Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Brad Foote Gearing is a manufacturer of precision gearing, gearboxes, and related industrial components. The Business Development Manager will drive profitable growth in the U.S. defense industrial base by developing account strategies, managing opportunities from capture through contract award, leading proposals and negotiations, and coordinating cross-functional teams.
Responsibilities
- Own and grow a defense-focused sales pipeline for heavy industrial gearing, gearboxes, and machined components (new build, retrofit, repair/refurbishment, and spares as applicable)
- Develop and execute account plans for defense primes, shipyards, depots, and tier suppliers, map stakeholders across engineering, supply chain, quality, contracts, and program management
- Manage the proposal and RFQ/RFP response process in coordination with estimating/quoting, engineering, quality, operations, and supply chain; ensure assumptions, pricing, and lead times are accurate and competitive
- Negotiate commercial terms (pricing, payment terms, lead times, warranty, and delivery) in alignment with company objectives and customer requirements
- Develop and maintain deep knowledge of defense acquisition channels and program flows (prime/sub, depot/arsenal, spares, sustainment) and monitor relevant market/competitor activity
- Ensure compliance with customer and regulatory requirements relevant to defense business (e.g., flow-downs, quality requirements, and controlled data handling as applicable)
- Serve as the primary commercial point of contact for assigned defense customers; lead regular business reviews and coordinate cross-functional support to resolve issues and protect customer satisfaction
- Serve as the primary commercial point of contact for assigned defense customers; lead regular business reviews and coordinate cross-functional support to resolve issues and protect customer satisfaction
- Perform other duties as assigned
Skills
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent relevant experience)
- Proven experience selling into the defense industry (e.g., defense primes, shipyards, depots/arsenals, or tier suppliers) with demonstrated wins and measurable revenue growth
- Familiarity with defense contracting environments and compliance expectations (e.g., ITAR/EAR awareness, DFARS, controlled technical data handling, flow-down requirements)
- Experience with CMMC 2.0 information security requirements
- Experience negotiating long-term agreements, supplier contracts, and/or multi-year program awards
- Strong people leadership skills, with experience leading, coaching, and developing others (direct reports and/or dotted-line teams)
- Demonstrated ability to manage long-cycle pursuits and lead RFQ/RFP responses with cross-functional teams
- Strong commercial and financial acumen (pricing, margin, deal structure, forecasting)
- Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills; ability to communicate effectively with executive, engineering, quality, supply chain, and program stakeholders
- Proficiency with CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce) and Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook)
- Ability and willingness to travel up to 50%
- Experience selling complex, engineered, made-to-order products and/or manufacturing services (e.g., industrial gearing, gearboxes, heavy machining, precision components, cast/forged/machined assemblies) strongly preferred
- Experience with AS9100 / ISO 9001 quality systems and/or selling into highly regulated OEM environments is strongly preferred
- Established network within defense, aerospace, and maritime/shipbuilding markets strongly preferred
Benefits
- This position will be remote out of a home office
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