Talent Guardian
Director of Business Development
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Business Development Director - Aviation
£85,000 - £100,000
Farnborough
Talent Guardian is recruiting on behalf of a well-established business aviation group with a managed fleet operating across Europe. The client is not named at this stage. We will give you full details before your CV goes anywhere.
About the Role
This is a new job description for a commercially focused, revenue-generating role. You will grow the managed aircraft fleet across Europe, winning new aircraft management clients and owning the strategic relationships that keep them.
Why this role is worth a conversation
Aircraft management business development is a small world, and most of the good roles never get advertised. This one sits close to the top of the commercial structure, reporting into the Head of Aircraft Management with no layers in between. You will own the pipeline, lead the negotiations, and sign the deals, rather than passing them upward.
There is no direct team, which means no management admin and full focus on the commercial job. You will work across Charter, Client Support, Finance, CAMO, and Operations, so you are genuinely part of how the business runs rather than a standalone salesperson.
The remit is European, so this suits someone with a network across the continent and the appetite to travel and be visible at the industry events that matter.
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What you will be doing
- Identifying, developing, and securing new aircraft management clients across Europe
- Leading client engagement, negotiations, and contract discussions through to signature
- Building and working an industry network to generate qualified opportunities
- Representing the business at key industry events and client engagements
- Acting as the senior point of contact for strategic clients, driving retention and revenue growth
- Converting upsell and cross-sell opportunities and growing utilisation across the portfolio
- Conducting financial modelling and forecasting on new opportunities, and supporting pricing decisions
- Contributing to the wider aircraft management growth strategy, including expansion into new markets and client segments
- Maintaining accurate CRM records, pipeline data, and conversion reporting into leadership
What you will be measured on
- New managed aircraft secured against target
- Contracted annual revenue and gross margin
- Qualified pipeline coverage and conversion
- Client renewal and revenue growth across your portfolio
Targets are agreed annually.
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What you will need
Essential:
- Five to seven years within business aviation
- At least three years in business development within aircraft management or a closely related sector
- In-depth understanding of aircraft management and aircraft ownership structures
- A proven record of exceeding sales targets
- Strong numerical and financial literacy, and a good grasp of procurement and negotiation practice
- Experience presenting at industry events and to senior audiences
- Strong project management skills, with the ability to run several live opportunities at once
Desirable:
- Degree in business aviation, finance, economics, or a related field
- MBA or other advanced degree
The Detail
- Full-time, Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:30
- Based in Europe, with travel across the region
- Competitive basic salary plus performance-related bonus, discussed openly at the first conversation
To apply
Send your CV to Talent Guardian. Every application is handled in strict confidence, and nothing is sent to the client without your agreement. If you are currently with a competitor and would rather have an informal conversation first, that is absolutely fine. Get in touch, and we will talk before anything goes in writing.
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