Solsta
Business Development Manager

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Location: Home-based
Travel: Regular UK travel, with occasional European travel and visits to Solsta sites as required
The Opportunity
Are you technically minded, commercially curious and enjoy working with customers to solve complex engineering challenges?
Solsta is looking for a Technical Business Development Manager to help identify and develop new customer-funded engineering programmes across advanced technology markets including photonics, optoelectronics, sensing, biomedical instrumentation and defence-related applications.
This isn't traditional product sales. You will engage with OEM customers early in their development journey, helping turn technical challenges and concepts into commercially viable solutions and long-term manufacturing partnerships.
What You Will Do
- Identify and develop new business opportunities across the UK.
- Build relationships with technical and commercial decision-makers.
- Understand customer challenges and help shape potential technical solutions.
- Develop opportunities from feasibility and proof-of-concept through design, validation and NPI.
- Work closely with Engineering, Project Management and Manufacturing teams.
- Support proposals, quotations and commercial negotiations.
- Build and manage a strong pipeline of qualified opportunities.
- Represent Solsta at customer meetings, exhibitions and industry events.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
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Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
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Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
What We Are Looking For
- You will have a strong technical background in photonics, optoelectronics, sensing, instrumentation, imaging or a related advanced technology field, ideally supported by a degree in engineering, physics or a related discipline.
- Previous business development experience would be advantageous, but it isn't essential.
- We are equally interested in hearing from Applications Engineers, Systems Engineers, Physicists and other customer-facing technical professionals who have the commercial aptitude and ambition to develop their career in business development.
- You will need excellent communication and relationship-building skills, commercial awareness, technical credibility and the ability to work autonomously across a broad UK territory.


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Why Solsta?
You will join a growing engineering-led business where you'll have the autonomy to develop opportunities, work alongside experienced technical specialists and help customers take innovative products from initial concept through to full-scale production.
If you combine technical curiosity with a commercial mindset and enjoy turning customer problems into opportunities, we would like to hear from you.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
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