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 jobsworking 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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your area of responsibility
Your responsibilities as a business development manager include:
- Find new business areas/products: Your main task as a business development manager is to ensure the company's growth. To do this, you identify new target markets. Whether it's new business fields or products depends on your industry. You recognize the potential and establish new contacts.
- Set company goals: After analysing the market, you have a clear idea of how big the pie is. You assess which portion of it you can realistically capture. Based on that, you establish company objectives, which you coordinate with the senior management. Alternatively, you might follow directives from the executive team. You then determine which measures are necessary to achieve these goals.
- Create a business plan: Using a traditional business plan, you outline the company's strategy. This includes the products or services offered, opportunities, and risks. You also develop a financial plan that demonstrates the economic feasibility. Your business plan helps management decide whether to invest in the company's growth. The scope of the plan depends on the size of the business.
- Measuring success: In your business plan, you've set your milestones for the future development of your company. How you will achieve your qualitative and quantitative goals is outlined in the action plan. It guides the marketing and sales teams in the right direction. You regularly check whether they are on track. If there are deviations, you analyse the reasons. You may need to adjust the plan accordingly.
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who are your colleagues?
As a business development manager, you work very closely with the senior management team. Based on your ideas and concepts, the executive board develops and refines the company's strategy. Your business plan is reflected in the marketing and sales concepts. Therefore, your colleagues also include marketing managers and sales directors. An important aspect of your plans is the financial implementation of strategies. As such, you also collaborate with financial analysts and accountants.
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.
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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how much do I earn as a business development manager in a permanent position?
As a business development manager, you can earn between 80,000 and 176,000 CHF per year. That’s roughly 6,700 to 14,700 CHF per month. With little professional experience and a bachelor's degree, you’ll be in the lower third. A master’s degree and proven successes can boost your salary. Through further training and experience, you might advance to head of business development & sales strategy. At that level, gross salaries beyond the top average are possible. Your base salary alone doesn’t tell the whole story. Larger companies often offer bonuses in the form of shares or cash. Some employers also allow you to work from home. Different compensation packages help employers tie you to their company.
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in which industry do I earn the most as a business development manager?
Excellent gross wages are paid by the pharmaceutical industry and the financial sector. The salaries in the ICT sector are also quite competitive. Large manufacturing companies offer you fair compensation as well. Your pay tends to be somewhat lower in retail, hospitality, and the food industry. Your base salary alone doesn't make for an attractive overall compensation package. Take a close look at the total remuneration package. Bonuses, additional benefits, and discounts can significantly boost your annual income.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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1. find a position as business development manager
Search through the Randstad job offers. If you don’t find a position that’s exactly right for you, you’re still welcome to get in touch with us personally without any obligation or to create a Randstad profile.
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2. applying as business development manager
The job ad continues right away: apply online, give us a call, or send us an email.
Make sure your documents are complete:✓ CV with photo
✓ Work references & diplomasYou don't have a CV yet or only an outdated version? Create a new layout using a free online template.
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3. preparing for a job interview as business development manager
A good preparation will help you stay calm during the interview as a business development manager. Here are some tips for your job interview.
frequently asked questions.
Here you’ll find answers to frequently asked questions about the business development manager profession.
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what does a business development manager do?
As business development manager, you drive the company's growth forward. You identify new business opportunities or promote product innovations. In doing so, you work closely with the management team, as well as the marketing and sales departments. Satisfied customers and fully tapped market potential are your motivation. Interested? Find out more about your responsibilities as a business development manager here.
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how much do I earn as a business development manager?
Your gross salary as a business development manager ranges between 80,000 and 176,000 CHF per year. That breaks down to roughly 6,700 to 14,700 CHF per month. The actual amount you earn depends on your education, work experience, and additional benefits. Find out more here about how much you can earn as a business development manager.
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is a business development manager a good profession?
If you enjoy driving company growth and are full of ideas, then a business development manager is your dream job. You work closely with colleagues, and you can be sure it won't get boring. With your successful work, you have a significant impact on the company's future. Plus, this role is a great stepping stone for a management career. Curious about what being a business development manager involves? Then read on right here.
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is a business development manager role difficult?
As a business development manager, you're under pressure to succeed. The top management expects steady growth. Whether it's exploring new markets, acquiring new clients, or offering more services, you have a good instinct for it. Your job is challenging, but thanks to your training and experience, it's not difficult. Want to learn more about the role of a business development manager? Find out what makes it exciting right here.
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do you need experience to become a business development manager?
Companies typically require several years of professional experience for a business development manager. A successful degree with a bachelor's or master's qualification is the foundation for your career success. You’ll refine your skills through practical work experience. Continuing education helps you stay up-to-date. Career changers from related fields also have excellent prospects with relevant experience. Through Randstad, you can find positions for experienced professionals and career switchers.
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what requirements do I need to meet to become a business development manager?
Large companies prefer business development managers who have successfully completed university studies. The specific field of study depends on the industry. In mechanical engineering and the ICT sector, having a background as an engineer or business informatician is advantageous. With several years of professional experience, your chances of securing an attractive position increase. Eager career changers are also in demand. Discover our current job openings for business development managers here.
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how do I apply for a job as a business development manager?
Your application for the business development manager position is easy to submit with Randstad. First, create a Randstad profile and browse our job portal for open positions. Found an interesting offer? Then send us your cover letter, CV, and certificates right away. Need help with your application? Check out our application tips, and you'll be able to put together a compelling application.