Senior Business Development Manager

Alaris Group; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 300 000 - 400 000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defence technology provider in South Africa is looking for a Senior Business Development Manager responsible for driving growth and expanding market presence within the defence sector. The successful candidate should have 10 to 15 years of experience in business development or sales, ideally within the defence industry, and a background in Electronic or Electrical Engineering. The role requires exceptional strategic planning skills, strong communication, and the ability to build long-term relationships with clients, ensuring commercial success and compliance with regulatory standards.

Qualifications

• 10 to 15 years in Business Development or Sales in the Defense Industry.
• Experience in antenna systems or RF technology is beneficial.
• Valid passport and ability to travel internationally when required.

Responsibilities

• Identify and pursue new business opportunities.
• Build and maintain long-term client relationships.
• Prepare regular reports on business development performance.

Skills

Strong strategic planning

Market analysis

Excellent communication skills

Proven track record of generating new business

Negotiation skills

Education

BEng Electronic or Electrical Engineering

MEng Electronic or Electrical Engineering

Tools

MS Excel

MS Word

MS PowerPoint

CRM packages

Job description

From its roots in , Alaris Antennas has grown to become a substantial supplier of advanced Electronic Warfare (EW) antennas.

For the global defence and security markets, Alaris Antennas' mission is to deliver high quality antenna Solutions, on time, through technical and service excellence.

Alaris Antennas,1 Travertine Ave, N1 Business Park,Centurion, ,South Africa

Senior Business Development Manager

The Senior Business Development Manager is responsible for driving strategic growth, expanding market presence, and securing profitable business opportunities in line with company objectives.

This role focuses on opportunity identification, customer relationship management, order generation and processing, and supporting the product and engineering teams with market intelligence to strengthen the overall business strategy.

Requirements

• BEng Electronic or Electrical Engineering
• MEng Electronic or Electrical Engineering (Suggested)
• 10 to 15 years in Business Development or Sales in the Defense Industry
• Experience in antenna systems or RF technology is beneficial

Computer Literacy

• MS Excel (Expert)
• MS Word (Expert)
• MS PowerPoint (Advanced)
• Use of CRM packages (Suggested)
• Managing mailbox (Suggested)
• Office software (Suggested)

Other Requirements

• Valid passport and ability to travel internationally when required

Skills

Technical & Strategic

• Strong strategic planning, market analysis, and commercial acumen
• Ability to synthesize technical concepts into clear value propositions
• Experience navigating Arms Control compliance

Business Development & Sales

• Proven track record of generating new business and closing complex defence-related deals
• Excellent pipeline development and forecasting capabilities
• Strong negotiation, contract management, and stakeholder engagement skills

Personal & Interpersonal

• Exceptional communication skills (written and verbal), able to engage with diverse technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Strong organizational and time management abilities; able to manage multiple priorities
• Self-driven, target-focused, and motivated by commercial success

Key Performance Areas, Weights and Tasks

• Generate and process orders from new and existing customers to achieve annual sales targets
• Build and maintain a consistent monthly value of Status 1 and 2 product sales
• Develop and manage an accurate sales pipeline
• Ensure compliant sales and export processes in line with Arms Control regulations
• Provide strategic input to product direction based on customer and market insights
• Strategic Business Development — 30%
  • Identify and pursue new business opportunities, markets, and growth areas
  • Conduct competitive intelligence and analysis to inform commercial strategy
  • Develop and implement strategic plans to expand market share and revenue
  • Collaborate with subsidiary companies to drive partnership and cross-selling opportunities
  • Provide DF (direction-finding) technical sales support to the broader sales team
• Customer Relationship Management — 20%
  • Build and maintain long-term client relationships and serve as the main commercial interface
  • Conduct regular client engagements, including a minimum of three in-person visits per key customer per year
  • Ensure a high level of client satisfaction and act on feedback to improve service delivery
  • Balance commercial needs with internal capacity to deliver viable and customer-focused solutions
• Reporting, Administration & Internal Collaboration — 10%
  • Prepare regular reports on business development performance and market insights
  • Compile quotations and process purchase orders
  • Maintain accurate, up-to-date opportunity information in Salesforce for full pipeline visibility
  • Collaborate Engineering, Finance, Operations, and Executives to ensure successful deal execution