Head of Business Development

SKEG; Cape Town; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Job summary

SKEG in Cape Town seeks a seasoned B2B sales leader to own the sales funnel from first contact to signed contracts, focusing on high-value solutions and long-term partnerships.

You will translate technical challenges into commercial opportunities, engage with founders and executives, and drive opportunities with a strong CRM and accurate forecasting.

A network across engineering, manufacturing, and related sectors plus a business/engineering degree are strongly preferred.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in B2B business development, technical sales, and key account management.
• Established network within engineering, manufacturing, innovation, or related sectors
• Experience engaging with senior decision-makers.
• Experience working with innovation-driven organisations.
• Experience selling high-value solutions rather than products or commodities.

Responsibilities

• Own the Sales Funnel: proactively identify, qualify, develop, and close new business opportunities from first contact through to signed contract.
• Build and Maintain Long-Term Partnerships with organisations bringing products to market; leverage product development and manufacturing capabilities.
• Translate Technical Problems Into Commercial Opportunities by engaging with founders, executives, and technical teams to develop compelling solutions and proposals.
• A well-managed pipeline with accurate CRM management and forecasting for forecasting and planning.

Skills

B2B sales

Technical sales

Key account management

Networking

Negotiation

Senior stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business and/or Engineering

Tools

CRM software

Job description

What You'll be Responsible For

Own the Sales Funnel

Proactively identify, qualify, develop, and close new business opportunities. You'll be responsible for driving opportunities from first contact through to signed contract.

Build and Maintain Long-Term Partnerships

You will build partnerships with organisations that are serious about bringing products to market. We seek opportunities where our product development, and manufacturing capabilities can create value across the full product lifecycle, from concept to scaled production.

Translate Technical Problems Into Commercial Opportunities

You'll engage with founders, executives, and technical teams to understand their challenges and work with SKEG engineers to develop compelling solutions and proposals.

A well-managed pipeline is essential. Accurate CRM management and opportunity tracking are critical to forecasting and operational planning.

About You

Experience

• 5+ years of experience in B2B business development, technical sales, and key account management.


• Established network within engineering, manufacturing, innovation, or related sectors


• Experience engaging with senior decision-makers.


• Experience working with innovation-driven organisations.


• Experience selling high-value solutions rather than products or commodities.


• Bachelor's degree in Business and/or Engineering,

What Makes You Successful in This Role

• You can identify business opportunities hidden inside technical challenges.


• You are comfortable discussing both engineering concepts and commercial outcomes.


• You are known for having a strong professional network or for the ability to rapidly build one.


• You can confidently negotiate commercial agreements.


• You learn fast, display technical insight and enjoy solving problems.