Business Development Manager

Work as Business Development Manager at AWL!

Are you energised by prospecting, building a strong sales funnel, and opening doors in new industries? Then this is the role for you!

As a Business Development Manager, you are responsible for developing new business beyond our traditional automotive market within Europe and internationally. You make a direct contribution to AWL’s strategic growth by identifying new markets, developing segment strategies, and achieving intake targets.

You will open doors in broader industries such as heavy equipment, rolling stock, and related sectors, positioning AWL with organisations that may not yet know us. You will work closely with Proposal/Sales Engineering, Account Managers, Marketing, and R&D to establish a robust business development roadmap. Insights from market and competitor research are translated into concrete advice for management.

You operate from Europe but, given AWL’s global reach, you will also maintain close contact with colleagues in North America and Asia. Once initial projects are successfully underway, client management is handed over to an Account Manager, allowing you to focus on your strength: generating new business.

What do we expect?

• Bachelor’s degree (preferably in a commercial field) with demonstrable affinity for technology;
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in business development within technical B2B projects;
• Willingness to travel internationally (approximately 70% of the time);
• Entrepreneurial mindset: persistent, curious, and driven to generate new business, with a relevant network or the ability to quickly build one within heavy equipment, rolling stock, or related industries;
• Excellent command of English and German.

What you will do:

• Actively build a sustainable and well-filled sales funnel by identifying, approaching, and qualifying prospects.
• Conduct exploratory discussions at a strategic level and open doors within international DMUs.
• Proactively approach new clients and uncover market opportunities through targeted campaigns and research on market trends and competitors.
• Lead the sales of robotic automation projects, including preparing a winning proposition.
• Determine the market approach, including intake targets, pricing strategy, segment plans, and forecasting.
• Represent AWL at relevant conferences, trade shows, and industry events.
• Monitor pipeline progress from enquiry to order and coordinate with colleagues.
• Plan on-site visits and oversee pipeline progress from enquiry to contract.

What do we offer:

• Competitive salary between €5.200 – €6.900, plus a bonus scheme and flexible working options.
• Company car;
• 27 vacation days + 13 ADV days and excellent secondary benefits;
• Access to the AWL Academy, offering over 50 training programmes;
• Participation in our wellbeing programme, ‘Boost Your Life’.

This will be your day

8:00Reviewing the sales funnel, setting priorities, conducting desk research on new leads, identifying interesting events and trade shows, and following up on warm leads.10:00Conducting exploratory meetings with potential clients in Germany and Eastern Europe to assess fit and schedule on-site visits. Collaborating with Proposal/Sales Engineering on solution approaches and value cases.13:00Visiting manufacturers of heavy equipment or rail OEMs, opening doors for initial enquiries, and identifying new opportunities.15:00Handing over ongoing projects to Account Management, updating the CRM, and coordinating with colleagues.16:30Closing your laptop for the day! Depending on international appointments or opportunities, calls with colleagues or prospects in other time zones (for example, in the US) may take place after 16:30.

Your tasks:

70%New business & prospecting10%Sales Processes & Proposals10%Market & Strategy Development10%Internal Coordination & Handover