Strategic Business Development Manager - Photonics

For over three decades, our client has been an internationally renowned player in the high-end photonics industry. Known for its strong brand within the field of industrial imaging technologies, the company serves as a strategic partner to elite industries worldwide. From advanced life science systems and microelectronics infrastructure to intelligent factory automation, its technology is integrated into thousands of next-generation applications. In line with the growth strategy of our client in Europe, we are looking for a: Strategic Business Development Manager – Photonics (f/m/d) In this role, you will be responsible for identifying, developing, and driving mid-to-long term commercial opportunities across key industrial sectors. By leveraging deep technical expertise, you will engage major accounts and cultivate new business partnerships, while benefiting from a comprehensive training program and work closely with Product Management and international sales units to uncover high-value opportunities and support early-stage product roadmaps. Tasks Identify and evaluate high-growth market segments, upcoming technology trends, and new revenue channels within the industrial vision landscape; Establish, nurture, and expand high-level relationships with key accounts and major industry leaders to secure a long-term market position; Manage sophisticated customer initiatives from initial concept scoping and validation stages to a successful market launch; Analyze market trends and competitor activities to provide data-backed insights for future business strategy; Act as a key technical and commercial link between clients and internal departments; Elevate the brand’s visibility through active engagement in leading industry circles. Requirements 5+ years experience in business development, application engineering, or technical sales, within the photonics industry or a related specialized high-tech B2B sector; Excellent communication and presentation skills in English and German with a proven ability to pitch high-end technical solutions and commercial concepts; Master’s/Bachelor’s degree or PhD in Engineering, Physics or a related technical focus; True team player: you excel at connecting Regional Sales teams with internal Engineering and Product Management to ensure successful project execution; Forward-looking strategist with a sharp commercial instinct: you seamlessly match complex corporate technical capabilities with unsolved customer needs; Proactive and self-driven personality with the willingness to travel within Europe, located in Central Germany. Benefits Deep, cross-functional insights into a comprehensive portfolio of high-end optical solutions and complex multi-component systems; A highly innovative and well-structured environment at a global market leader in the photonics industry; Collaboration with world-class experts who value sharing their know-how and markets insights including a comprehensive training program; An outstanding, quality- a