Business Development Manager / Applications Engineer - Optical Interconnect

SCHOTT; Southbridge (MA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

SCHOTT in Southbridge, Massachusetts, seeks a Business Development professional to identify valuable markets and lead strategic initiatives in Fiber Optics. You will manage relationships with key decision makers and contribute to significant business growth in technical solutions.

The ideal candidate will possess strong analytical and communication skills along with extensive experience in the semiconductor and opto-electronics sectors. A competitive salary range of $110,000-$190,000, based on expertise and qualifications, is offered for this position.

Qualifications

• 6-10 years in Business Development or Strategic Sales in semiconductor industries.
• 12-15+ years with global key account ownership in fiber optics.
• Demonstrated success in driving new business creation at hyperscaler level.

Responsibilities

• Identify high-value market segments and analyze AI data center trends.
• Lead complex, cross-functional projects to advance new business development.
• Establish relationships with executive-level decision makers.

Skills

Business Development

Strategic Sales

Technical expertise in Fiber Optics

Analytical problem-solving

Communication and presentation skills

CRM tools proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, or related field

Master’s degree (MBA/MS)

Tools

Microsoft 365

CRM tools

Job description

About Us

Our Business Unit Lighting and Imaging offers smart solutions for light delivery and image transmission in demanding environments — from medical devices, industrial, and safety applications to aviation and automotive. With manufacturing sites in Europe and North America, and supported by SCHOTT’s global sales network, we are a leading supplier of high‑quality fiber optic and LED components.

Your Contribution

• Identify high‑value market segments; analyze AI data center trends (e.g., change from copper to glass in scale‑up and scale‑out); develop multi‑year account strategies aligned with the SBF's commercial roadmap.
• Own full lifecycle of opportunities; maintain 3× pipeline coverage; provide CRM‑based forecasting; ensure pursuit discipline and qualification rigor.
• Act also as technical expert in AI data center – Fiber Optics discussions and customer meetings, guiding the customer to win‑win solutions (meeting customer requirements while optimizing the usage of Schott’s established technologies/efforts).
• Lead complex, cross‑functional projects across Engineering, Operations, Quality, Regulatory, and Finance to advance design, feasibility studies, new business development initiatives, and portfolio optimization.
• Establish and strengthen relationships with executive‑level decision makers (CTO, CIO, Program Directors, Supply Chain); serve as the primary commercial interface for strategic accounts.
• Shape value propositions, pricing strategies, and competitive positioning; build ROI‑based business cases; support margin expansion and commercial improvement initiatives.
• Build territory and account plans; deliver accurate monthly and quarterly forecasts; track performance KPIs and implement corrective actions.
• Drive CRM discipline, BD process standardization, and continuous improvement; enhance tools, governance, and business development workflows.
• Foster strong internal alignment across Sales, Marketing, Engineering, Operations, and Quality.
• Represent SCHOTT at key industry conferences; contribute to thought‑leadership, marketing collateral, and campaign strategy.

Your Profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, or closely related field; Master’s degree (MBA/MS) and/or formal training in strategy/finance preferred.
• 6-10 years in Business Development, Strategic Sales, or Product/Portfolio Management in Semiconductor or related high‑reliability component industries; proven capability closing complex technical deals.
• 12-15+ years of progressive responsibility in BD/Strategic Sales for semiconductor components (incl. lasers) or opto‑electronics/fiber optics (incl. data centers) with global key account ownership.
• Regular business travel (approx. 30% of the time) with focus on the Pacific region (i.e., Silicon Valley).
• Demonstrated success driving new business creation, shaping customer requirements, and leading multi‑stakeholder technical‑commercial initiatives at hyperscaler level.
• Strong technical skills, ideally linked to Fiber Optics and the application Data Centers, strong analytical and structured problem‑solving ability; excellent communication and presentation skills; proficiency with Microsoft 365 and CRM tools.
• Proven ability to lead cross‑functional teams without direct authority and manage multiple complex projects concurrently.
• Proven leadership of large, international, cross‑functional pursuits and executive stakeholder management preferred.
• Experience with M&A screening, due diligence, or integration; business portfolio optimization preferred.
• Record of driving commercial excellence (pricing, margin expansion, value‑based selling) and continuous improvement.
• Must be able to read, write, and speak English.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication, analytical and presentation skills are required.
• Due to the nature of work performed at this facility, US Person status may be required.

Total Compensation (Salary + Bonus) Pay Range: $110,000‑$190,000

Actual starting pay is determined by a number of factors including relevant skills, qualifications, and experience.

Your Benefits

At SCHOTT, you can expect a unique corporate culture where we emphasize equity, diversity, and inclusion. We know: motivated and committed employees are the precondition for the success of our company.