Business Development Manager

We are seeking a highly motivated and commercially driven Business Development Manager to join a growing German sales team.

This is a hunter-focused role responsible for identifying, developing, and securing new business opportunities across our international Air and Ocean Freight portfolio.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record in freight forwarding sales, strong market knowledge within Germany, and the ability to build long-term relationships with customers across a variety of industry sectors. The role can be based in either Düsseldorf or Frankfurt and requires regular travel throughout the region.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify and secure new Air & Ocean Freight business opportunities across Germany.
• Develop and execute a strategic sales plan to achieve agreed revenue and gross profit targets.
• Build and manage a robust pipeline of qualified prospects using a consultative sales approach.
• Conduct customer meetings, presentations and solution-based sales proposals.
• Prepare quotations, manage RFQs and negotiate commercial agreements.
• Work closely with Operations, Pricing and Customer Service teams to deliver tailored logistics solutions.
• Manage the full sales cycle from prospecting through to implementation and account handover.
• Maintain accurate sales activity, forecasts and opportunities within the CRM system.
• Monitor market trends, competitor activity and customer requirements to identify growth opportunities.
• Attend industry networking events, exhibitions and customer meetings as required.
• Develop strategic relationships with key decision-makers across target industries.

Candidate Profile

Essential

• Minimum 5 years' experience in Business Development within international freight forwarding.
• Strong knowledge of Air Freight and Ocean Freight products (Import & Export).
• Proven track record of winning new business and achieving sales targets.
• Existing customer network within the German logistics market would be advantageous.
• Excellent commercial awareness and negotiation skills.
• Strong understanding of international supply chains, Incoterms and freight forwarding processes.
• Self-motivated with a proactive "hunter" mentality.
• Excellent presentation, communication and relationship-building skills.
• Full German driving licence.

Language Requirements

• Fluent German (written and spoken).
• Professional level English.

Preferred Experience

• Experience selling multimodal freight solutions.
• Knowledge of customs procedures and international trade compliance.
• Experience managing tenders and complex customer pricing exercises.
• Familiarity with CRM platforms such as Salesforce, CargoWise CRM or Microsoft Dynamics.