Business Development Manager at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

About the job:

The CSIR has a vacancy for a Business Development Manager (BDM) in the Aeronautic Systems (ASYS) impact area, within the Defence and Security Cluster. The incumbent will be responsible to provide overall leadership for business development, commercialisation, stakeholder management and strategic Research and Development (R&D) programmes, to the impact area and undertake business development to secure sales as per business plan targets. This position is based in Pretoria.

Key responsibilities:

Business Development Leadership

• In collaboration with the Divisional Business Development and Commercialisation Manager, Cluster Manager, Stakeholder Relations Manager and IAM, lead the business development strategy for Aeronautic Systems illustrating strategic fit to the Impact Area, Division and CSIR strategy;
• Support the Business Development and Commercialisation Manager with national and international business development opportunities;
• Demonstrate cross impact Area business development supported by contribution to revenue targets of the impact area;
• Lead technical teams in client interactions and integrate sector knowledge in multi-dimensional research and development;
• Integrate technical teams in client interactions (requirement analysis and solution development and delivery);
• Facilitate and drive regular client stakeholder engagement including post project evaluation with the impact area manager to understand the use of testing and research results for clients’ decision support and value add;
• Manage the scoping, costing of proposals, negotiate terms and conditions including securing orders;
• Guide the customer/partner definition and specification of capabilities/products/services required within a five to ten years’ horizon;
• Provide impact and value assessments of strategic direction decisions/recommendations/alternatives;
• Capacitate the advancement, packaging and securing of contracts for research, development and innovation opportunities that arise from cluster engagements with stakeholders;
• Synthesise industry challenges into the capabilities development areas necessary to formulate and develop solutions in the mining cluster.

Strategic research and development programs

• Develop business-aligned research development and innovation programs;
• In collaboration with Impact Area SET Leadership and Cluster Leadership, perform detailed requirement analysis for client solutions;
• Define program, scope and objectives, deliverables, schedule, financial risk, resource, interdependency, and integration management;
• Align technology/capability roadmaps to strategic plans;
• Manage key collaborators and align relevant sector/industry players, and other National Systems of Innovation players.

Financial sustainability

• Contribute to securing revenue for the impact area, in collaboration with Cluster Leadership, Impact Area SET Leadership as well as Business Development and Commercialisation;
• Oversee program implementation, ensuring programs deliver impact and value to all stakeholders;
• Program oversight in terms of schedule, deliverables, financial, risk and relationship management;
• Anticipate, identify, and provide mitigating strategies for business/strategy/technology risks in collaboration with Operations;
• Negotiate terms and conditions of contracts in collaboration with Cluster Manager, Impact Area Manager as well as Business Development and Commercialisation;
• Establish sufficient cluster capacity for contract R&D;
• Manage the sales register and assessment of the sales position for the cluster;
• Manage the recovery of outstanding Invoices to maintain a healthy cash flow;
• Diversify income streams of the Impact Area as per agreed targets;
• Drive business development in the private and public sectors, with health pipeline of opportunities.

Performance Management

• Drive overall business development KPIs for the cluster, including overall revenue, sales pipeline, relationships, and contracts secured etc.
• Implement performance management processes within the cluster executed according to policy planning timelines;
• Drive project management to ensure timely delivery of projects on schedule and budget;
• Responsible for internal and external client satisfaction as per agreed targets;
• Manage the drafting and negotiation of contracts and agreements (IP licensing, revue sharing and contract R&D, etc.) in collaboration with the Commercialisation Manager;
• Develop a robust pipeline of business leads to ensure financial sustainability and growth.

Relationship Management

• Develop and facilitate national and international stakeholder network to broaden and deepen contract R&D program impact opportunity;
• Ensure project delivery to client-to-client satisfaction;
• Engage stakeholders on a strategic level, understanding their internal and external environments and their strategic response;
• Maintain awareness of business development opportunities for CSIR wide customer base; where relevant refer opportunities to relevant Clusters and Divisions.

Qualifications, skills and experience:

• A Bachelor’s degree in science, engineering or technology domain with at least five years’ experience in aeronautic, mechanical, research, development and/or engineering or technology organisation.
• A Masters’ degree in relevant science or engineering domain, Master of Business Administration (MBA) or post-graduate business development qualification will be an added advantage.

Must have experience in the following:

• Contract management
• Commercialisation
• Systems engineering
• Project management
• Process management
• Capability development
• Marketing of capabilities
• Market analysis
• Demonstrate success in business development.

Evidence of solid domain expertise in:

• Armscor, South African National Defence Force, South African Police Services and;
• System Engineering processes
• Evidence of high-level stakeholder management, and industry domain related networks.
• Track record in the formulation and securing of contract R&D contracts to the value of at least R20 million in the short term and grow sales in line with the impact area’s strategy roadmap.
• Good interpersonal and stakeholder-liaison skills.

Competence in:

• Business acumen
• Financial management
• Enterprise risk management
• Domain technical knowledge and know-how
• Complexity management
• Strategy implementation
• Dealing with abstract concepts.