Bridport, Dorset

To £60K, bonus & benefits (relocation assistance could be available)

Our client, is a market-leading problem solver and solutions provider, who are the forefront of design,  manufacturing and technology for an innovative range of engineered textile solutions for the safety and securement needs of the global aerospace and defence markets.

As a result of rapid growth, they are seeking an ambitious business development professional  who will work closely with the Business Unit Manager and will assume responsibility for the establishment, development, promotion and positioning of activities for the Cargo Business Unit in order to achieve new international sales and ensure maximum profitable business growth.

The appointee will focus on business development activities that will increase bookings, sales, gross margin and profitability for Commercial (civilian aerospace /carriers / cargo) customer accounts and product lines as well as the Defence Aftermarket. The appointee will also play a leading “outward facing” pro-active role in developing new opportunities, including those that are outside of existing core markets and must be able to identify, develop, negotiate, capture and close opportunities in order to generate profitable new business that meets strategic business objectives.

The Role:

• Work closely with the Business Unit Manager, implement a global business development sales strategy for the Cargo BU
• Undertake market analysis and sector research to identify profitable market opportunities for new customers and products, including those outside of the current core in adjacent /new sectors and new global territories/customers
• Develop “winning strategies” and plans to enable expansion and growth in sales, services and customer base that deliver increased profit year on year
• Lead cross functional bid teams and encourage team working to deliver a consistent understanding of the customer's needs, and to align departments towards a common outcome
• Support ongoing analysis of growth opportunities through market/customer research and maintenance of high-level market and customer intelligence including procurement & replenishment cycles
• Identify and qualify opportunities in the marketplace that meet the growth strategy
• Develop new strategies and routes to market that will enhance margin and profitability whilst still proving exceptional value to the user community and the customer base
• Ensure the order & opportunities pipeline is maintained and is at least sufficient to achieve the annual order intake target for the business plan
• Manage customer accounts and the key relationships which will generate orders
• Travel regularly across international markets, proactively identify, anticipate, assist and meet the needs and requirements of customers in order to secure new and lasting profitable business
• Report sales activities, forecast sales and bookings & manage opportunities pipeline
• Work closely with existing Sales Managers and supporting teams to achieve the growth strategy
• Support the engineering team with the development of new ideas and concepts to meet current and future customer needs
• Undertake ongoing analysis to understand our competitive advantage and aid pursuit decisions
• Identify capability gaps and propose robust enhancement programmes
• Deliver capture plans and value propositions to increase the probability of winning orders from key customers and markets
• Lead the customer interface and proposal collation within the bid process in conjunction with commercial, engineering, quality and manufacturing to deliver appropriately attractive proposals to our customers in line with Life Cycle Management
• Attend at relevant trade shows, conferences, user trials & PR events as required

The Person:

• Strong ethical and moral compass: able to work across functions within a non-political, open and honest business culture that has an overarching commitment towards “value creation” and the on time delivery of consistently reliable engineered products
• Degree qualified in a business, marketing or engineering discipline, you may also be an ambitious business development professional with a “hunter/go-getting” approach who is now ready for the “next step up”
• A strong track record of success in International Business Development; you may have gained experience within an Aerospace & Defence related environment (Civilian / Military Aerospace, MRO, Air Freight etc), but you might also be working for a manufacturer of cargo control products/systems, a relevant logistics provider or a businesses that supplies similar or complimentary products into the same marketplace
• An individual from outside the above sectors with extensive international business development experience of working with highly engineered proprietary products may also be considered
• Prior experience of working in an aftermarket environment could be beneficial as would an understanding of the procurement process that organisations adopt within a cargo/freight/defence environment, including proposals, bid management and contracts
• A self-starter who can identify, develop, negotiate, capture and close opportunities in order to generate profitable new business
• Strong people management and leadership skills with a genuine desire to work pro-actively within a close knit, agile, fun and fast paced responsive team based environment
• Experience of managing overseas agents/representatives, including cultural sensitivity
• Strong presentation, financial & commercial skills, also able to grasp sales and technical information
• Can generate the respect of others and challenge when required
• Able to understand wider market opportunities, competitors, technologies and trends whilst remaining focused on “winning business”
• Strong commercial understanding of customer budget plans, procurement process, bid management, contractual terms, pricing and gross margin analysis
• Familiar with a formal sales operating process which also captures and develops emerging opportunities into defined and qualified prospects
• A strong influencer who can demonstrate attention to detail and display a logical and disciplined determination to capturing new business
• An exceptional networker who is able to build relationships that engender trust and "place oneself in the customer's shoes" in order to define the value proposition
• Able to prioratise information, keep, colleagues informed and ensure that the customer is fully up to date
• Key personal attributes sought include, drive, determination, team work, creativity, good communication skills and a winning mentality
• An accomplished negotiator, who is responsive to the needs of customers, can close business and adhere to high codes of conduct
• Be accountable for the targeted and measured delivery of key results in accordance with the company’s three value drivers; namely  price , productivity and new business
• IT proficient including strong data interrogation and analytical skills
• Valid driving licence / passport; able to travel within the UK and overseas at short notice
• Hold or be able to hold UK Security Clearance

The Role

• Agree and set the strategic direction and long term business plans with the Chairman
• Operate with a high degree of self-sufficiency, enjoy P & L responsibility, deliver on the objectives to achieve future growth, improve financial KPIs and increase shareholder value
• Work closely with and utilise the vast specialist knowledge available from the chairman, senior managers, and colleagues
• Provide influential leadership across the business, support, develop and manage the team with a “can do” approach
• Responsible for developing, implementing, and managing the company’s annual plan and long-term business objectives
• Agree budgets and robust forecasts for the business with appropriate metrics; allocate resources and make any corrective mid-course corrections as required
• Shape overall engineering strategy and ensure that a robust product development road map is in place that exceeds customer expectations for innovative high technology solutions that support profitable new business growth
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement and a “right first time” approach
• Challenge existing practices, enhance workforce communication, identify projects to reduce costs, enhance product quality standards and optimise operational efficiency
• Implement KPI's and drive through change in engineering, manufacturing & supply chain processes to reduce lead times and costs
• Promote a responsive, customer focused culture ; ensure robust procedures are in place to quickly respond to customer enquiries  & further enhance levels for quality and delivery performance
• Oversee and travel to the overseas facilities, enhance communication, performance, sales & technical capabilities to fully embrace a culture of a “one business”
• Target and initiate collaborative strategic business partnerships for competitive advantage
• Generate new business, develop brand awareness and technical capabilities with new and potential customers, review sales channels, implement steps to increase the pipeline of orders
• Maintain personal contact and relationship with strategic customer accounts
• Build company image by working in partnership with customers, government, community organisations and employees, enforcing ethical business practices
• Oversee quality service within an ISO 9001 environment, ensure compliance, implement systematic measurement of performance, oversee capex requirements, and give approval of new projects
• Maintain an understanding of the impact of global geopolitical and macroeconomic developments, and markets into which the company sells its products and services
• Play an influential role in the recruitment, training, coaching and development of talent
• Communicate and enforce company values, strategies, and objectives; create an open climate for offering information and opinions across the business

Please send your detailed CV quoting ref 22/2013 to our retained consultant David Smalley at Daniels Smalley Partnership, email  david@dspsearch.co.uk