[Hiring] Global Business Development Manager - Bicycle, Mobility @Gates Corporation

Role Description

The Business Development Manager – Bicycle (Mobility) is responsible for driving sales growth and market share for Gates’ drive systems within the traditional and electric bicycle segments. This individual will lead early-stage customer engagement, secure product specifications, and manage ongoing customer relationships through production. The role encompasses global business development strategy, opportunity pipeline management, new customer targeting and acquisition, customer forecasting, and strategic partnerships.

This position involves frequent international collaboration, especially with colleagues and customers in Asia and Europe, and requires working with OEMs, distributors, and regional sales teams to deliver on global objectives. You will work either remotely from your home office or in our Rochester Hills, MI (if local to the area).

Responsibilities

• Drive Business Development Growth
  • Achieve revenue, margin, and new customer acquisition targets.
  • Grow Gates’ market share faster than the overall bicycle market in the US and Europe.
  • Build and close a robust opportunity pipeline to meet business goals.
  • Lead specification of Gates products at major and mid-sized OEM brands.
• Execute Strategic Growth Initiatives
  • Develop and implement long-term business development strategies for the bicycle market.
  • Collaborate with regional teams to ensure aligned execution and accountability.
  • Leverage a consultative, value-based sales approach to position Gates as a strategic partner.
• Champion the Bicycle Product Line
  • Educate customers on current offerings and lead go-to-market strategies for new product introductions.
  • Serve as the voice of the customer within Gates to align product development with market needs.
  • Support the multi-generation product roadmap by collaborating with strategic marketing and product teams.
• Own Customer Relationships
  • Be the face of Gates at key industry events, trade shows, and customer meetings.
  • Drive internal collaboration across functional teams to deliver best-in-class customer service and product solutions.
  • Foster deep, trust-based relationships with customers—acting as both business advisor and partner.
• Account Management
  • Manage 12–15 key and prospective customer accounts with full ownership of opportunity pipelines in CRM.
  • Develop and maintain standardized account reviews, including stakeholder mapping, product mix, revenue tracking, and action plans.
  • Be the central point of contact for custom product needs, ensuring coordinated delivery with internal R&D and product teams.
  • Translate customer insights into compelling business cases and advocate for product development timelines.

Keys to Success

• Industry Passion: Deep interest and familiarity with bicycles and eBikes.
• Technical Fluency: Ability to understand current and emerging technologies within eMobility.
• Relationship-Building: Proven ability to develop meaningful relationships across cultures and geographies.
• Strategic Thinking: Comfortable challenging industry norms and offering creative solutions to customer needs.
• Execution: Strong organizational and time management skills to balance short-term goals with long-term strategy.

Requirements

• Bachelor of Science in Engineering (or related field) preferred.
• 7+ years of progressive experience in the bicycle or mobility industry, including business development, product management, and international collaboration.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication in English; additional languages a plus.
• Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally (~20%+).
• Must be legally authorized to work in the US without company sponsorship.

Benefits

• Full-Time
• Salary Range: $85,000 - $90,000
• Relocation is not provided
• Medical, Dental, Vision insurance and other voluntary benefit options: benefits begin on the first day of the month immediately following your date of hire
• Eligible for 3 weeks of paid vacation + 11 holidays (9 scheduled & 2 floating) + 8 sick days. All vacation days are accrued
• 401(k): 3% company contribution and additional 3% company match
• Tuition Reimbursement