Business Development Manager

Our client is an established, high-technology electronics business headquartered just outside of Swindon, operating across commercial, defence, aerospace, and industrial markets. The organisation supplies a broad portfolio of power electronics and high-voltage components and systems, serving applications including power conversion, grid infrastructure, electric vehicles, defence platforms, and scientific instrumentation. With a dedicated and growing team, the business has achieved consistent and strong financial growth in recent years. As part of a well-capitalised parent group with significant defence and security heritage, the organisation benefits from increased investment and access to a wider strategic customer base, whilst retaining operational autonomy, agility, and an entrepreneurial culture. The company holds Gold Investors in People accreditation and is certified to ISO 9001 and Cyber Essentials Plus.

Role Overview

Over the past year, the Power Electronics & High Voltage division has undergone a deliberate shift in structure and culture to support its long-term growth ambitions. A senior salesperson has transitioned into a dedicated Technical Lead role, creating the opportunity to introduce a new, commercially driven Business Development Manager aligned with the company's future growth strategy. Approximately 50% of current revenue is generated from high-voltage and power electronics-related applications — well-established, strategically important markets with significant headroom for expansion. The business has ambitious targets, aiming to nearly double order intake by 2030, driven in part by opportunities with major strategic customers.

The Business Development Manager will be responsible for driving revenue growth across both existing and new customers within high-voltage and power electronics markets. The role is deliberately sales-focused, with strong technical support provided by the Technical Lead and applications engineering function. The successful candidate will concentrate on winning new business, developing funded opportunities, securing design-ins, and growing account value over time. This role suits a hungry, commercially minded individual who is technically educated or experienced in electronic components, but primarily motivated by growth, new business, and customer engagement.

Key Responsibilities

• Proactively identify, target, and develop new customers through structured business development activity; qualify and convert inbound leads into funded opportunities and long-term relationships.
• Own and manage a portfolio of existing customers, identifying and winning new opportunities, applications, and programmes within the high-voltage and power electronics product portfolio.
• Take end-to-end responsibility for the full sales cycle: initial engagement, design-in, quotation, negotiation, and order placement.
• Establish and maintain trusted relationships with customers, prospects, and principal suppliers to uncover cross-sell and up-sell opportunities.
• Plan, track, and measure the financial performance of owned accounts, taking full accountability for revenue growth, order intake, and achievement of agreed targets.
• Monitor industry trends, customer developments, and competitor activity; attend relevant trade shows and identify opportunities for the business to exhibit.
• Utilise CRM systems to manage pipelines, prepare quotations, produce accurate sales forecasts, and support contract and proposal development.
• Develop technical expertise in selected key product lines and principal suppliers; support the wider team with application-level knowledge.
• Act as a positive role model within the sales team, sharing experience and best practice.

Essential Skills and Experience

• Strong knowledge of power electronics and high-voltage technologies, including power components and system-level applications (e.g. power semiconductors, capacitors, magnetics, sensing, and HV components).
• Proven experience in electronics distribution sales, ideally within power electronics or high-voltage markets.
• Demonstrated ability to identify, develop, and close new business opportunities, from early engagement through to design-in and production.
• Confident communicator, able to engage credibly with customers, suppliers, and internal stakeholders at all levels.
• High energy, self-motivated, and proactive, with a strong drive to achieve and exceed targets.
• Well-organised, able to prioritise effectively across multiple accounts, opportunities, and timelines.
• Excellent sales, influencing, and negotiation skills applicable across all stages of the sales process.
• Comfortable using CRM systems and standard business software to manage pipelines, forecasts, and customer activity.
• Credible and relationship-focused, with a natural ability to build rapport, foster trust, and develop long-term partnerships.

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience selling into defence, aerospace, or other regulated markets.
• Background in a relevant power electronics, high-voltage, industrial, or scientific market sector.
• Familiarity with box-build, system-level solutions, or "component + solution" offerings.
• Experience managing principal supplier relationships within an electronics distribution environment.

Qualifications

• Degree-qualified in a relevant technical or engineering discipline, or equivalent professional experience in power electronics or electronic components.
• Proven experience in technical or component-based sales, including design-in activity across low, medium, and high-volume professional applications.
• Track record of delivering revenue growth within a defined product range, customer base, or sales territory.

Commercial drive is essential; however, the organisation places equal emphasis on mindset and interpersonal effectiveness. The successful candidate will bring energy, structure, and credibility to a technically complex market environment. They will demonstrate strong relationship-building and stakeholder management skills, the confidence to challenge requirements and manage customer expectations, and a disciplined approach to pipeline management and delivery. Candidates who have moved from larger organisations and are seeking greater ownership, variety, and pace within a collaborative, close-knit environment are particularly encouraged to apply.

Remuneration and Benefits

• Highly competitive base salary.
• Company bonus scheme (20% OTE, uncapped).
• Group Share Incentive Plan.
• Group Life Insurance at 4x basic annual salary.
• Private Medical cover (individual).
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, with the option to buy or sell additional days.

Eligibility Requirements

Candidates must be eligible for Security Check (SC) clearance. This normally requires at least five years of continuous residency in the UK, along with the right to work in the UK (e.g. UK citizenship or Indefinite Leave to Remain).