Business Development Manager

Division: Commercial

Department: Marketing

Business Unit: Emirates Steel

Reports to: Director – Marketing

Role Level: Manager

Work Schedule: General

Direct Reports: None

Role Purpose

The Manager – Business Development will lead strategic initiatives to position the company as a preferred partner across key steel-consuming sectors, including manufacturing, construction, and downstream industries.

The role will focus on identifying and developing new commercial opportunities across the construction value chain, with particular emphasis on wire rod products and applications. The successful candidate will provide technical expertise and value-engineering solutions that help customers optimise steel usage, reduce costs, improve sustainability, and enhance overall project value.

This position is responsible for building a strong opportunity pipeline, converting market leads into sustainable revenue, and unlocking downstream opportunities that generate incremental profit for the business.

Key Responsibilities

Market Development and Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with customers, developers, contractors, consultants, manufacturers, fabricators, government authorities, and other key stakeholders.
• Promote the company’s steel products, technical capabilities, and value-added solutions across relevant market segments.
• Identify new applications and downstream opportunities for wire rod products.
• Represent the company at industry events, conferences, seminars, and customer forums.
• Educate stakeholders on the technical, commercial, and sustainability benefits of the company’s steel solutions.
• Conduct market research to identify industry trends, customer requirements, competitor activity, and emerging opportunities.
• Translate market insights into practical commercial offerings and business-development initiatives.

Lead Generation and Opportunity Conversion

• Build and maintain a qualified pipeline of leads and commercial opportunities for the assigned product category.
• Convert prospective leads into tangible revenue-generating opportunities.
• Work closely with the Sales team to improve lead-to-opportunity and opportunity-to-sale conversion rates.
• Develop business cases, commercial proposals, and customer-specific value propositions.
• Track the progress of opportunities and address commercial or technical barriers affecting conversion.
• Establish relationships with stakeholders who influence steel specifications and purchasing decisions.

Technical Support and Solution Development

• Provide technical guidance to customers to optimise steel usage and maximise value for both the customer and the company.
• Support customers in selecting suitable wire rod products and applications based on their operational and technical requirements.
• Collaborate with R&D, engineering, production, quality, and sales teams to develop innovative steel solutions.
• Support the development and commercial promotion of customised offerings across the wire rod product range.
• Identify opportunities to provide additional services and solutions across the downstream value chain.
• Lead value-engineering initiatives focused on design optimisation, cost reduction, operational efficiency, and improved product performance.

Innovation and Sustainability

• Develop solutions that support customers’ sustainability objectives, including reducing material waste, energy consumption, emissions, and overall environmental impact.
• Ensure sustainability considerations are incorporated into new products, services, and customer solutions.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives to develop and refine sustainable steel offerings.
• Promote innovative applications that strengthen the company’s position within wire rod-consuming sectors.

Performance Management and Reporting

• Establish KPIs covering revenue generation, profitability, pipeline development, opportunity conversion, customer satisfaction, and value creation.
• Monitor business-development activities and measure their commercial impact.
• Prepare regular reports and presentations for senior leadership.
• Provide clear updates on pipeline progress, market developments, customer engagement, risks, and commercial outcomes.
• Recommend corrective actions where performance falls below agreed targets.

Safety, Quality, and Environment

• Ensure compliance with all relevant company policies, procedures, and controls.
• Support employee safety, legislative compliance, and the delivery of high-quality products and services.
• Maintain a responsible approach to environmental management and sustainability.
• Ensure all business-development activities comply with applicable commercial, ethical, safety, and quality standards.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, or a related discipline.
• Master’s degree in Engineering, Business, or a relevant field is preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience within the steel industry.
• Proven business-development experience within wire rod, downstream steel products, or related markets.
• Strong understanding of wire rod applications, customer segments, technical requirements, and value chains.
• Demonstrated experience developing commercial pipelines and converting leads into revenue.
• Experience working with steel manufacturers, contractors, developers, consultants, fabricators, or industrial customers.
• Strong commercial awareness with the ability to develop business cases and value propositions.
• Experience collaborating with sales, production, engineering, R&D, and other cross-functional teams.
• Strong stakeholder-management, negotiation, presentation, and communication skills.
• Proficiency in Arabic and English.