Market Development Director

Are you a Defence-sector expert with a passion for shaping new markets, driving strategic growth and influencing at the highest levels?

I am working with a leading professional services company in their search for a Market Development Director to lead their engagement, expand their presence and position as a trusted provider of business process services and innovative tech-enabled solutions across the Defence landscape.

As the Market Development Director
, you'll play a pivotal role in identifying, shaping and translating Defence-sector market opportunities into long-term growth. Operating over a 36‑month horizon, you’ll build a strong opportunity funnel, influence senior stakeholders and help bring cutting‑edge proposition to life.

This is a strategic, outward-facing, high-impact role where you will raise the profile across the Defence ecosystem, nurture new relationships and help win large-scale, complex opportunities.

In this role, you will:

• Build and maintain a strong multi‑year funnel to meet new business and pipeline targets.
• Raise profile as a leader in business process services, leveraging partnerships with hyperscalers and key industry players.
• Create, share and shape cross‑sell and upsell opportunities.
• Provide insights on Defence-sector trends, innovation and customer needs to influence product, proposition and Go-To-Market strategy.
• Lead market scanning, insight generation and strategies for growth, new scope and competitive rebids.
• Develop holistic engagement plans for new market entry and client origination.
• Lead early-stage prospect engagement, bringing expertise to clarify client problems and shape high‑value solutions.
• Demonstrate thought leadership to strengthen brand and market position.
• Design and deliver proofs of concept and innovation cycles with clients and prospects.
• Leverage strategic partnerships to broaden routes to market.
• Prioritise opportunities to maximise win rate and return on effort.
• Feed market insights into GTM and proposition teams and optimise Salesforce usage.
• Contribute to Client Group GTM strategy to maximise revenue and growth.

We’re looking for someone with:

• Deep knowledge of the Defence sector: stakeholders, procurement, policy and decision‑making.
• A strong, credible external network and proven success operating at senior public‑sector levels.
• Exceptional ability to build trust quickly with new and existing clients.
• A track record of developing and delivering growth strategies that create tangible value.
• Comfort operating with autonomy, ambiguity and complexity across long time horizons.
• Excellent prioritisation skills with attention to detail, even under competing demands.
• A growth mindset: seeking feedback, driving development and supporting colleague wellbeing.
• Personal resilience and the ability to navigate high‑challenge environments.