Business Development Manager

Job Summary

The Business Development Manager (BDM) will be responsible for driving growth within the defence and aerospace sector, with a strong focus on B2B engagement and UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) and wider Government business capture. The role involves identifying and securing new opportunities, shaping bids, and building strategic relationships across industry partners, government stakeholders, and prime contractors.

This role can be worked on a remote first basis however there will be an expectation for regular travel to business meetings across our UK sites and corporate customer offices. The large part of your time will be spent travelling for meetings in Luton, Bristol and London. Some European travel will be expected as a part of this role. 

What You'll Be Doing

Business Development & Market Growth

• Identify, qualify, and pursue new business opportunities.


• Develop and execute strategic business development plans.


• Monitor defence budgets, procurement pipelines, and MOD priorities.

Opportunity, Capture & Bid Leaderhsip

• Lead capture activities for strategic opportunities.


• Work closely with bid teams to support proposal development.


• Conduct competitor analysis and positioning strategies.


• Maintain robust CRM pipeline management and reporting.

Stakeholder & Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with:
  
  
  
  • UK MOD stakeholders
  
  
  • Prime contractors
  
  
  • Industry partners and subcontractors
  
  
  
  


• Represent the company at industry events, defence exhibitions (e.g. DSEI), and networking forums.


• Manage key accounts and develop long-term customer engagement strategies.

Continued

Strategic Partnerships & B2B Engagement

• Identify and establish partnerships, joint ventures, and teaming agreements.


• Negotiate collaboration agreements.


• Enhance company visibility and positioning.

Market Intelligence & Positioning 

• Analyse market trends, competitor activity, and emerging technologies.


• Provide insights into customer needs, procurement trends, and policy changes.


• Feed intelligence into product development, strategy, and leadership decision-making.

Governance & Compliance

• Ensure all activities align with UK MOD procurement regulations and ethical standards.


• Support compliance with export controls, ITAR (if applicable), and security requirements.


• Maintain awareness of evolving policies such as the Strategic Defence Review, Defence and Security Industrial Strategy (DSIS) and the forthcoming Defence Investment Plan.

What You'll Bring

Essential

• Proven experience (typically 5–10+ years) in business development, sales, or capture management within: 
  
  
  
  • Defence
  
  
  • Aerospace
  
  
  • Government sectors
  
  
  
  


• Demonstrated success in winning UK MOD or government contracts.


• Strong understanding of MOD procurement processes, including frameworks and competitive tendering.


• Experience working with or alongside major defence primes and supply chains.


• Track record of leading or contributing to successful bids and capture campaigns.

Desirable

• Experience within specific capability areas such as:
  
  
  
  • Aerospace systems and platforms
  
  
  • Defence digital / cyber
  
  
  • ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance)
  
  
  • Engineering services or logistics support
  
  
  
  


• Experience in international defence markets (NATO, allied nations).


• Familiarity with frameworks such as ITAR, MTCR, UK MOD Procurement and Single Source Regulations.

What We'll Offer