Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Albany International Corp. is seeking a Director of Business Development for the Commercial Space Segment. This role will drive strategic segment leadership and customer-centric execution, ensuring the successful adoption of composite material technologies into commercial space platforms.
Responsibilities
- Define and execute a tailored business development strategy for assigned segments (defense, commercial, or other verticals), grounded in deep market and technical insight
- Act as the technical lead for composite structures, capturing new opportunities and guiding application developments with both new and existing customers
- Lead customer-facing and internal initiatives to accelerate adoption of AEC’s technologies, including funded development projects (TRL 4–7)
- Manage inbound and outbound interactions, qualify leads, and convert prospects into high-value pipeline opportunities
- Cultivate strong, lasting relationships with key customer stakeholders—engineering, procurement, and senior leadership—to surface needs where AEC’s differentiating technology offers clear solutions
- Represent AEC at industry events, trade shows, and technical forums to elevate brand presence and thought leadership
- Develop detailed technical scopes of work and proposals that articulate AEC’s value proposition and technical differentiation
- Establish directional production pricing targets and competitive pricing models to maximize margin without compromising win potential
- Provide hands-on technical guidance and mentorship to project engineers during execution, ensuring alignment to scope, schedule, and quality objectives
- Partner with Marketing to craft segment-specific campaigns, collateral, and thought-leadership content
- Collaborate with Product Management and R&T to influence roadmap priorities based on customer insights and emerging market trends
- Coordinate with Operations and Delivery teams to ensure solution readiness, scalability, and customer success
- Manage incoming inquiries and leads; run targeted outbound prospecting to build a robust pipeline
- Develop and maintain playbooks, collateral, training, and battle cards that equip sales teams for technical engagements
- Optimize territory design, quota setting, and incentive plans; analyze performance and refine processes
- Implement CRM best practices for lead scoring, opportunity tracking, and timely follow-up to maximize conversion
- Design segment-aligned pricing models and discount structures to balance competitiveness and profitability
- Champion deep segment knowledge—regulatory, procurement cycles, and competitive landscape—to inform all go-to-market efforts
- Define segment KPIs—revenue attainment, pipeline velocity, win/loss rates, capability maturity—and build dashboards for real-time visibility
- Present regular executive briefings on segment health, project status, risks, and strategic recommendations
- Model AEC’s values: Albany Wins Together, Count on Each Other, Own Your Actions, Care About Each Other, Share Your Enthusiasm
- Prioritize safety at all times—ensuring every project decision upholds our “never compromise on safety” commitment
- Mentor peers and junior staff in both technical and business development disciplines, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture
Skills
- 7+ years of B2B business development or sales leadership, ideally within composite materials, advanced manufacturing, or aerospace/defense sectors
- Proven track record of driving technology adoption from concept through low-rate production (TRL 4–7)
- Strong analytical and strategic planning skills, with hands-on experience in pricing strategy, pipeline analytics, and sales operations
- Exceptional communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management abilities—comfortable interacting with C-suite and technical audiences alike
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering or Business
- Advanced degree (MBA or Master's in materials/composites)
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