Business Development & Sales Manager - Land Domain

We protect the people who protect everyone else. Want to help?

Today's battlefield moves fast, from cheap drones overhead to new tactics on the ground, and our customers need partners who can keep up. Countering the drone threat takes more than a single clever gadget. It takes a complete system: sensors that spot the threat, command & control that makes sense of it, and effectors that deal with it, all working together in seconds. Even the best system is only as good as the people using it, which is why training & simulation matters so much. Realistic training is how soldiers and units build readiness, sharpen their tactics, and learn from mistakes during exercise, where mistakes are cheap, instead of in operations, where they're not.

That's where you come in. We're looking for a sharp, curious and relationship-hungry Business Development & Sales Manager to represent Saab's full land portfolio, with a special focus on two of the most exciting areas in land defense right now: tactical Counter-UAS (C-UAS) and Training & Simulation. You'll join the Saab UAE Business Development & Sales Department and report to the Head of Business Development & Sales. It's a team that takes the mission very seriously and itself not very seriously at all.

The job in one paragraph (we tried)

You'll develop and execute the capture strategy for Saab's land portfolio in the UAE and support the wider Middle East and Africa region. Right now, the spotlight is on tactical Counter-UAS and Training & Simulation. On the C-UAS side, you'll bring together sensors, C2 and effectors into complete solutions that match each customer's threat picture. On the training side, you'll help customers build readiness with live, virtual and constructive training. But you'll also be the go-to person for the rest of our land offering, and your focus will shift as customer needs, our sales strategy and export regulations evolve. In short, you'll need to be a specialist and a generalist at the same time (don't worry, we'll help with the reading list). You'll find opportunities before our competitors do, turn them into winning proposals, and build customer trust that survives long procurement cycles and a few reorganizations.

What you'll actually be doing

• Building and maintaining strong relationships with Land Forces, Air Defense units, Ministry of Defense (MoD) and other relevant military branches and government agencies.

• Identifying and qualifying new opportunities, then owning the capture process from first meeting to signed contract: proposal, negotiation and contract closure.

• Shaping complete C-UAS solutions across sensors, C2 and effectors, and knowing when the answer is a single system and when it's a layered defense.

• Positioning training & simulation as a capability in its own right and showing customers how it raises readiness across every other system they operate.

• Representing Saab's full land portfolio towards customers, and adjusting your focus as needs, sales strategy and export regulations change. Working closely across the Group with our Business Units as well as trade compliance colleagues is part of the job.

• Running proposals: developing win themes, coordinating operational and pricing teams, and keeping product owners in Sweden and elsewhere in sync.

• Translating operator needs into solutions and translating engineer-speak into customer-speak and back again.

• Tracking competitive intelligence, market trends and price-to-win in a market where new drones and new counter-measures appear in months, not decades.

• Working with Saab business units to position us for future programs and growing our existing customer relationships into long-term partnerships.
  

What you bring to the party

• At least 5 years of experience in defense sales, business development or capture, or a senior Army background with hands-on knowledge of air defense, C-UAS or military training from the user side.

• A degree in business or engineering, or an equivalent military academy qualification.

• A track record in defense business, including at least one deal you still tell stories about.

• Experience negotiating agreements with defense customers.

• A solid understanding of tactical C-UAS or air defense concepts, and how sensors, C2 and effectors fit together. Experience with military training systems or simulation is a strong plus, as is a broad understanding of land operations beyond these two areas.

• Excellent English, and the ability to make complex material simple on one slide (two, maximum).

• The ability to obtain the necessary security clearances.
  

This position requires that you will be approved in a security vetting in accordance to ISO:27001+

Bonus points (not required, but we'll be quietly thrilled)

• Experience from the Middle East, ideally the UAE.

• Knowledge of the Tawazun Council acquisition process and government procurement procedures.

• Arabic. You'll be the person everyone wants on customer visits.

• You've explained what C-UAS is to a family member and they understood.

Who you are

You have energy, you're curious, and you're hungry to grow. You're equally comfortable in a customer's operations room, on a training range and in a pricing review. You like winning, and you like celebrating wins even more.

Why join us?

• A mission that matters. Everything we do is about keeping people and society safe.

• Room to grow. We built this role as a springboard. Deliver, and your scope and title grow with you.

• Depth and breadth. You'll go deep in two of the fastest-moving areas in defense, tactical C-UAS and training, while getting to know the full land portfolio. It's a great base for growing your career.

• A team that works hard and laughs a lot. We have Scandinavian work culture, strong opinions and a very diverse team with many nationalities.

• Global backing. You'll have the full force of a global company behind you, with the pace and closeness of a local team.