Introduction
Saab UK is part of Scandinavia's largest defence company, bringing together the best of Swedish and British innovation. Saab offers world-leading solutions and services in defence, aviation, space, and civil security to keep people and society safe. Our UK presence has been growing at pace, meaning we can offer a wide range of opportunities for personal fulfilment and career growth. We currently employ over 600 people across eight sites in the UK, and our specialisations include software engineering, underwater robotics, radars, AI, and armed forces training.
What you will be part of
Saab is a leading defence and security company with an enduring purpose, to help nations keep their people and society safe.
Empowered by its 28,000 talented people, Saab constantly pushes the boundaries of technology to create a safer and more sustainable world.
Saab designs, manufactures and maintains advanced systems in aeronautics, weapons, command and control, sensors and underwater systems.
Saab is headquartered in Sweden. It has major operations all over the world and is part of the domestic defence capability of several nations.
The Role:
We are seeking a highly motivated & commercially driven Global Defence Product Sales Responsible to drive growth in the sale of Saab Seaeye's market-leading Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) & underwater robotic systems across UK & international defence markets.
You will identify, qualify, shape & secure opportunities with naval organisations, defence ministries, government agencies, system integrators & prime contractors. Working closely with Saab's Global Sales Network, Customer Sales Responsibles (CSRs), engineering teams, programme teams & commercial functions, the successful candidate will lead capture activities from opportunity identification through to contract award.
The position is based in Fareham with hybrid working arrangements and will require occasional UK and international travel.
Key Responsibilities:
Develop & maintain strategic relationships with defence customers, naval organisations, government stakeholders, military end users & industry partners
Identify, qualify & pursue new business opportunities aligned with the defence growth strategy
Shape & execute capture strategies for strategic opportunities, developing winning approaches & customer engagement plans
Analyse market trends, defence requirements, capability gaps & competitor activity to inform business development strategies
Conduct market intelligence & competitor analysis to identify emerging opportunities & threats
Collaborate closely with Saab's Global Sales Network, Customer Sales Responsibles (CSRs), BUs & regional sales teams to coordinate international customer engagement activities & growth opportunities
Lead & coordinate Product Sales Core Team activities, ensuring effective collaboration between engineering, programme management, commercial & support functions
Support the development of pricing strategies, commercial approaches & business cases in collaboration with sales & commercial teams
Translate technical concepts into customer value propositions aligned with operational requirements
Support proposal development activities & ensure solutions are competitive, compliant & aligned with customer expectations
Lead contract award, signing & handover activities, ensuring a smooth transition to project delivery teams
Ensure compliance with export control regulations, security requirements & governance processes
Maintain accurate customer, market & opportunity data
Contribute to the development & execution of long-term business growth strategies within defence & underwater systems markets
Qualifications and Skills:
Required
Proven experience in business development, capture management, sales or commercial leadership within defence, aerospace, maritime, engineering or technology sectors
Ability to understand complex engineering products & translate technical capabilities into customer value
Strong understanding of defence procurement processes & acquisition programmes
Excellent communication, presentation & stakeholder engagement skills
Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to engage at all organisational levels
Demonstrated negotiation & influencing capability
Experience using CRM systems to manage opportunities & customer engagement
Commercial awareness & risk management capability
Ability to work effectively within cross-functional & international teams
Willingness & aptitude to develop detailed knowledge of Seaeye's product portfolio & applications
Desired
Experience within defence, subsea, offshore energy, maritime or underwater technology sectors
Knowledge & understanding of Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) systems & underwater robotics
Experience with work-class ROV operations &applications
Knowledge of Seaeye products & capabilities
Existing network within UK and international defence, maritime or offshore industries
Contractual & commercial negotiation experience
Experience working with UK MOD, NATO or major defence prime contractors
Understanding of naval operations, mine countermeasures, subsea warfare or maritime security operations
Experience engaging with naval end users, fleet operators & defence operational stakeholders
By submitting an application to Saab UK you consent to undertaking workforce screening activities that may include but are not limited to: Baseline Personnel Security checks, National Security Vetting, reference checks, verification of working rights and in all circumstances preferred candidates will be placed through a security interview
