At a Glance
- Tasks: Drive growth in the Defence sector and build strategic relationships.
- Company: Join a leading company focused on Defence innovation and collaboration.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, flexible working hours, and generous holiday options.
- Other info: Work in a dynamic environment with opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the Defence industry while shaping future strategies.
- Qualifications: Proven experience in Defence business development and strong customer engagement skills.
The predicted salary is between 51750 - 63250 £ per year.
Location: Haydock, St Helens (minimum of 2 days per week in either office) Cockermouth, Cumbria (minimum of 2 days per week in either office)
Job type: Permanent / Full-time
Contracted hours: Full time – 36hrs per week (we offer an option to condense full-time hours into 4 days Monday – Thursday)
About the role
As Business Development Manager – Defence Sector Growth, you will be responsible for driving the growth of Delkia’s Defence sector. Working closely with the Managing Director – Defence and the wider leadership team, you will shape and deliver the sector growth strategy, build strategic customer and partner relationships, develop a high-quality opportunity pipeline and convert targeted campaigns into sustainable revenue. This is a senior, externally focused role for a commercially astute Defence professional who can influence customers, shape opportunities early and position Delkia for long-term success in the Defence market.
You will take a lead role in growing the Defence sector, combining market insight, customer engagement, commercial judgement and delivery awareness to identify where Delkia can create value. You may have built your career in business development, account leadership, commercial, capture, projects, programme delivery, operations or a related customer-facing Defence role.
What you’ll be responsible for
- Own and deliver the Defence sector growth plan, translating strategy into targeted customer, account and campaign activity.
- Build, maintain and grow senior relationships with Defence customers, primes, partners and stakeholders, positioning Delkia as a trusted strategic delivery partner.
- Develop and manage a qualified Defence opportunity pipeline, ensuring clear priorities, robust qualification, timely progression and strong visibility of future revenue.
- Identify and shape strategic opportunities early, using customer insight, market intelligence, frameworks, portals, partner engagement and sector knowledge.
- Lead capture activity for priority opportunities, influencing win strategy, customer positioning, partner approach, commercial strategy and bid readiness.
- Work with technical, commercial, operational and delivery teams to shape credible propositions that address customer needs and maximise Delkia’s competitive advantage.
- Provide senior insight to the Managing Director – Defence and leadership team on market trends, customer priorities, competitor activity, pipeline performance and growth risks.
- Drive conversion of strategic opportunities into orders, revenue and long-term customer value.
About you
Essential experience
- A proven track record of growing business within Defence programmes, Defence customers and/or Defence supply chains.
- Experience owning or significantly contributing to sector, account, campaign or market growth plans.
- Strong senior-level customer engagement skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships with Defence customers, primes, partners and internal stakeholders.
- Experience developing, qualifying and managing opportunity pipelines, with clear evidence of converting opportunities into revenue or long-term customer value.
- The ability to shape opportunities early, influence win strategy and connect customer challenges with credible technical, commercial and delivery solutions.
- A strong understanding of how Defence customers operate, including stakeholders, requirements, procurement routes, decision-making and delivery environments.
- Commercial confidence, with experience influencing bids, tenders, proposals, frameworks, negotiation, pricing or revenue growth activity.
- Eligibility to obtain and maintain the appropriate level of UK security clearance, including any nationality requirements associated with Defence work.
Desirable experience
- Experience leading strategic account plans, capture plans, customer engagement plans or sector growth campaigns for Defence customers.
- Working knowledge of Defence acquisition, CADMID, Defence Lines of Development and/or relevant MOD commercial and procurement routes.
- Experience working with Defence capability, equipment, infrastructure, digital, engineering, service or transformation programmes.
- Experience leading or influencing major bids, tenders, frameworks, portals, partner campaigns or strategic growth initiatives.
- Professional development or membership in business development, commercial management, programme delivery, procurement, project management, engineering or a related discipline.
The Person
This is a senior role requiring judgement, ownership and the ability to influence across customers, partners and internal teams. Alongside the experience above, we would like to see:
- Collaboration and teamwork
- Integrity, trust and accountability
- Safety and security
- Client focused
- Positive social value and impact
- Continuous improvement
What we offer
In return, you’ll enjoy the following benefits:
- 36 hours full time working
- Optional 4 day working week (Monday to Thursday)
- Hybrid working for many roles (minimum of 2 days per week on site)
- 23 days holiday, plus 3 discretionary days to cover the Christmas closedown period (plus bank holidays)
- Option to purchase up to 36 hours additional holiday
- Birthday day off (in addition to your holiday entitlement)
- 1 STEM Day per year
- Healthcare cash plan – allowing you to reclaim the cost of everyday healthcare
- Employers pension contributions of 5%
- Life Assurance (Death in Service) benefit
- Cycle to work scheme
- Professional membership fees (if required for your role)
- Free onsite parking
- Free refreshments and fruit in the workplace
Security and Vetting
We take the security requirements of our industry, client and customers very seriously so before joining the team you’ll be required to undertake a number of checks. Depending on your role, you may be subject to UK national security vetting restrictions. Candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK and satisfy requirements for national security vetting clearance as appropriate to the role applied for.
Equal Opportunities
We believe in equality, diversity and inclusion and positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity. If you require any reasonable adjustments during any part of the application process, please get in touch to discuss.
Confidentiality
All applications received will be dealt with in the strictest of confidence and restricted to those involved in the recruitment process.
Business Development Manager – Defence in Cockermouth employer: Delkia
Delkia is an excellent employer that values work-life balance, offering a unique 4-day week option for the Hybrid Document Controller role. With a strong focus on employee growth and development, our collaborative work culture fosters innovation and ensures that every team member has the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to project success. Located in a vibrant area, we provide a supportive environment where your contributions are recognised and rewarded.
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We think this is how you could land Business Development Manager – Defence in Cockermouth
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We think you need these skills to ace Business Development Manager – Defence in Cockermouth
Some tips for your application 🫡
Highlight Your Analytical Skills:In the business intelligence field, showcasing your analytical skills is a must. Make sure your CV includes relevant experience with data analysis tools, programming languages like SQL or Python, and any projects where you've interpreted complex data sets to drive business decisions.
Showcase Your Business Acumen:Don't just focus on data; show us how you can apply your insights to real-world business problems. Highlight projects where you made a tangible impact on company performance, and be prepared to explain your thought process in your cover letter.
Tailor Your Documents for Us:When applying for a full-time role at Delkia, tailor your CV and cover letter to reflect our organisational goals and strategies. Mention specific tools and methodologies that align with what we do—this shows you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in our mission!
Include Relevant Certifications:Certifications like Google Data Analytics or similar qualifications can really make you stand out in business intelligence. Include these in your application, as they demonstrate your commitment to the field and your willingness to stay current with industry standards.
How to prepare for a job interview at Delkia
✨Show off your analytical skills
In a business intelligence role, you're going to need to demonstrate your analytical prowess. Be prepared to discuss specific tools you've used, like SQL, Tableau, or Power BI. Have real-world examples ready where you’ve turned data into actionable insights – this is what makes us shine in interviews!
✨Practice your technical know-how
Expect some technical questions during the interview that dive deep into your understanding of data modelling and analytics frameworks. Brush up on your knowledge of data warehousing concepts and be ready to tackle any real case scenarios they might present. They’ll want to see how you approach problems using your BI toolkit.
✨Portfolio of Projects
Since it's a full-time role, having a strong portfolio is key! Compile case studies demonstrating your previous projects, preferably showing how your insights led to business improvements. This can help us display how you think through complex datasets and your problem-solving process, which is what employers are keen on seeing.
✨Know their business model
Get familiar with Delkia’s business model and recent data-driven decisions. Be prepared to discuss how your skills can specifically support their objectives or challenges. Understanding their landscape shows that you’re not just a data buff, but you’re also genuinely interested in how BI can impact their bottom line.
