Defence Business Development Director

Our client is a leading industrial group specializing in the design and manufacture of industrial machinery for a wide range of applications.

POSITION | Defence Business Development Director

Location: Italy - HYBRID

Profile To drive the strategic expansion of our business into the Defence sector, we are seeking a visionary and highly accomplished Defence Business Development Director . This pivotal leadership role requires an executive capable of structuring a comprehensive sales and business development strategy from scratch. The ideal candidate will spearhead the opening of this new market segment, leveraging deep industry insights and institutional relationships to position our advanced industrial machinery solutions within major military and aerospace programs.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Market Penetration: Define, structure, and execute the overall commercial and business development strategy for the newly targeted Defence and Aerospace market.
• Executive Relationship Management: Cultivate and leverage high-level relationships with institutional bodies, Ministry of Defence representatives, Tier-1 OEMs, and major system integrators.
• Market Opening & Positioning: Lead the company’s positioning as a key industrial partner, identifying macro-trends and long-term procurement programs to secure a sustainable pipeline.
• Complex Deal Structuring: Oversee high-stakes, long-cycle sales processes and contract negotiations involving diverse technical, operational, and procurement stakeholders.
• Cross-functional Leadership: Align internal engineering, operations, and compliance teams with the strategic demands and strict qualification standards of the Defence sector.

Requirements

• Solid track record (10+ years) in senior business development or strategic leadership roles specifically within the Defence and Aerospace sectors.
• Proven experience in successfully launching new business units or structuring sales strategies in highly regulated markets.
• An active, high-level network of contacts within international and domestic Defence organizations and prime contractors.
• Ability to translate complex industrial manufacturing capabilities into compelling strategic value propositions.
• Deep understanding of Defence procurement processes, funding mechanisms, and international certification frameworks.
• Experience managing product qualification, validation or industrial certification processes;
• Ability to interact effectively with both engineering and procurement stakeholders;

Compensation & Benefits

Director; GYS €90/110K + 20% MBO+ Car