SENIOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER @ Otiv in Ghent, Belgium

Otiv

SENIOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Who we are

OTIV is a Ghent-based company leading the autonomous revolution in rail. We are on a mission to increase safety and efficiency of railway operations by teaching rail vehicles to drive autonomously. By making trains more efficient and safer, we actively contribute to a modal shift and a greener future. We bring this vision to life by a unique focus on the most challenging environments such as cities, shunting yards and industrial sites. Thanks to high-profile partners and world-leading clients such as Deutsche Bahn, SNCF Group, ArcelorMittal and CAF we deliver the future of railway operations today.

OTIV is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to a work environment that supports, inspires, and respects all individuals and in which personnel processes are merit-based and applied without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, disability, national or ethnic origin, military service status, citizenship, or other protected characteristic. OTIV strives to create an environment in which all employees feel confident in their ability to bring their authentic selves to work and secure collaborating with colleagues and customers.


What you will do

As Senior Business Development Manager, you leverage your skills and industry insight to establish business development activities across European countries. As an experienced and data-driven front-runner, you lead the deployment of assistance and autonomous technology on trains and other rail-bound vehicles. Reporting directly to the CEO, you will be responsible for executing your projects and transactions with world-leading rail operators, major industrial customers as well as large rolling stock manufacturers. You identify potential synergies and forge them into strong value-adding partnerships. As an early member of OTIV and the Business Development team, you have the opportunity to shape the foundation of our products, partnerships and culture.


Tasks and responsibilities

  • Identifying and building lasting relationships with strategic partners and customers across various industries.

  • High level of freedom to lead, structure, and execute partner (e.g., strategic cooperations) and customer projects (e.g., go-to-market models, end customer projects).

  • Independently managing customers from lead generation to contract signature, incl. contract negotiations with senior executives of transaction counterparties and lawyers.

  • Delivering impactful financial results to OTIV and contributing to the refinement of its business model and defining its unit economics model via personal recommendations to and discussion with OTIV leadership and Board.

  • Feeding back market and customer insights directly into the product development process.

  • Organizing and supporting customer projects with a strong focus on customer success.

  • Nomination and leadership of project teams: coordination of internal set-up of the project team (across departments, e.g., engineering, operations, finance) and external advisor support (e.g., legal, consultants).

  • Presenting business and technical content to senior stakeholders.

  • Participating in high-level events and fairs as an ambassador for OTIV.


Who you are

  • Degree in business administration, (industrial) engineering, or similar

  • Several years of experience in business/corporate development in a deep tech start-up, top-tier strategy consultancy, corporate strategy department, or investment banking.

  • Knowledge of and experience in the fields of logistics, railway, self-driving technology or software/platform-as-a-service businesses.

  • Knowledge of and experience in complex sales processes with large accounts.

  • Strong skills in project management.

  • Excellent interpersonal, communication and presentation skills.

  • Fluent in English. Fluency in German and / or French is a strong plus.

  • Hands-on / self-driven mentality and analytical / data-driven mindset.

  • Enthusiasm for cutting-edge technology.

  • Experience of working in a fast-paced start-up environment.


What we offer

  • Full time offer with competitive salary package.

  • International environment in a disruptive start-up with opportunities to grow.

  • Early riser or night owl? Either way, you’ll fit right in our flexible working hours system.

  • Hybrid working policy, with an office in beautiful Ghent (Belgium).

  • Collaborative, transparent, and fun-loving office culture.

  • Team events and quarterly offsite.

  • 30 days of vacation.