Business Development Manager - Engineered Seals

freudenberg; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 100,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Freudenberg Flow Technologies in Houston seeks a seasoned Business Development leader to drive growth in the U.S. market for engineered sealing solutions.

You will identify new customers, shape market strategies, and manage a robust opportunity pipeline from identification to commercial award. The role requires 5-7+ years in BD/technical sales for engineered products, with strong knowledge of sealing technologies and cross-functional collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Marketing or related technical/commercial discipline.
• 5-7+ years in business development, technical sales, sales engineering, or strategic account management in engineered products/industrial markets.
• Experience with engineered sealing solutions and knowledge of sealing technologies, materials, applications, and customer performance requirements.
• Experience in related industries such as mechanical seals, elastomers, polymer-based sealing solutions, gaskets, expansion joints, rotating equipment, fluid handling.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute business development strategies to drive growth and expand U.S. market share for engineered sealing solutions.
• Identify and develop new customers, applications, markets, and revenue opportunities aligned with Freudenberg Flow Technologies' capabilities.
• Build and maintain a pipeline from identification through technical evaluation, quotation, negotiation, and commercial award.
• Develop strategic account and market penetration plans to grow business with new and existing customers.
• Monitor market trends, competitor activity, customer needs, and emerging applications to adjust strategies.
• Establish measurable BD goals, forecasts, pipeline metrics, and KPIs with regular progress updates.
• Establish and maintain relationships with key decision-makers, engineering teams, procurement, OEMs, and end users.
• Position Freudenberg Flow Technologies as a trusted partner by understanding customer applications, operating conditions, and business challenges.
• Lead customer discussions and negotiations including pricing, technical requirements, and long-term supply opportunities.
• Develop opportunities for specification of Freudenberg sealing solutions into new equipment and projects.
• Represent the company at customer meetings, trade shows, and industry events to strengthen market presence.

Skills

Engineering background

Business development

Strategic account management

Sales engineering

Engineered sealing solutions

Sealing technologies knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Marketing

Job description

Responsibilities

Business Development & Growth Strategy

Develop and execute business development strategies to drive profitable growth and expand market share for engineered sealing solutions , with a strong emphasis on growth within the U.S. market.

Identify and develop new customers, applications, markets, and revenue opportunities that align with Freudenberg Flow Technologies' engineered sealing capabilities and strategic objectives.

Build and maintain a strong pipeline of qualified business opportunities from initial identification through technical evaluation, quotation, negotiation, and commercial award.

Develop strategic account and market penetration plans to expand business with both new and existing customers.

Monitor and analyze market trends, industry developments, competitor activity, customer needs, and emerging applications to identify opportunities and adjust business development strategies proactively.

Establish measurable business development goals, forecasts, pipeline metrics, and KPIs and provide regular updates on progress toward growth objectives.

Customer & Market Development

Establish and maintain strong relationships with key decision-makers, engineering teams, procurement organizations, OEMs, end users, and other strategic industry partners.

Position Freudenberg Flow Technologies as a trusted technical partner and innovative provider of engineered sealing solutions by developing a strong understanding of customer applications, operating conditions, performance requirements, and business challenges.

Identify customer needs and application challenges and work with internal technical teams to develop differentiated, value-added sealing solutions.

Lead customer discussions and commercial negotiations related to new business opportunities, including pricing, commercial terms, technical requirements, and long-term supply opportunities.

Develop opportunities for specification of Freudenberg engineered sealing solutions into new equipment, customer designs, applications, and projects.

Represent the company at customer meetings, industry events, trade shows, technical conferences, and other business development activities to strengthen market presence and generate new opportunities.

Technical & Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partner closely with Engineering, Application Engineering, Sales, Product Management, Operations, Quality, and Marketing to evaluate customer requirements and develop commercially viable engineered sealing solutions.

Serve as a key commercial interface between customers and internal technical teams throughout the development and commercialization of new applications.

Translate customer requirements, market feedback, and application needs into actionable input for product development, engineering, and operational teams.

Coordinate internal resources to support technical evaluations, proposals, quotations, product trials, qualification activities, and customer-specific development projects.

Support the successful transition of newly developed business from opportunity development into production and ongoing account management.

Promote effective collaboration between U.S. commercial activities and global teams to leverage Freudenberg's technical expertise, product portfolio, and manufacturing capabilities.

Commercial Excellence & Pipeline Management

Maintain accurate and timely documentation of customer activity, opportunities, pipeline status, and business development initiatives within the company's CRM system.

Develop and maintain sales forecasts, opportunity pipelines, business development plans, and other commercial performance metrics.

Provide regular business and market updates to leadership, including pipeline development, customer activity, competitive intelligence, risks, and emerging growth opportunities.

Apply value-based selling principles to communicate the technical, operational, and financial benefits of Freudenberg's engineered sealing solutions.

Partner with internal stakeholders to support pricing strategies, margin improvement, commercial excellence, and sustainable profitable growth.

Ensure business development activities are aligned with company policies, commercial processes, strategic priorities, and Freudenberg's Guiding Principles.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Marketing, or a related technical or commercial discipline ; engineering or other technical degree preferred.

5-7+ years of experience in business development, technical sales, sales engineering, or strategic account management within engineered products or industrial markets.

Experience with engineered sealing solutions strongly preferred, including knowledge of sealing technologies, materials, applications, and customer performance requirements.

Experience within related industries such as mechanical seals, elastomers, polymer-based sealing solutions, gaskets, expansion joints, rotating equipment, fluid han