Business Development Manager

G A Richards Company•Kentwood, MI

17d•Onsite

About The Position

Spearhead growth across the Midwest and global markets. Serve as the bridge between engineering excellence and the needs of OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, and other diverse manufacturing sectors.

Requirements

5–10 years of outside sales or business development experience in manufacturing sectors
Proven experience with various manufacturing processes
Strong familiarity with APQP, and the PPAP process.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, or a related technical field is preferred

Responsibilities

Identify and capture new business opportunities within OEM and Tier 1 ecosystems.
Act as the dedicated lead for existing accounts, identifying "land and expand" opportunities to increase wallet share through additional product lines or service offerings.
Collaborate with internal engineering teams to review RFQs and provide "Design for Manufacturability" (DFM) feedback, ensuring projects align with machine capabilities from award through production.
Cultivate deep-rooted relationships with procurement, engineering, and commodity managers to ensure G.A. Richards Group remains the "first call" for both new programs and current production issues.
Lead long-term agreement (LTA) negotiations and annual price reviews, ensuring favorable terms while navigating fluctuating raw materials markets.
Serve as the internal voice of the customer to ensure quality, delivery, and engineering support meet or exceed customer-specific requirements.
Maintain a high-touch presence through a minimum of 30% travel to visit customer sites and industry trade shows, with frequency varying week-to-week based on project demands.