Business Development Manager

Description

Summary: Spearhead growth across the Midwest and global markets. Serve as the bridge between engineering excellence and the needs of Automotive OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and other diverse industrial sectors including ATV and RV. This role focuses on selling technical solutions for High-Volume Screw Machining and Progressive Die Stamping.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

· Identify and capture new business opportunities within Automotive OEM and Tier 1 ecosystems, targeting both EV and legacy internal combustion programs.

· Act as the dedicated lead for existing accounts, identifying "land and expand" opportunities to increase wallet share through additional product lines or service offerings.

· Collaborate with internal engineering teams to review RFQs and provide "Design for Manufacturability" (DFM) feedback, ensuring projects align with machine capabilities from award through production.

· Cultivate deep-rooted relationships with procurement, engineering, and commodity managers to ensure G.A. Richards Group remains the "first call" for both new programs and current production issues.

· Lead long-term agreement (LTA) negotiations and annual price reviews, ensuring favorable terms while navigating fluctuating raw materials markets.

· Serve as the internal voice of the customer to ensure quality, delivery, and engineering support meet or exceed IATF 16949 standards and customer-specific requirements.

· Maintain a high-touch presence through a minimum of 30% travel to visit customer sites and industry trade shows, with frequency varying week-to-week based on project demands.

Requirements

Education and/or Experience: 

· 5–10 years of outside sales or business development experience in the automotive manufacturing sector 

· Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, or a related technical field is preferred 

· Proven experience with Precision Turned Parts (Screw Machining) and/or Metal Stamping processes

· Strong familiarity with IATF 16949 standards, APQP, and the PPAP process.

Computer Skills:

Proficiency in CRM tools such as Zoho, Salesforce, or HubSpot to track multi-year sales cycles.

Proficient in Microsoft Office

Other Skills and Abilities:

Must be able to read and speak fluent English

Must have valid Driver’s License

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet. Requires a minimum of 30% travel to visit customer sites and attend industry trade shows (e.g., SAE or FABTECH).