Position Title: Business Development Manager Job Family: Business Development Company: Paligen Location: Tampa, FL. (On site) Position Summary The Business Development Manager – Paligen Chemical is responsible for driving growth and strategic expansion of the company’s defense chemicals portfolio, including propellants, explosives, specialty chemicals, intermediates, and related technologies. The role focuses on identifying new business opportunities, building relationships with defense agencies, prime contractors, and OEMs, and securing long-term contracts in compliance with US and foreign government’s defense regulations and export controls. Key Responsibilities Strategic Business Development - Identify and pursue new business opportunities within defense and military chemical markets.
- Pursue new business opportunities in defense markets where finished products are supplied utilizing existing capacity to produce energetic materials.
- Develop and execute growth strategies aligned with company objectives.
- Monitor global defense spending trends, procurement programs, and emerging requirements.
- Map key stakeholders across Department of War, Ministries of Defense, armed forces, and defense prime contractors.
Customer & Relationship Management - Build and maintain strong relationships with defense agencies, procurement bodies, , and defense contractors.
- Serve as primary commercial interface for defense customers.
- Lead negotiations for long-term supply agreements and strategic partnerships.
Tender & Proposal Management - Identify and track RFPs, RFIs, and defense tenders via personal relationships with existing customers, development of relationships with new customers and SAM.gov/ GovWin and other tools.
- Coordinate cross-functional teams (engineering, production, regulatory, quality, finance) for proposal development.
- Prepare commercial product proposals for defense related customers, ensuring compliance with defense standards and export/security protocols, as applicable.
Technical & Regulatory Alignment - Work closely with technical teams to align product capabilities with military specifications.
- Ensure compliance with ITAR, export control regulations, hazardous materials handling, and defense certifications.
- Support product qualification, testing, and approval processes with defense authorities.
Market Intelligence & Competitive Analysis - Conduct market research on defense chemicals, energetic materials, and specialty defense formulations.
- Analyze competitor positioning, pricing strategies, and contract awards.
- Identify emerging technologies and potential acquisition or partnership targets.
- Identify budget data using P-forms and other government databases.
Internal Collaboration - Collaborate with manufacturing to ensure production capacity alignment with contract commitments.
- Coordinate with supply chain for secure sourcing of needed raw materials.
- Support leadership with business forecasts, pipeline reporting, and strategic planning.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) - New contract awards and revenue growth
- Bid win ratio
- Expansion into new defense programs or geographies
- Strategic partnerships established
- Pipeline development and conversion rate
Qualifications - Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Chemistry, or related field (required) or equivalent experience
- MBA or equivalent business qualification (preferred)
- 5–10 years of experience in business development, sales, or program management
- Minimum 5 years in defense chemicals, energetic materials, propellants, explosives, or related sectors
- Experience working with defense procurement processes and government contracting
- Understanding of military specifications (MIL-STD)
- Knowledge of energetic materials, specialty chemicals, and hazardous materials compliance
- Familiarity with export control laws and defense regulations
- Strong negotiation and contract management skills
- Strategic thinking and market analysis capability
- Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
- High integrity and ability to handle sensitive information
- Ability to work in complex regulatory environments
- Project management and cross-functional leadership
Other Requirements: - Travel: ~30–50% (Domestic & International).
- Work Environment: Office work environment.
- Background Investigation / Drug Screen / US Person: Required.
Paligen Technologies is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value the unique skills and capabilities that our team members bring to our mission. We make all hiring and employment decisions based solely on individual qualifications, merit, and business needs. We strictly prohibit discrimination, ensuring a fair and objective selection process for all applicants.
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