Business Development Engineer

Tesa Tape inc • Novi, MI

8d • Hybrid

About The Position

At
tesa, we're not just colleagues; we're collaborators who thrive on pushing boundaries and challenging the status quo. Our mission is
to create sustainable adhesive solutions that improve the work, products, and lives of our customers - we're passionate about making a difference!

We’re looking for a driven and travel-ready Business Development Engineer to join our Automotive team. In this role, you’ll uncover and develop new business opportunities across the automotive market while leading customer projects and specification activities early in the vehicle design process.

This position is ideal for someone who thrives on opening new doors, tackling technical challenges across both product and process, and building strong, long-term relationships. You’ll help ensure sustainable growth by delivering innovative automotive solutions that meet customer needs and drive lasting value.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Chemistry, Materials Science, or a related field.
• 5-10 years' experience in business development, or technical sales, preferably within the automotive, EV or adhesive industry.
• Willingness to travel (air or auto) up to 50% of the time (with 1 week approx. every 6 weeks in CA as well as local travel).
• Must have a current valid drivers license and passport.
• Strong technical background with the ability to understand and communicate complex technical concepts.
• Highly proactive and self-motivated, with a passion for identifying and pursuing new business opportunities.
• Dynamic and energetic, with a genuine enthusiasm for opening doors and building new relationships.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence and engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Enjoys working in a fast-paced, innovative environment and is driven by achieving targets and delivering results.
• Collaborative team player who thrives in cross-functional settings and values continuous improvement.
• Proficiency in Microsoft products and CRM software programs.

Responsibilities

• Build and grow a network of key contacts within their territory using tools like CRM, LinkedIn, and direct outreach. Working closely with the regional sales team, this role focuses on initiating new projects with strategic customers and engaging decision-makers at Design Centers and headquarters.
• Leverage technical expertise in adhesives to address customer challenges and position solutions early in the design phase, increasing the likelihood of successful market adoption. This includes providing technical support, product demonstrations, and training, as well as defining requirements, aligning on specifications, and translating customer needs into effective test programs
• Responsible for understanding and/or negotiating the product requirement profile, recommending the best possible solution, and building/executing the test program to prove a product’s worthiness for an application.
• Evaluate whether existing products meet customer needs or require new development, translating requirements into product and process solutions. Partnering with cross-functional teams, this role drives projects through design and validation while identifying new application opportunities—requiring strong stakeholder management and adaptability.
• Responsible for implementing new solutions within customer value chains and ensuring a smooth start of production (SOP). This role also leverages a network of partners, including machine suppliers and converters, to support active customer projects.
• transitions accounts to the regional sales team. High-potential, global accounts may be elevated to Key Account status, while others are managed by Sales Representatives or Regional Key Account Managers. The BDE supports a smooth handover and provides short-term advisory support as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees