Business Development Representative

Shibaura Electronics Co., Ltd.; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Health insurance

Life insurance

Paid time off

Travel expenses covered

Job summary

Shibaura Electronics Co., Ltd. in Novi, Michigan is seeking a Business Development Representative to join our team. This entry-level role focuses on expanding our presence across the Americas in automotive, HVAC, industrial, and electronics markets, working with US and Japan teams.

You will research prospects, conduct outreach, arrange meetings, develop opportunities from contact to production, and build long-term relationships with engineering and purchasing contacts while traveling as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• Experience in business development or technical sales is a plus.
• Ability to communicate with both technical and commercial teams.

Responsibilities

• Identify and develop new business opportunities in target markets.
• Research target companies and decision-makers to build a prospect pipeline.
• Proactively reach out via calls, email, LinkedIn, and trade shows.
• Arrange and conduct customer meetings to understand applications and requirements.
• Maintain long-term relationships with engineering and purchasing contacts.
• Coordinate with U.S. and Japan teams to support proposals and samples.

Skills

Business development

Technical sales

Customer relationship building

Cold calling

Communication

Self-motivation

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering, or related field

Tools

CRM systems

Job description

Shibaura Electronics is a global manufacturer specializing in NTC thermistors and temperature sensor solutions. Our products are used in a wide range of applications across automotive, HVAC, home appliances, industrial equipment, and other technology-driven markets.

Shibaura Electronics of America, located in Novi, Michigan, supports customers throughout the Americas, working closely with our engineering and manufacturing teams in Japan and other global locations.

Role Description

Entry-level candidates and recent graduates are encouraged to apply.

Shibaura Electronics of America is seeking a full-time Business Development Representative to join our team in Novi, Michigan.

This is an entry-level business development and technical sales opportunity focused on expanding Shibaura's presence across the Americas in automotive, HVAC, industrial, electronics, and other technical markets. Candidates with relevant professional experience are also encouraged to apply.

Approximately 50% of the role will focus on new business development, including researching target companies and applications, identifying key contacts, cold calling and emailing prospective customers, attending trade shows, arranging customer meetings, and developing new opportunities from initial contact through the sales and product-development process.

The Business Development Representative will work directly with customers to understand their applications and requirements, develop long-term relationships with engineering and purchasing contacts, coordinate with Shibaura's U.S. and Japan teams, support quotations and samples, visit customers, and manage opportunities that may develop over extended design and qualification cycles.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify and develop new business opportunities across automotive, HVAC, industrial, electronics, and other technical markets.
• Research target companies, applications, and key decision-makers to build and maintain a strong prospect pipeline.
• Conduct proactive outreach through cold calling, email, LinkedIn, trade shows, and customer visits.
• Arrange and conduct customer meetings to understand applications, requirements, and potential opportunities.
• Build and maintain long-term relationships with engineering, purchasing, and other customer stakeholders.
• Develop opportunities from initial contact through sampling, evaluation, quotation, qualification, and potential production.
• Work closely with Shibaura's U.S. sales team and engineering and manufacturing teams in Japan to communicate customer requirements and support new projects.
• Prepare and coordinate quotations, proposals, samples, and commercial follow-up.
• Manage and grow assigned customer accounts while continuing to develop new customers.
• Maintain consistent follow-up throughout long technical sales and design-in cycles.
• Attend trade shows and industry events to identify new applications, customers, and business opportunities.
• Maintain accurate customer, prospect, and opportunity information in CRM systems.
• Gather market and competitive intelligence to help identify new markets, applications, and growth opportunities.
• Travel throughout the Americas, as required, for customer meetings, trade shows, and business development activities.

Qualifications

• Strong interest in business development, technical sales, and building new customer relationships.
• Comfortable proactively contacting new customers through cold calls, email, LinkedIn, and in-person outreach.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to communicate professionally with both technical and commercial audiences.
• Self-motivated, persistent, organized, and comfortable taking ownership of new business development activities.
• Ability and willingness to learn technical products, customer applications, and industry requirements.
• Strong relationship-building skills and the patience to develop opportunities over extended sales and qualification cycles.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating closely with a small U.S. sales team and international engineering and manufacturing teams.
• B2B sales, business development, manufacturing, automotive, HVAC, electronics, or other technical industry experience is preferred but not required.
• Experience with cold calling, prospecting, customer visits, trade shows, or other new-business-development activities is preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• Advanced Japanese language proficiency (business/technical level) is preferred but not required.
• Familiarity with CRM systems is preferred.
• Ability to work on-site at our Novi, Michigan office.
• Ability and willingness to travel domestically and internationally for customer visits, trade shows, and other business development activities as needed.
• Competitive base salary with opportunities for performance-based compensation.
• 401(k) retirement plan with company matching.
• 100% Paid Health insurance benefits.
• 100% Paid Life insurance benefits.
• Paid time off and company holidays.
• Business travel expenses covered in accordance with company policy.

Work Authorization

• Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. Shibaura Electronics of America is unable to provide employment visa sponsorship for this position.