

Job description

Develop and secure major international business for X-Laboratory's offshore motion compensation, robotics and advanced maritime systems.

We are looking for an experienced offshore commercial professional with a proven track record of developing and closing €1–35+ million engineered-equipment projects.

You will build on X-Laboratory's existing client base and technology portfolio and lead opportunities from first engagement through technical-commercial development, negotiation and contract award.

This is not high-volume sales. You must be capable of convincing major offshore companies to venture into new technology with us; while remaining technically credible, commercially disciplined and rigorous about what we promise.

Responsibilities: What you do

• Develop major opportunities with offshore contractors, vessel owners, shipyards, OEMs and subsea companies.
• Build senior client relationships and strategic partnerships across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
• Identify real operational problems and develop them with engineering into commercially viable X-Laboratory solutions.
• Establish the client need, decision makers, budget, competition, procurement route, decision timeline and probability of award before treating a lead as qualified.
• Lead commercial strategy, pricing and negotiation in close coordination with CEO, project management and engineering.
• Maintain accurate CRM records, next actions, decision dates, probabilities and weighted forecasts.
• Represent X-Laboratory internationally at client meetings, vessels, shipyards and industry events.
• Maintain customer relationships beyond contract award and actively develop repeat business.
• Never commit technical scope, performance, schedule, price or contractual conditions without the required internal agreement.

Accountabilities: What are you measured against

• Qualified Pipeline: opportunities only count as qualified when a credible client need, decision process, commercial potential, responsible client contact and realistic next step have been established.
• Lead Conversion: measurable progression from qualified opportunity to RFQ/proposal, negotiation and contract award; stale opportunities are closed or requalified rather than indefinitely retained.
• Contracted Revenue: value of successfully secured orders and long-term commercial agreements.
• Commercial Quality: orders meet agreed targets for margin, payment profile, contractual risk and strategic value. Revenue alone is not success.
• Forecast Accuracy: expected value, probability and award timing remain evidence-based and are updated when circumstances change.
• Strategic Accounts: measurable development of durable relationships with major offshore contractors, vessel owners, OEMs and shipyards.
• Customer Continuity: successful delivery is converted into repeat business, references and broader account penetration.
• Commitment Discipline: zero unauthorised commitments concerning technical performance, delivery, pricing or contractual exposure.
• Commercially ambitious and comfortable pursuing projects worth tens of millions of euros.
• Strong existing network in offshore, offshore wind, subsea, shipbuilding, transport, heavy lifting or marine equipment.
• Entrepreneurial enough to create opportunities before an RFQ exists.
• Technically credible enough to discuss complex machinery and offshore operations with engineers and operational specialists.
• Strong international negotiator who understands margin, cash flow, payment milestones, contractual exposure and delivery risk, not merely sales price.
• Capable of challenging established operating methods and building confidence in genuinely new technology.
• Persistent and persuasive without over-selling.
• Treats commitments as commitments.
• Serious, trustworthy and down-to-earth; equally comfortable with vessel crews, engineers, procurement teams and executive management.
• Independent and disciplined: knows when to pursue aggressively and when to walk away from bad business.

Qualifications

Requirements:

• Proven success selling high-value engineered equipment, systems or ETO projects, preferably in the €20-40+ million range.
• Significant experience in offshore, offshore wind, subsea, shipbuilding, heavy lifting or related capital equipment.
• Demonstrable experience personally developing and closing complex international B2B opportunities.
• Strong existing industry network.
• Experience negotiating substantial equipment or system contracts.
• International sales experience across Europe and preferably the Middle East and Asia.
• Sufficient technical understanding to engage credibly with engineering organisations.
• Willingness to travel internationally.
• Excellent professional English.

Strong Assets

• Experience with a major shipyard, crane manufacturer, offshore equipment OEM, subsea company or system integrator.
• Existing commercial relationships in Northern Europe (Denmark, Norway), Singapore, China, Malaysia, Japan and the Middle East.
• Experience selling cranes, winches, lifting systems, motion compensation, subsea equipment, robotics or vessel systems.
• Previous responsibility for an SME, business unit or own company.
• Experience introducing new technology into conservative industrial markets.
• Experience with technology licensing and recurring-revenue models.

Who we are

X-Laboratory is a high-end engineering and technology company specialised in offshore motion compensation and advanced maritime robotics.

We develop scalable control, simulation and system integration solutions for demanding offshore environments, with the ambition and capability to evolve into a tier-1 OEM and full system integrator for next-generation offshore operations.

Engagement & Remuneration

We are open to a full-time senior appointment or, for the right established industry professional, an independent or part-time commercial partnership.

Remuneration can combine a fixed base or retainer with substantial success-based compensation linked to business secured and its commercial quality.

Exceptional commercial performance should result in exceptional compensation.

External engagements must be transparent and free of conflicts of interest.