Director of Business Development - Sheet metal fabrication, assembly manufacturer

Greater Rochester, NY (Onsite)

$130,000 – $170,000 base + profit sharing

Travel: around 25% (higher in year one)

Overview

We are seeking a strategic and hands-on Director of Business Development to drive growth, diversify markets, and build long-term customer relationships within a highly engineered, custom manufacturing environment.

This role is designed for a strong sales leader with technical manufacturing knowledge who is ready to step into a long-term leadership path and play a key role in shaping the future of the business.

What You’ll Do

Drive New Business & Market Expansion

• Identify and develop new opportunities across industries such as aerospace & defense, medical devices, and industrial equipment
• Build and execute strategic growth plans to diversify revenue streams
• Partner with external sales representatives to expand market reach

Own Complex, Technical Sales Cycles

• Lead opportunities from initial engagement through quoting, prototyping, and production
• Step in on high-value deals ($100K+) and strategic accounts to help close business
• Collaborate with engineering and operations to ensure feasibility and profitability

Lead & Develop a Sales Engineering Team

• Mentor and guide Sales Engineers in account growth and quoting strategy
• Provide leadership, coaching, and performance direction
• Foster a high-performance, team-oriented culture

Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Analyze pipeline, forecasting, and account profitability
• Support pricing strategy, margin improvement, and long-term planning
• Partner with executive leadership on business strategy and growth initiatives

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in business development or technical sales within manufacturing
• Background in metal fabrication, machining, or engineered-to-order environments (or similar)
• Proven ability to manage long, complex sales cycles
• Experience leading or mentoring teams (without being overly senior/executive)
• Strong understanding of quoting, forecasting, and commercial strategy
• Comfortable working cross-functionally with engineering, operations, and leadership

Why This Role

• Clear path to VP-level leadership
• Opportunity to shape growth strategy and expand into new markets
• Work closely with executive leadership on high-impact initiatives
• Collaborative, values-driven culture with long-term career growth