Business Development Manager

The Piston Business Development Managers will primarily provide sales and product support for Champion’s piston products including: spark plugs, aircraft magnetos, ignition harnesses, oil filters, and other engine accessories. Business Development Managers are also responsible for new business generation, proposal preparation, developing and maintaining key customer relationships, and contributing to the annual business plan. The BDM will conduct extensive market analysis and communicate market data to executive levels. Engage with cross functional team members, including engineering and finance to manage customer accounts. Grow market share for assigned products and meet or exceed yearly new business and bookings targets. Achieve maximum profitability and account penetration by effectively selling the value of the company’s piston products. Prioritize and manage a large customer base to achieve growth goals. Maintain excellent customer service and customer satisfaction.  

• Work closely with the Business Unit Manager to develop & execute the BU’s new business strategy
• Identify and track profitable new business opportunities through market analysis
• Maintain an understanding of the market, the competitive landscape and market share
• Develop and execute effective strategies to win competitive proposals while value-selling
• Operate within budget
• Develop relationships at new business accounts while maintaining good long standing relationships with key accounts.
• Work closely with engineering to understand technical aspects of products and provide technical support to customers as needed.
• Provide monthly sales reports to management
• Effectively communicate during emails, telephone calls, in-person visits and presentations
• Travel globally as needed
• Prepare for and attend annual sales events such as trade shows and IA renewals
• Maintain an organized time and territory plan to effectively visit customers at their facilities
• Deliver trip reports after each visit and prepare pre-trip reports as needed
• Communicate customer needs to management and the BU team
• Build new business cases that include market intel, cost, margin, and potential sales volume

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or Business field of study
• A&P; Private Pilot; Commercial Pilot Certificate strongly preferred
• Leadership/Management experience preferred
• Travel 70% of the time
• Comparable sales experience with increasing responsibilities
• Experience selling highly engineered products in a low-volume, high-mix environment preferably aviation/aerospace
• Must be results-orientated and able to work both independently and within a team environment
• Maintain regular office hours in Liberty, SC when not travelling.
• Excellent communication, presentation, writing, and analytical skills
• Excellent MS Office suite capability including solid understanding of Excel
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple programs to maximize value creation
• Preferred experience manufacturing and selling products regulated by:
  • Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
  • Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR)
  • International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR)
  • Export Administration Regulations (EAR)

The employee is expected to adhere to all company policies.