Business Development Manager (Defence)

The Business Development Manager, Italy & Southern Europe, reports directly to the Country Leader Italy & Head of Business Development Southern Europe and serves as a key member of the Southern Europe Business Development organization, with primary responsibility for supporting the Italian market.

Business Development

• Drive business development activities for the Italian market while supporting broader Southern Europe growth initiatives under the direction of the Country Leader Italy & Head of Business Development Southern Europe.
• Manage customer engagement, opportunity development, and pipeline growth activities.
• Establish, develop, and strengthen relationships with the Italian Ministry of Defence, Armed Forces, procurement organizations, government stakeholders, OEMs, industrial partners, and academic institutions.
• Identify, shape, and influence customer requirements to align with CAE's training and simulation capabilities and strategic offerings.
• Develop market intelligence and assess future capability requirements to identify opportunities for early engagement, strategic positioning, and long-term growth.
• Support the development of country and regional strategies to expand CAE's presence in defence aviation training, mission support, synthetic environments, and related capability domains.

Sales & Capture

• Lead assigned Business-to-Government (B2G) and Business-to-Business (B2B) opportunities from identification and qualification through capture, proposal development, negotiation, and contract award in accordance with CAE governance and Lead-to-Award processes.
• Develop and execute capture strategies to support annual order intake, revenue, and growth objectives.
• Build and maintain a long-term opportunity pipeline and develop strategic partnerships with key stakeholders and industry partners.
• Represent CAE at trade shows, conferences, customer events, and industry forums.
• Support pricing strategies, competitive positioning, win strategies, and customer engagement plans for strategic pursuits.

Internal Stakeholder Management

• Serve as a business development partner to the Country Leader Italy & Head of Business Development Southern Europe.
• Collaborate with Capture, Bid Management, Programs, Customer Services, Engineering, Product Management, Legal, Finance, Contracts, and Executive Leadership teams.
• Provide strategic market insights and recommendations regarding market trends, customer priorities, competitive activity, and business opportunities.

Industrial Participation & Partnerships

• Develop, negotiate, and support implementation of industrial participation, offset, and local partnership strategies in accordance with customer requirements and national regulations.
• Identify opportunities for cooperation with local industry, defence organizations, research institutions, universities, and training providers.
• Support the development of long-term industrial relationships that strengthen CAE's position in priority markets and programs.

Reporting & Governance

• Maintain accurate customer, opportunity, capture, and market data within CAE CRM systems.
• Provide reporting, forecasts, and business updates to management and executive stakeholders.
• Ensure compliance with CAE policies, ethics standards, export controls, and applicable government regulations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Fluent in Italian and English.
• Experience in Business Development, Sales, Capture Management, Program Management, or related commercial functions within the defence and aerospace sector.
• Experience supporting or managing opportunities related to Italian defence programs.
• Knowledge of military aviation operations, training systems, synthetic training environments, simulation technologies, and defence acquisition processes.
• Experience developing relationships with government, military, industry, or defence stakeholders.
• Knowledge of defence procurement, capability planning, and acquisition processes.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and operate effectively within a matrix organization.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively within Italy and Southern Europe and occasionally to other international locations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous service as an Officer or Senior Non-Commissioned Officer within the Italian Air Force, Italian Navy, Army Aviation, Defence Staff, or Ministry of Defence.
• Experience in aviation, training, simulation, capability development, acquisition, or operational requirements environments.
• Existing professional relationships within the Italian Air Force, Navy, Army Aviation, Defence Staff, procurement agencies, or defence industry organizations.
• Experience with military flight training, mission training, simulation, synthetic environments, training systems acquisition, or defence aviation programs.
• Established network within the Italian defence ecosystem, including the Aeronautica Militare, Marina Militare, Esercito Italiano, and Ministry of Defence.
• Demonstrated success supporting or securing complex defence and aerospace opportunities.
• Experience developing strategic partnerships and influencing senior-level stakeholders in government, military, and industry organizations.

Our total rewards package includes base pay and benefits, with final compensation determined by experience, skill, location, and internal equity.

We offer a gross annual salary ranging from €55,000 to €70,000, commensurate with the candidate's experience, skills, and qualifications

At CAE, our mission is clear: to help make the world a safer place. For nearly 80 years, we’ve driven innovation in simulation, training, and mission readiness to support critical operations worldwide. By leveraging advanced technologies, we empower our customers to operate smarter, faster, and more sustainably. Join a purpose-driven organization where bold ideas are encouraged, collaboration drives progress, and your growth fuels our shared success.

CAE is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants, regardless of race, nationality, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, neurodiversity, veteran status, age, or other characteristics protected by law. We encourage applicants who may not meet every qualification to apply. Reasonable accommodations are available—contact your recruiter or email [email protected] if needed.

Privacy Statement | CAE

As part of our process, we may use AI‑supported tools to help review applications, with human decision‑making at every step. CAE thanks all applicants for their interest. However, only those whose background and experience match the requirements of the role will be contacted.