Business Development Manager

I am recruiting on behalf of my client for an experienced Business Development Manager to join their growing team, supporting the continued expansion of their presence within the UK maritime and defence sectors. This is an excellent opportunity for a commercially driven Business Development Manager to work with a specialist engineering business that designs and delivers deployable infrastructure solutions for some of the world's most demanding defence, government and remote operational environments. As the successful Business Development Manager, you will play a key role in identifying new business opportunities, developing long‑term customer relationships and supporting future growth across the maritime and defence markets. Working closely with engineering, operations and bid teams, you will help shape opportunities from their earliest stages through to proposal development and customer engagement. Responsibilities Building and maintaining strong relationships with existing and prospective customers across the defence and maritime sectors. Identifying, qualifying and developing new business opportunities aligned with the company's engineering capabilities. Supporting the development and maintenance of the business development pipeline. Monitoring market activity, customer priorities and competitor developments. Representing the business at customer meetings, industry events and exhibitions. Supporting early customer engagement activities ahead of formal procurement opportunities. Working closely with engineering, operations and internal stakeholders to develop customer-focused solutions and value propositions. Assisting with opportunity capture activities and supporting proposal development where required. Developing relationships with industry partners, suppliers and strategic collaborators. Contributing to the continued growth of the business through proactive customer engagement and commercial awareness. Qualifications Around five years or more experience within business development, account management, client engagement or a similar commercial role. Experience within defence, engineering, maritime, infrastructure or another technically complex sector. Strong communication, presentation and relationship-building skills. Experience managing customer accounts and developing opportunity pipelines. Commercial awareness with an understanding of customer procurement processes. The ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with cross‑functional teams. Eligibility for, or the ability to obtain, UK Security Clearance. Desirable Experience Experience working with UK defence customers, including the Royal Navy or wider MOD organisations. Bid or proposal development experience. Knowledge of modular, deployable or infrastructure solutions. APMP, Shipley or similar business development training. Degree qualified or equivalent professional experience. Experience developing relationships with industry partners and supply chains. Benefits Competitive salary of £60,000–£70,000, dependent on experience. Performance‑related bonus scheme. 25 days annual leave. Flexible 37.5‑hour working week. Private Medical Insurance (BUPA). Life cover at 3.5 times salary. Company pension scheme. Salary sacrifice schemes, including eBike and electric vehicle options. Access to wellbeing platforms. The opportunity to work on high‑profile defence and government programmes. Exposure to senior customer stakeholders across the maritime and defence sectors. Ongoing career development within a growing specialist engineering business. A collaborative and supportive working environment where you can genuinely influence the future growth of the business. If you are an experienced Business Development Manager looking to join an innovative engineering organisation supporting critical defence and maritime programmes, I would be pleased to discuss this opportunity with you. #J-18808-Ljbffr Holt Engineering