Role Summary

Polar Technology has a wide portfolio of products and capabilities in composites and metallics serving a range of advanced markets. The solutions include enabling product technologies which offer a range of benefits in performance, weight reduction, part count reduction, reliability, cost and all supported with a technical partnership ethos.

The Business Development Manager will report to the Business Development Director and be primarily responsible to create and implement strategies to develop and secure new business opportunities to achieve company's business plan targets. The new opportunities will closely match the core competencies of the business in composites and metallics and offer the customer a differentiating benefit over the competition.

The ideal candidate is a driven and dynamic leader, who is accountable for revenue growth, and being a strategic member of the team, will actively contribute to create a workplace culture that fosters success and ongoing business and entrepreneurship.

The self-sufficient candidate has the skills and ability to translate and draft technical solutions in a clear fashion and has the leadership and tenacity to identify and bring customers on board with new ideas and solutions striving for long term partnerships. The candidate has an understanding of the legal aspects and is able to negotiate and close contracts by balancing customer expectations, technical requirements, sales expectations, risk and profitability.

This technical expert can interpret and execute costings, proposals and supporting documents, as well as represent the company at industry conferences, tradeshows and contribute to marketing materials. The candidate will provide regular and accurate prospect updates and revenue forecasts to support business planning. The candidate will ensure the customer invoicing, credit control is managed in line with the contract obligations.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement both short- and long-term tactical and strategic roadmaps in accordance with business goals and objectives.
• Identify and develop new markets and opportunities matching customers requirements with the businesses capabilities.
• Meet financial targets for sales, growth and profitability.
• Provide input for strategic business development and planning on major business decisions.
• Operate self-sufficiently, translate strategic goals into practical action plans and update regularly.
• Manage and grow key customer relationships and participate in closing strategic and tactical opportunities.
• Monitor and evaluate industry trends and customer drivers in order to develop new business opportunities.
• Prepare and support the creation of costings, business models, proposals/quotations, bid reviews and presentations to create, nurture and secure business opportunities and partnerships.
• Translate technical ideas in viable commercial opportunities.
• Attend all relevant meetings and hold internal and external stakeholders to account for their actions.
• Research and evaluate risks and liabilities to the company, both internal and external regarding business decisions and operations.
• Communicate sales demand to peer management and senior management teams as required.
• Develop future budget targets and prospects together with a weighting and ensuring the relevant CRM tools are kept up to date.
• Work in partnership with other departments in the business to bring new products to market. • Develop a thorough technical understanding of products, manufacturing processes and key product characteristics.
• Identify and help address any shortfalls within the business, be it related to our personnel, technical or procedural capabilities, and suggest actions to address this to ensure we maximise our conversion and success rate.
• Support Operations on critical contract management applications. • Help to define, manage and negotiate contracts and agreements. NDA’s T&C’s, Supplier Agreements which are in the best interest of the business.

Personal Characteristics / Qualifications

• Demonstrable industry experience in an engineering or manufacturing environment, with a proven customer facing and revenue growth record backed up by an engineering, materials or technical bias further education qualification.
• Experience selling composite and metallic product solutions within the Aerospace, Defence, Automotive, Medical, Energy marketplaces with a wide and relevant network.
• Commands an existing positive reputation with live active contact book. • Exceptional communication skills, highly organized, collaborative and detail oriented. • An entrepreneurial spirit together with a high-energy pace mindset.
• A broad business understanding with significant experience managing complex and demanding customers.
• Financially astute, ability to generate costings, manage a P&L and easily interrogate Gross and Net margin.
• Dynamic, open-minded approach, with a desire to make a difference to all tasks carried out. • Excellent MS Office, MS Project, presentation skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to understand and communicate engineering and manufacturing principles including the reading of a technical drawing.
• Approachable and ability to develop and maintain strong relationships.
• Ability to interact in a calm manner especially during crucial conversations with customers and stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills, and ability to work cohesively within a cross functional team, recognising and leverage the strengths of each individual. • Flexible work attitude and willingness to travel where necessary.
• Positive “can do” approach and ability to work on own initiative.