Business Development Manager

Sharpe Engineering • Madison, WI

3h • Hybrid

About The Position

Sharpe Engineering & Equipment is seeking an experienced Business Development Manager to drive growth by identifying, pursuing, and securing new customer relationships across the food & beverage and industrial processing industries. This outward-facing, hunter-focused role is responsible for opening doors, developing early-stage opportunities, and expanding Sharpe’s footprint across process, packaging, automation, and compliance solutions. You’ll take the lead in building new relationships and turning them into long-term partnerships. In this role, you’ll collaborate closely with Engineering, Controls, and Project Management to uncover client needs, shape high-level technical solutions, and position Sharpe as a trusted partner. This position is critical to Sharpe’s growth strategy and directly supports our core values of Integrity, Collaboration, Responsibility, Commitment to Stakeholders, and People-Centric Focus.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in business development, technical sales, or consultative selling.
• Demonstrated success generating new business in food & beverage, manufacturing, or automation industries.
• Strong hunter mentality with disciplined prospecting and follow-through.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts at a high level to non-technical stakeholders.
• Proficiency with CRM tools and pipeline management.
• Willingness to travel up to 40–50%.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, Business, or related field preferred.

Responsibilities

• Identify, target, and pursue new customer opportunities aligned with Sharpe’s ideal client profile
• Develop and execute strategic prospecting plans across key markets, geographies, and industries
• Initiate and manage early-stage conversations with decision-makers and influencers
• Qualify opportunities based on technical fit, budget, and strategic alignment
• Build and maintain a robust pipeline of new business opportunities
• Lead discovery meetings to understand customer challenges and identify Sharpe solutions
• Partner with engineering teams to develop high-level solution concepts
• Advance opportunities through proposal, negotiation, and contract stages
• Represent Sharpe at industry events, trade shows, and networking functions
• Develop relationships with industry partners, vendors, and influencers to generate leads
• Monitor market trends, competitor activity, and emerging opportunities

Benefits

• paid time off (PTO)
• 10 paid holidays
• flexible work schedule
• medical insurance
• dental insurance
• vision insurance
• short-term disability coverage
• long-term disability coverage
• life insurance

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level