Business Development Manager (Advanced Composites)

Keystone Distinction Group; Michigan; On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Keystone Distinction Group in Michigan seeks a dynamic Business Development Manager to grow our Advanced Composites business across aerospace, defense, and industrial segments. You will develop short- and long-term strategic plans, pursue new customers, and expand partnerships to drive profitable revenue.

The ideal candidate has technical know-how in composites (SMC, BMC, epoxies, carbon fiber) and proven sales experience. Travel up to 40% is required for client meetings and industry events.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a technically relevant discipline.
• Experience selling technical materials and products in the advanced composites industry.
• Ability to communicate effectively and present to stakeholders.
• Knowledge of market trends in aerospace, defense, and industrial segments.
• Willingness to travel up to 40% domestically and internationally.

Responsibilities

• Identify, develop, and manage strategic relationships with customers, suppliers, distributors, and other industry players in advanced composites.
• Drive revenue growth through new customer acquisition and upselling.
• Analyze market trends, customer needs, and competitor activity to inform go-to-market strategies.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver tailored solutions for clients.
• Negotiate and close complex deals with industry stakeholders.
• Attend trade shows and industry conferences to represent the company and build connections.
• Provide reporting and forecasting related to pipeline and revenue targets.
• Develop customer agreements to align incentives and safeguard volumes.
• Participate in Product Development Process to drive commercialization of new offerings.

Skills

Sales experience

Technical knowledge in advanced_comps

Communication skills

Presentation skills

Market trend analysis

Negotiation

Organizational skills

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a technically relevant discipline

Job description

What you’ll do:

We are seeking a dynamic and results-driven Business Development Manager with proven experience in the advanced composites industry with focus on aerospace, defense, and industrial segments. The ideal candidate will possess technical expertise, strong sales acumen, a strategic mindset, and will be responsible for developing short‑term tactical and long‑term strategic plans to profitably grow the business.

Duties / Responsibilities of this position

Key activities and deliverables for this position include:

• Identify, develop, and manage strategic relationships with customers, suppliers, distributors, and other key industry players in the Advanced Composites market.
• Drive revenue growth through new customer acquisition, upselling, and cross‑selling to existing partners.
• Analyze market trends, customer needs, and competitor activity to identify opportunities and inform go‑to‑market strategies.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams (product, marketing, operations) to deliver tailored solutions for clients.
• Negotiate and close complex deals with industry stakeholders, ensuring profitability and long‑term partnership value.
• Attend trade shows, industry conferences, and networking events to represent the company and build new connections.
• Provide ongoing reporting and forecasting related to business development efforts, pipeline progress, and revenue targets.
• Collaborate with legal counsel and business management to develop customer agreements / contracts (e.g., supply agreements, commercial agreements, memorandums of understanding, joint development agreements, etc.) to align incentives, safeguard volumes, and strengthen customer relationships.
• Support development of our product strategy by identifying customer unmet needs, sharing those needs and other competitive intelligence with key stakeholders (e.g., application engineering, R&D, etc.) and participating in Product Development Process (PDP) as needed to drive commercialization of new offerings to enable profitable growth.

Job Requirements

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Minimum of Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of experience and education in a technically relevant discipline.
• Experience working with manufacturers and customers in the advanced composites industry, including familiarity with key materials, processes, or applications such as SMC (Sheet Molding Compound), BMC (Bulk Molding Compounds), using epoxies, fiberglass, or carbon fiber.
• Proven track record of selling technical materials and products.
• Ability to communicate effectively along with strong presentation skills.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of market trends within the sealants, adhesives, and advanced composite industries.
• Ability to maintain and develop new relationships, negotiating skills; ability to influence customer decisions.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Attention to detail, financial management, and ability to problem solve.
• Willingness to travel, locally and internationally up to 40% of time.