Business Development Associate

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Job Title: Business Development Associate / Product Lead

Job Description

This role combines Business Development Associate and Product Line Manager responsibilities to support and manage three maritime-focused product lines with significant annual revenue. You will lead customer relationship management, drive new business opportunities, support proposals and quoting activities, and coordinate closely with cross-functional teams to enhance revenue growth and profitability. Acting as a key liaison between customers and internal stakeholders, you will help shape product line growth strategies while ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Support business development initiatives to drive revenue growth across three maritime-focused product lines.

• Manage and strengthen customer relationships, serving as a primary customer-facing contact for assigned accounts.

• Support quote generation and manage responses to RFIs, RFQs, and RFPs in a timely and accurate manner.

• Coordinate proposal activities, ensuring alignment with customer requirements and internal capabilities.

• Work closely with Quality, Purchasing, Contracts, Operations, and Leadership to ensure seamless execution of customer orders and projects.

• Manage order entry processes and set clear customer delivery expectations to support on-time performance.

• Conduct customer visits to gather voice-of-customer feedback and translate insights into actionable improvements.

• Support revenue forecasting efforts and contribute to profitability management initiatives for the product lines.

• Assist in developing and executing product line growth strategies, including market expansion and new opportunity identification.

• Collaborate with manufacturer's representatives and distributors to expand market reach and support sales activities.

• Engage in both inside and outside sales activities, including prospecting, cold calling, and technical sales discussions.

• Provide customer-focused service and sales support to ensure a positive customer experience throughout the sales cycle.

• Partner with internal teams to discuss technical products and solutions with customers and address technical inquiries.

• Participate in trade shows and industry events to represent the product lines and identify new business opportunities.

• Utilize ERP systems and other business tools to manage orders, track performance, and support reporting requirements.

Essential Skills

• Proven experience in business development, sales, or strategic account management in a customer-facing role.

• Experience in product line management or program management with direct customer interaction.

• Aerospace and Defense industry, with exposure to defense customers and government contracts.

• Hands-on experience supporting RFIs, RFQs, RFPs, proposals, and quoting activities.

• Experience with revenue forecasting and profitability management for products or programs.

• Familiarity with manufacturing, electrical, electronics, or defense-related products.

• Experience working with distributors and manufacturer's representatives.

• ERP system experience to support order management, forecasting, and reporting.

• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to communicate effectively with customers at multiple levels.

• Demonstrated ability to coordinate with multiple internal departments such as Quality, Purchasing, Contracts, and Operations.

• Ability to discuss technical products and solutions with customers in a clear and confident manner.

• Customer service orientation with experience in inside and outside sales, sales management, or business management.

• High School Diploma or equivalent as a minimum educational requirement.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience as a Business DevelopmentAssociate, Strategic Account Manager, Product Line Manager, or Program Manager with customer-facing responsibilities.

• Experiencein government contract environments and understanding of compliance expectations for defense customers.

• Experience in project management, including coordination of cross-functional activities and timelines.

• Proven success in prospecting, cold calling, and developing new business opportunities.

• Experience in technical sales, including presenting complex solutions to customers in a clear and compelling way.

• Strong sales support experience, including managing customer inquiries and providing timely follow-up.

• Ability to balance multiple priorities while maintaining high levels of accuracy and customer satisfaction.

• Eligibility to work in the United States, such as US citizenship or permanent residency, as required for defense-related work.

• Comfort working with both inside sales processes and outside sales travel, including customer visits and trade shows.

Work Environment

This position operates in a professional, business-oriented environment that supports both office-based and field-based activities. You will collaborate closely with Quality, Purchasing, Contracts, Operations, and Leadership teams, using ERP systems and other business tools to manage orders, forecasts, and customer interactions. The role requires approximately 20% travel, including 2 to 3 customer visits per quarter, with a mix of local and non-local travel. You will attend trade shows and customer sites to support business development and relationship management. The organization offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical coverage effective on the first day of employment, a 401(k) plan with a company match, generous paid time off with approximately four weeks of vacation, 10 paid holidays, and a company shutdown between Christmas and New Year's, creating a supportive and attractive work environment focused on long-term employee well-being.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Wallingford, CT.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $100000.00 - $115000.00/yr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Benefits effective Day 1 Blue Cross medical coverage Vanguard 401(k) 5% 401(k) match 4 weeks PTO/Vacation 10 Holidays Company shutdown between Christmas and New Year's

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Wallingford,CT.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 7, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on click.appcast.io for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.