Business Development Manager

Johnson Controls; Enschede; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Johnson Controls is seeking a proactive sales specialist to spearhead early-stage specification work across the Benelux region. You will build trusted relationships with consultants, planners, engineers, end users and contractors to identify opportunities before final product or supplier decisions are made.

In this role you’ll work with internal product, engineering and sales experts to develop tailored solutions, influence design choices, maintain a structured pipeline, and hand over qualified

Qualifications

• Experience in specification, project development, or complex project sales in fire & security, building technologies, or related B2B environments.
• Experience working with consultants, engineers, end users, or contractors on technically led projects.
• Strong technical and commercial credibility with ability to question and influence decisions.
• Familiarity with CRM systems and managing a structured sales pipeline.

Responsibilities

• Build trusted relationships with consultants, planners, engineers, end users, contractors and other stakeholders to identify early opportunities.
• Influence design, specification and solution choices to add value for Johnson Controls.
• Develop and maintain a structured pipeline of early-stage opportunities with clear ownership and next actions.
• Transfer qualified opportunities to sales teams and stay involved to assist with technical understanding as needed.
• Provide market intelligence on competitor activity and project trends across the Benelux region.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Consultative selling

Pipeline development

Sales collaboration

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Johnson Controls is strengthening how we engage with customers and project influencers before technical and commercial decisions are fixed. This role focuses on early-stage specification work across Benelux, helping position fire and security solutions where they add genuine value.

What you will do

• You will build trusted relationships with consultants, planners, engineers, end users, contractors and other project stakeholders, identify opportunities before product or supplier decisions are finalised, and work with internal specialists to shape appropriate solution approaches.
• The role is designed to create demand, develop qualified pipeline and support a structured handover into the wider sales organisation.

How you will do it

• Develop relationships with consultants, planners, engineers, end users, contractors and other relevant project stakeholders.
• Identify projects and investment plans early, before product or supplier decisions are finalised.
• Understand technical requirements, applicable standards, project constraints and commercial drivers.
• Work with internal product, engineering and sales specialists to develop appropriate solution approaches.
• Influence design, specification and solution choice where Johnson Controls can add real value.
• Build and maintain a structured pipeline of early-stage opportunities with clear next actions and ownership.
• Transfer qualified opportunities effectively to the appropriate sales teams and remain involved where relationships or technical understanding can add value.
• Provide practical market intelligence on competitor activity, customer requirements and emerging project trends.
• Support fire detection design and specification activity, including relevant European and local standards, technical presentations and continuing professional development sessions.
• Maintain opportunity records in Salesforce with agreed qualification criteria, next actions, ownership and handover requirements.
• Work across direct sales, indirect partners, distributors and local country teams with clear ownership for each qualified opportunity.

What we look for

• Required Experience in specification, project development, consultative business development or complex project sales in fire & security, building technologies, construction products, electrical systems, automation or another technically led B2B environment.
• Experience working with consultants, engineers, designers, contractors or end users on technically led projects.
• Strong technical and commercial credibility, with the confidence to ask detailed questions, challenge assumptions and discuss solution choices professionally.
• A structured approach to opportunity management, follow-up and internal coordination.
• Experience using Salesforce or a similar CRM to manage pipeline, qualification and handover.
• Fluent English and professional proficiency in either Dutch or French.
• Valid driving licence, the right to work in the relevant employing country and the ability to travel regularly across the Benelux region.
• Based within approximately two hours' travel of Amsterdam or Brussels.
• Preferred Professional proficiency in both Dutch and French.
• German or Luxembourgish language skills.
• Experience in fire detection design, relevant European and local standards, technical presentations or continuing professional development sessions.
• Previous work with direct sales, indirect partners or distributors in the Benelux region.

Why Join Us

This is a role with visible impact across Benelux. You will work at the front end of the sales cycle, collaborate with technical and commercial specialists, and help shape opportunities before procurement begins. The role suits someone who enjoys building credibility, working independently and turning market insight into measurable pipeline growth. If this sounds like the right next step, we would be pleased to hear from you! #Hybrid #LI-CR1

Johnson Controls: Enhancing the Intelligence of Buildings

Your buildings have a purpose. They are places for people to live or work. Facilities for learning or healing. Venues for entertainment and shopping. Sites for the specialized storage of tangible goods or mission-critical data. Your buildings have a huge variety of functions; they are central to your mission. This is where Johnson Controls comes in, helping drive the outcomes that matter most. Through a full range of systems and digital solutions, we make your buildings smarter. A smarter building is safer, more comfortable, more efficient, and, ultimately, more sustainable. Most important, smarter buildings let you focus more intensely on your unique mission. Better for your people. Better for your bottom line. Better for the planet. At Johnson Controls, we’ve been making buildings smarter since 1885, and our capabilities, depth of innovation experience, and global reach have been growing ever since. Today, we offer the world’s largest portfolio of building products, technologies, software, and services; we put that portfolio to work to transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play.