Business Development Manager – International Defense

Job Summary

Ribbon Communications is seeking a highly experienced Business Development Manager to drive growth within the International Defense Vertical across Europe, with a primary focus on Germany.

This role is responsible for identifying, developing, and expanding strategic opportunities within defense organizations, ministries, and defense contractors. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in telecommunications / ICT solutions for the defense sector or has direct experience working within defense organizations on the customer side.

This is an individual contributor role, focused on building pipeline, shaping complex opportunities, and influencing long sales cycles in a highly regulated and strategic environment. The role requires close collaboration with regional sales, engineering, partners, and government stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a strategic business development plan for the defense vertical across Europe, with emphasis on Germany

• Identify, qualify, and influence long-cycle, complex opportunities within defense ministries, armed forces, and defense ecosystem partners

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key decision-makers across military, government, and defense contractors

• Position Ribbon’s secure communications, networking, and mission-critical

   solutions aligned to defense requirements

• Act as a subject matter expert on defense communications trends, procurement processes, and regulatory environments

• Collaborate with regional sales teams to transition qualified opportunities into revenue

   execution

• Partner with sales engineering, product management, and leadership to tailor solutions to defense use cases

• Establish and manage relationships with channel partners, system integrators, and local defense primes

• Support RFP/RFI responses, strategic bids, and framework agreements

• Maintain accurate pipeline visibility and strategic account tracking in CRM systems

• Represent Ribbon at industry events, defense exhibitions, and government engagements

• Travel as required across Europe (up to ~50%)

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in business development, sales, or strategic account management

• Strong background in telecommunications, ICT, or network infrastructure, ideally in mission-

    critical environments

• Proven experience working with or selling to:

• Defense ministries / armed forces
• NATO or European defense organizations
• Defense contractors / system integrators

• Demonstrated success in developing and influencing complex, multi-stakeholder deals

• Deep understanding of government procurement processes and defense sales cycles

• Established network within the European defense ecosystem, particularly in Germany

• Strong consultative, communication, and stakeholder management skills

• Ability to operate independently while aligning with global and regional teams

• Experience managing pipeline and strategy using Salesforce or similar CRM tools

• Fluency in English; German language skills strongly preferred

Preferred Experience

• Experience with solutions such as:

• Secure communications (voice, VoIP, tactical communications)
• Session Border Controllers (SBCs), Gateways
• Network security, encryption, and cyber defense
• IP networking, private 5G, or software-defined networking (SDN)

• Prior experience working inside defense organizations (military or government) is highly valued

• Familiarity with European defense initiatives and frameworks (e.g., NATO, EU defense programs)

• Experience collaborating with local German defense integrators and contractors

Key Competencies

• Strategic thinking and long-term opportunity shaping

• Influence without authority in complex stakeholder environments

• Strong cultural and political awareness across European markets

• High level of integrity and ability to operate in regulated environments

• Self-motivated, results-oriented, and resilient in long sales cycles

Please Note:

'All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, age, sex, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, on the basis of disability, or other characteristic protected by applicable law.'