what is a business development manager.

As a business development manager, you are the driving force behind the company's future growth. You actively steer the business into the future, keeping it competitive and making it resilient. You face significant challenges, as markets are saturated. Growth opportunities are often only found in new areas. Therefore, you identify and analyse new business fields or products. Successfully implementing them is risky, but as a good business development manager, you use tools and methods effectively. You know what is economically feasible. You spot trends early on. Additionally, you are skilled at making forecasts. As a business developer, you work across all industries. Typically, you focus on a specific sector such as finance, services, or manufacturing. As a specialist, you develop new ideas and implement them consistently. This makes you a key contributor to the company's success. Does the role of business development manager appeal to you? Then read on to find out what makes you successful in this profession.

business development manager jobs
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working as a business development manager.

In your role as business development manager, you help companies grow. You focus on driving expansion and building long term customer relationships. This is how you ensure the company's success. You have excellent knowledge of your industry. Competitors, customer needs, and trends are well known to you. Your tasks are diverse and mainly depend on your specific sector. Curious about what your concrete responsibilities as a business development manager are? Then read on.

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types of business development managers.

Business development managers identify new business opportunities. You improve the company’s competitiveness. You can do this in various areas. Generally, you focus on three main priorities:

  • Business development manager sales: In this role, you maintain relationships with existing clients, expand them, and acquire new customers. You develop strategies for this purpose. In large companies, you may focus on key accounts. You analyse customer needs to optimise your sales processes. Additionally, you look for new markets to offer products or services.
  • Business development manager marketing: Here, you analyse market developments influenced by factors such as digitalisation and globalisation. You keep an eye on your competitors and assess whether the company's market position is at risk. When catching up with competitors, you further develop the market strategy. This also includes brand building and brand management. Targeted communication supports your marketing strategy.
  • Business development manager product: In manufacturing companies, you are responsible for market-oriented product development. You work closely with the marketing and sales departments. You take into account both market trends and customer needs. This can lead to the creation of new products or the adaptation of existing ones. In the service sector, you develop new service offerings.
Team working on a Google Jamboard in an office.
Team working on a Google Jamboard in an office.
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salary as business development manager.

The popular job platforms show a wide range of gross salaries for business development managers. This is mainly due to various influencing factors. Your education and professional experience have a positive impact on your salary. If you hold a master of science (MSc) in business administration with a specialization in enterprise development, you can expect to earn more. Some companies also offer additional benefits such as bonuses, better pension schemes, and discounts. As a starting salary, you can typically budget around CHF 95,000 per year. That’s roughly CHF 7,900 per month. Find out more about your gross salary as a business development manager here.

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training and further education as business development manager.

In your role as a business development manager, you're not limited to a single industry. However, the industry can influence the skills and background that are advantageous. If you're interested in a career in the pharmaceutical industry, a degree in natural sciences or pharmacy can be helpful. The ICT sector tends to prefer business developers with a technical background. With a bachelor's or master's degree in engineering or business informatics, you have good prospects. Companies in the financial sector generally require a degree in economics. Nevertheless, with an apprenticeship in commercial trades, further training, and ambition, you can land interesting positions. Take a look at the two-day seminar offered by ZfU for more information.

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position as business development manager.

As a business development manager, you’ll find promising opportunities across all industries. You’re especially in demand in innovative companies within the pharmaceutical industry, biotech, and information technology. As a specialist, you’ll encounter interesting challenges there. Are you looking for an attractive position as a business development manager? Take a look at our job listings on this page.

Zwei Männer arbeiten in einer Büroumgebung zusammen
Zwei Männer arbeiten in einer Büroumgebung zusammen
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positions for career changers as business development manager.

Even as a career changer, you have good chances to switch to the role of business development manager. If you come from a related profession, many doors are open to you. With several years of professional experience, companies will see you as a junior manager. You also have a strong foundation if you’re ambitious and eager to develop further. Through Randstad, you can find a suitable job even as a career changer.

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career opportunities and development potential as a business development manager.

Your career prospects as a business development manager are excellent. You are responsible for the company's growth. This already places you in a key role. The ongoing digitalization sets the pace. As a business development manager, you keep up. Therefore, you will be in higher demand than ever in the coming years. You are already quite close to the senior management. Your job serves as a stepping stone for a leadership career. Through successes and further training, you might become head of business development or even chief executive officer. Are you looking to develop further as a business development manager? Check out our tests and tips.

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skills as a business development manager.

Business development managers help companies grow. To do so, you need to understand the industry and know what the market demands. Other important skills include:

  • Social competence: In your profession, you work with people and markets. You listen carefully to sales staff to understand what customers want. From the marketing team, you learn how the market is moving. Management expects healthy growth, which you take into account. You explore new markets and customer groups. To do so, you network and build connections. Executives, colleagues, and clients appreciate your social skills.
  • Research skills: Your main tasks include market and competitor analysis. If you don't commission a market research institute, you'll need to rely on sources. You develop a search strategy, filter out key information, and evaluate it. Thanks to your research expertise, you're able to compile a comprehensive data collection.
  • Analytical thinking: You analyze the data you've collected. Now it's up to you to draw the right conclusions from the vast amount of information. To do this, you use various analysis tools. You check everything carefully to ensure it's plausible. Ultimately, your analyses lead to a business decision to pursue further growth.
  • Curiosity for knowledge: To spot market trends and discover new business opportunities, you need to stay up-to-date. That means making use of all information sources available to you. This includes online research, as well as relevant further training and education.
Four colleagues having a meeting in a meeting room. Financial charts in the background.
Four colleagues having a meeting in a meeting room. Financial charts in the background.
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benefits of working as a business development manager at randstad.

There are many good reasons to work at Randstad as a business development manager.
✓ exciting jobs with well known companies
✓ a reliable contact person whenever you need one, personal advice really matters
✓ attractive employment conditions and good social benefits
✓ continuing education courses and personal development opportunities
✓ clear information in the myRandstad app
✓ do you have a fixed term contract? Often, there’s a chance to secure a permanent position afterwards. Many popular companies also recruit their staff directly through Randstad. 

your professional development budget as a business development manager at randstad.

If you work as a business development manager for Randstad, you have access to further training courses. As part of the TempTraining program from swissstaffing, you can attend various training sessions. You will get the course fees reimbursed later, provided you pass the course exam. Your Randstad advisor is there to support you if you have any questions. This way, you can acquire additional language skills or job specific knowledge, all during your working hours as a business development manager.

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application tips for business development managers at randstad.

Have you found your dream job as a business development manager? It’s not just your qualifications and certificates that determine the success of your applications. Careful, error-free, and personalized documents will definitely help you in your job search. Here are a few useful tips to improve your chances:

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frequently asked questions.

Here you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions about the business development manager profession.

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