Business Development Manager in Newquay

Location: UK-based, with regular travel to customer sites, trade shows and industry events across the UK, Europe and internationally

Reporting to: Commercial Manager/Commercial Sales Director

Sector: Aerospace, Defence, Automotive & Advanced Manufacturing

Perks

• Car allowance
• Private medical and dental insurance
• 33 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays)
• Enhanced pension

About the Role

Piran Technology Group is seeking an experienced and commercially driven Senior Business Development Manager/Account Manager to support the continued growth of our advanced manufacturing businesses.

Piran is an AS9100-certified design, engineering and manufacturing business specialising in advanced carbon fibre composite components and structures, supporting customers across aerospace, defence, automotive and other high-performance engineering sectors.

This is a senior appointment for an individual with a proven track record of winning, developing and growing high-value customer relationships within the aerospace, defence, automotive and wider advanced engineering sectors. Direct experience within advanced composites, carbon fibre structures or closely related aerospace manufacturing is highly desirable.

The successful candidate will combine strong new-business development capability with strategic account management. They will be expected to bring an established and valuable industry network, identify and convert new opportunities, deepen relationships with existing customers, and help position Piran as a long-term strategic design, engineering and manufacturing partner.

The role will suit an experienced business development professional who understands complex, technical, relationship-led sales environments where opportunities can involve long sales cycles, engineering engagement, design-for-manufacture, qualification programmes and significant production contracts.

Key Responsibilities

New Business Development

• Identify, develop and secure new business opportunities across aerospace, defence, automotive and related advanced manufacturing sectors.
• Leverage an established network of industry contacts to generate high-quality introductions and opportunities.
• Build relationships with senior decision-makers, procurement teams, engineering teams, programme managers and other key stakeholders.
• Develop a strong pipeline of strategically relevant opportunities aligned with the Group's capabilities and growth objectives.
• Take opportunities from initial engagement through technical and commercial discussions, quotation, negotiation and contract award.
• Proactively target major OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, defence primes, emerging technology companies and other strategically attractive customers.
• Work closely with engineering, operations and estimating teams to develop commercially and technically compelling proposals.
• Promote Piran's capabilities in composite design, engineering, tooling, manufacture, assembly and production industrialisation.

Strategic Account Management & Growth

• Manage and develop key customer relationships across the Group.
• Build a detailed understanding of customer programmes, future requirements, procurement strategies and long-term opportunities.
• Identify opportunities to increase revenue and share of wallet within existing accounts.
• Develop relationships beyond individual buyers or programme contacts to create deeper, multi-level customer relationships.
• Ensure Piran is positioned early in customers' future programmes, design decisions and sourcing strategies.
• Maintain regular engagement with key accounts and actively identify risks, opportunities and competitor activity.
• Support contract renewals, pricing discussions, framework agreements and strategic commercial negotiations.

Market Development & Strategy

• Monitor market developments, customer investment programmes and emerging opportunities across aerospace, defence, UAVs, advanced air mobility, automotive, motorsport and other relevant markets.
• Provide commercial insight to the senior leadership team regarding market trends, customer priorities and competitor activity.
• Help identify attractive new markets, programmes, customers and strategic partnerships.
• Support the development and execution of the Group's broader commercial and growth strategy.
• Maintain accurate sales forecasts and opportunity pipelines and provide clear reporting to senior management.

Industry Representation & Travel

• Represent Piran Technology Group professionally at customer meetings, industry conferences, trade shows and networking events.
• Attend relevant trade shows and exhibitions throughout the UK and Europe, as well as internationally where appropriate.
• Travel to customer and prospective customer locations as required.
• Build and maintain Piran's profile and reputation across the aerospace, defence and advanced manufacturing industries.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for a senior and established business development professional, rather than someone looking to move into business development for the first time.

The successful candidate will ideally have:

• A strong and demonstrable track record of securing significant new business within aerospace, defence, automotive or advanced manufacturing.
• An established and valuable network of relevant industry relationships.
• Significant experience managing and growing major customer accounts.
• Experience working with OEMs, Tier 1 organisations, defence primes or sophisticated engineering-led customers.
• Experience within advanced carbon fibre composites, composite structures or a closely related aerospace manufacturing environment is highly desirable.
• A good understanding of the commercial and technical considerations associated with composite component and structural manufacture.
• Familiarity with aerospace quality requirements and AS9100 environments would be advantageous.
• A strong understanding of complex technical manufacturing sales and long-cycle business development.
• Experience developing opportunities from initial introduction through to contract award and subsequent account growth.
• Strong commercial judgement and negotiation skills.
• The credibility and communication skills required to engage confidently with senior executives, procurement leaders, engineers and programme teams.
• The ability to understand technical products, drawings, manufacturing processes and customer requirements sufficiently to communicate effectively with both customers and internal engineering teams.
• A proactive, entrepreneurial approach with the ability to operate independently.
• Strong organisational and pipeline-management disciplines.
• The ability and willingness to travel regularly within the UK and internationally.

Sector Experience

• Advanced carbon fibre composites
• Composite components and structural assemblies
• Aerospace structures
• Defence UAVs and autonomous systems
• Precision CNC machining
• Aircraft interiors
• Space and high-altitude platforms
• Automotive and motorsport
• Advanced engineering and complex manufacturing

Candidates with an established network across the UK and European aerospace, defence and advanced composites supply chain would be particularly attractive.

What Success Looks Like

• Build a high-quality pipeline of strategically relevant new opportunities.
• Convert new customers and programmes into meaningful long-term revenue.
• Expand revenue and opportunities within existing strategic accounts.
• Establish senior-level relationships with major customers and prospective customers.
• Increase Piran's visibility and reputation across its target markets.
• Provide the Group with stronger commercial intelligence and visibility of future market opportunities.
• Become a trusted senior commercial representative of the business.

About Piran Technology Group

Piran Technology Group is an AS9100-certified design, engineering and manufacturing business specialising in advanced carbon fibre composite components and structures, alongside precision CNC machining and associated advanced manufacturing capability.

The Group supports customers across aerospace, defence, automotive and other high-performance sectors, working on technically demanding programmes from early-stage development through design-for-manufacture, tooling, industrialisation and serial production.

Our capabilities include composite engineering, tooling, clean-room manufacture, autoclave and out-of-autoclave processing, bonding, trimming, assembly and precision machining.

With continued investment in people, equipment and capability, the Group is entering its next stage of growth and is looking for a senior business development professional capable of developing both existing and new strategic customer relationships.

This is not an exhaustive list of duties, and you may be expected to perform different tasks as required by the business’s overall objectives.