You operate at the interface between Political/Public Affairs and commercial activities: you translate political priorities, procurement logic and programme decisions in the UK defence sector into concrete market, account and opportunity strategies – and thereby enable sustainable business growth in the UK defence market.
Our client is an international engineering group that transforms industrial automotive excellence into ready-to-use solutions for defence and security.
Currently, around 2,000 specialists are working on scalable, safety-critical technologies – from sensor technology and radar systems to safety-relevant actuators, systems engineering and additive manufacturing.
A defence-grade infrastructure ensures compliance, complete traceability and robust cybersecurity. Global industrialisation and series production expertise enables the efficient transition from development to operational deployment.
To strengthen the European growth team, we are looking for a Sales Manager (m/f/d) Defence for the United Kingdom who will build and sustainably develop sales and business development in the defence environment with sound judgement, substance and a clear understanding of values.
The role is designed for the long term and, with the right qualifications, offers attractive development prospects within the growing organisation and beyond in the group-wide matrix structure.
Ihre Aufgaben
Your responsibilities
Bridge between Political/Public Affairs and Commercial
Work closely with Public/Political Affairs to understand programmes, budgets, parliamentary processes and regulatory frameworks – and translate these into concrete commercial options, opportunity roadmaps and account strategies.Stakeholder management in the UK defence ecosystem
Build and maintain strong working relationships with procurement authorities, the armed forces and OEMs/system houses (e.g. UK MoD, DE&S, key industry partners), with a focus on long-term, trust-based engagement rather than short-term selling.Politically informed opportunity development
Identify, qualify and develop opportunities (programmes, tenders, framework agreements) with particular attention to political priorities, timing, approval processes and feasibility.Strategic account and market planning
Co-develop a UK-specific go-to-market and account strategy in close coordination with Business Development, Product Management and Public Affairs; regularly derive clear recommendations for senior management and specialist teams.Support across bid, tender and award processes
Support bids, tenders and negotiations – from early requirements clarification and political positioning through to award decisions – ensuring alignment with compliance, governance and ethical standards.Monitoring of programmes, budgets and frameworks
Continuously track relevant programmes, budget developments, political decisions and competitive activity in the UK defence market; prepare briefings, decision papers and strategy inputs for internal stakeholders.Representation and dialogue platforms
Represent the company at trade fairs, conferences, parliamentary/government fora and defence events in the UK, positioning the company’s solutions and fostering structured dialogue with key stakeholders.International collaboration
Work closely with colleagues across Europe and globally to identify cross-country opportunities and share best practices at the interface of Political Affairs, Government Relations and Commercial
Das Besondere an dieser Aufgabe:
Your profile
Several years of experience in a B2G/B2B environment in defence, security or a comparable high-tech sector (e.g. aerospace, Critical National Infrastructure, security solutions), ideally with clear exposure to Political/Public Affairs or Government Relations.
Strong understanding of key players, processes and governance structures in the UK defence landscape (e.g. UK MoD, DE&S, armed forces, OEMs/system houses).
Proven track record in complex, long-term projects with government and industry where political, strategic and commercial dimensions had to be aligned.
Confident, credible presence when dealing with military and governmental stakeholders and senior industrial decision-makers; high personal integrity and a clear moral compass.
High degree of self-responsibility, willingness to travel and a structured way of working, including from a home office environment.
Business-fluent English; additional languages (e.g. German) are an advantage but not a requirement.
A security-related background (e.g. experience in the British Armed Forces) is welcome but not essential – what matters is your ability to connect political context with commercial implementation.
Über unseren Mandanten:
Our client is an internationally active technology company headquartered in Germany that is increasingly positioning its solutions in the security and defence-related environment (defence & dual use).
Based on strong engineering and product expertise, you will work with the support organisation to significantly expand market presence, sales and relevance in the Representing the company at trade fairs, conferences and defence events in the United Kingdom defence market.
The name of our client will be treated confidentially and disclosed during a personal one-on-one meeting or after signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
If you are interested in our vacancy, we look forward to hearing from you directly!
We are also happy to answer any questions you may have.
Best regards, Your
Team at FOCUS-DEFENCE