Business Development Manager

A leading organisation within the defence and aerospace industry is seeking a technically minded and commercially driven Business Development Manager to join its team.
The Business Development Manager will serve as a critical bridge between technical, engineering, sales, suppliers, OEMs and technology partners , supporting complex, multi-stakeholder business-development and product-integration activities.
This role is ideally suited to a graduate or early-career professional with a strong academic background , excellent written communication skills and an interest in defence technology, engineering and commercial development.
The successful candidate will help translate sophisticated technical capabilities into compelling customer value propositions while supporting supplier engagement, product integration, sales enablement and technology research initiatives.
Occasional international travel will be required.

Key Responsibilities

Supplier, OEM & Technology Partner Engagement

• Serve as a technical liaison between the organisation and suppliers, OEMs and technology partners .
• Support technical and commercial discussions throughout the procurement and integration lifecycle.
• Coordinate information between internal stakeholders and external technology partners.
• Assist with evaluating supplier capabilities, products and technical compatibility.
• Support the development and maintenance of strategic supplier and technology relationships.

Product Integration & Project Coordination

• Act as a central coordination point between Engineering and Sales during product integration phases.
• Assist with managing integration activities, timelines, deliverables and technical requirements.
• Track project progress and ensure relevant stakeholders receive accurate and timely information.
• Support the identification and resolution of technical or integration challenges.
• Assist with ensuring that products and technologies are appropriately aligned with customer and programme requirements.

Sales Support & Technical Enablement

• Provide the Sales team with accurate and current technical and product knowledge.
• Translate complex technical capabilities into clear commercial value propositions .
• Assist in preparing technical presentations, proposals, product documentation and customer-facing material.
• Support competitive positioning and market analysis.
• Assist Sales with technical preparation for customer meetings, presentations and engagements.
• Develop internal technical enablement material to strengthen the team's customer engagement capabilities.

Research & Technology Development

• Monitor emerging developments in defence technology, aerospace, systems integration and adjacent technology sectors .
• Conduct research into new products, technologies, suppliers and potential strategic partners.
• Perform preliminary product compatibility and capability assessments.
• Identify opportunities for product enhancement, technology integration and new capability development.
• Support the Sales and Engineering teams with market and technology intelligence.

Business Development

• Support the identification and development of new business opportunities.
• Research prospective customers, markets and technology partners.
• Assist with opportunity qualification and development.
• Contribute to commercial proposals, tenders and business-development initiatives.
• Develop strong relationships across technical, commercial and operational stakeholder groups.

Minimum Qualifications

• Matric / Grade 12 – required
• Relevant Bachelor's Degree – required
• Average of 85% in Matric
• A strong or prestigious academic track record will be advantageous.
• 0–3 years' relevant experience in business development, engineering, technology, sales, project coordination or a related technical environment.