Business Development Manager (m/f/d)

Shape the future of a leading commercial vehicle supplier. You will drive the forward-looking evolution of our product portfolio within the Business Line Transport, ranging from identifying new business fields to developing robust go-to-market plans.

We are looking for an entrepreneurial self-starter with strong analytical skills, structured execution capability and the outstanding people skills required to launch new ideas

In this role, you will take on a key position in the Product Introduction Phase within Product Management. You will actively shape our product and business portfolio roadmap. As part of the Portfolio Lifecycle Hub team, you will combine strategic thinking with hands-on execution, laying the foundation for sustainable market success.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Business Development & Portfolio Alignment

• Own the development and continuous advancement of the product roadmap, including the establishment and management of a sustainable roadmap pipeline throughout the Product Introduction Phase
• Identify and assess new business opportunities as well as relevant market trends within the commercial vehicle industry
• Develop convincing, well-founded decision frameworks for strategic initiatives, including the clear outline of opportunities, risks and success factors as well as their quantification)
• Develop our future-oriented portfolio options and strategic initiatives, based on structured market, competitive and customer analyses
• Evaluate and prioritize initiatives along the product roadmap, taking into account business viability, strategic fit, and portfolio alignment

Business Case Management & Initiation of new activities

• Translate strategic, product or business options into tangible initiatives and make impulses in collaboration with Product Management, Engineering and Sales
• Prepare robust business cases, including comprehensive opportunity and risk assessments and set-up market entry strategies for new business fields, products or business models
• Proactively drive and track initiatives through to operational implementation
• Conduct holistic evaluations of initiatives, incl. market attractiveness, competitive positioning, economic viability, feasibility)
• Derive clear recommendations based on structured analyses and quantitative evaluation
• Define product cost targets for development projects in alignment with Product Management and Engineering;
• develop and implement KPIs to actively steer and optimize the product portfolio

Stakeholder & Network Management

• Build a strong internal network across functions, in order to drive impact, work closely and effectively with Product Management, Engineering, Sales and all relevant interfaces
• Develop a relevant external network (market participants, partners, industry experts, users) to capture market insights early and comprehensively
• Prepare and communicate results in a clear, structured manner to senior management

Qualifications

Professional Competencies

• University degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Entrepreneurship or a comparable field
• Several years of experience in Business Development, Strategic Product Management, Portfolio Management, or a related environment
• Proven expertise in developing and evaluating business cases
• Ideally, experience in the automotive, commercial vehicle, or mobility sector and/or exposure to the Product Introduction Phase
• Ability to translate strategic questions into clear, structured and actionable options

Personal Competencies

• Strong sense of ownership combined with an entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to develop creative, strategy-driven business approaches
• Strong analytical skill with a strong ability to structure complex topics for data-driven decision-making
• Excellent communication and presentation skills
• Self-driven, proactive working style, strong effectiveness in cross-functional environments and ability to build trusted relationships
• Structured and collaborative working style with the ability to operate effectively in cross-functional teams
• Fluency in German and English (written and spoken)

Role Positioning

• Positioned within Product Management with a clear focus on the Product Introduction Phase
• Reporting to the Head of Product Lifecycle Hub, member of the Product Management leadership team
• High visibility through collaboration with key strategic functions and senior stakeholders
• Unique combination of operational responsibility and strategic impact in a dynamic market environment