[Hiring] Senior Business Development Manager @bdc625b7-1795-4137-852b-f8d749a4f5a5

Role Description

DEKRA North America is seeking a commercially driven sustainability professional to accelerate the growth of its Sustainability Advisory, Assurance & Assessment Services. This senior, client-facing role combines business development, market activation, thought leadership, strategic partnerships, proposal leadership, and hands-on technical consulting and project delivery.

The role is accountable for developing qualified opportunities and client relationships; converting opportunities into high-quality engagements; and strengthening DEKRA’s market presence. Success requires the ability to translate complex climate, ESG, circular-economy, assurance, and regulatory needs into credible, practical DEKRA solutions while collaborating closely with technical subject-matter experts, Sales, Marketing, Operations, and strategic partners.

What You’ll Do:

• Business Development & Client Growth:
  • Develop and execute a growth plan for Sustainability Services that identifies priority sectors, target accounts, strategic partners, market opportunities, revenue objectives, and near- and long-term actions.
  • Proactively originate and qualify opportunities through research, account planning, networking, targeted outreach, referrals, industry events, and disciplined follow-up.
  • Build and expand trusted relationships with prospective and existing clients; diagnose business, technical, risk, and compliance needs; and position relevant DEKRA solutions.
  • Maintain an accurate Salesforce pipeline from lead to opportunity through close, including activity, next steps, probability, revenue, forecast assumptions, and timely follow-up to keep viable opportunities progressing.
  • Prepare sales activity, pipeline, budget, and forecast reporting; contribute account trends, client insights, and market intelligence to quarterly and annual business planning.
  • Coordinate with delivery teams to ensure a seamless handoff, resolve client concerns, identify expansion opportunities, and protect long-term account value.
• Thought Leadership, Marketing & Market Activation:
  • Create, develop, and coordinate sustainability-services research papers, white papers, case studies, webinars, and other thought-leadership assets in collaboration with DEKRA subject-matter experts, Marketing, and strategic partners.
  • Lead integrated marketing campaigns to grow Sustainability Services, partnering with Marketing on website content and improvements, LinkedIn presence, digital campaigns, client communications, and campaign performance tracking.
  • Develop a targeted conference and event strategy aligned to DEKRA service offerings and strategic partnerships; attend relevant sustainability conferences to build brand visibility, client relationships, and qualified pipeline.
  • Secure speaking, panel, and sponsorship opportunities by proactively engaging conference organizers and by collaborating with sustainability clients and strategic partners on co-hosted or co-presented engagements.
  • Represent DEKRA professionally at trade shows, webinars, conferences, and client forums, communicating DEKRA’s sustainability value proposition and technical capabilities.
• Proposal Leadership & Commercial Excellence:
  • Lead the refinement, development, and delivery of client proposals, statements of work, presentations, and related commercial materials; ensure proposals are technically credible, differentiated, responsive, and submitted on time.
  • Orchestrate internal technical, commercial, legal, and operational inputs required for complex opportunities; clarify scope, assumptions, deliverables, pricing inputs, resourcing, and client decision criteria.
  • Maintain punctual, value-adding follow-up after proposals and meetings; advance open opportunities through structured engagement, stakeholder mapping, objection resolution, and clear next steps.
• Technical Consulting, Delivery & Service Development:
  • Perform sustainability technical consulting and project work, consistent with qualifications, applicable standards, DEKRA procedures, and independence requirements. Assignments may include GHG emissions calculations, corporate carbon accounting, product carbon footprints, LCAs, CDP reporting, SBTi target-setting support, EcoVadis support, SB 253/CCDAA support, climate-related financial risk assessments, GHG verification and assurance, supply-chain engagement and strategy, and CBAM support.
  • Partner with qualified technical experts and accredited personnel when project requirements, assurance rules, independence safeguards, or jurisdictional requirements require specialized competence or authorization.
  • Develop, standardize, and continuously improve sustainability templates and tools—including proposals, scopes of work, carbon-accounting workpapers, assurance and verification materials, and project-delivery templates—to improve quality, consistency, efficiency, and scalability.
  • Identify service gaps, emerging regulations, client needs, and delivery lessons that inform new or enhanced sustainability offerings, go-to-market messaging, and team capability development.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, environmental science, sustainability, accounting, or a related discipline; advanced degree or relevant professional certification preferred.
• 7–10 years of progressive experience in sustainability, climate/ESG consulting, assurance, business development, or a comparable client-facing professional-services environment, with a demonstrated record of opportunity creation and revenue growth.
• Working knowledge of GHG accounting and the principal sustainability frameworks, standards, or regulations relevant to the service portfolio (for example, the GHG Protocol, CDP, SBTi, life-cycle assessment concepts, CBAM, and California climate-disclosure requirements).
• Demonstrated ability to translate technical sustainability issues into commercially compelling client solutions, scope consulting engagements, develop proposals, and communicate with senior stakeholders.
• Strong research, analytical, writing, presentation, networking, and facilitation skills, including the ability to produce thought-leadership materials and present at webinars and industry events.
• Proficiency with Salesforce or comparable CRM systems and Microsoft Office applications; organized pipeline management, attention to detail, and sound forecasting discipline.
• High personal credibility, excellent interpersonal and negotiation skills, and the ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across sales, marketing, technical, operational, and partner teams.
• Ability to travel domestically up to 25–50% and internationally on a limited basis.

Physical Considerations

• Must be able to work in a variety of client locations, environments, and conditions. This may include climbing stairs, walking long distances, walking on rough and uneven terrain, walking through client work facilities, working in heat/cold conditions, indoors and outdoors.
• Must be able to accommodate working various shifts as client activities are scheduled.
• Must be able to withstand the rigors of extensive travel.
• May require difficult travel and long periods of driving.
• Ability to move and conduct work with full range of motion.
• Ability to lift 25-50lbs (luggage).
• Extended periods of computer-based work.
• Extended periods of standing.

Travel Considerations

• Domestic travel required, estimated up to 25-50%.
• Potential international travel, limited to less than 10%.

Benefits

• Health care benefits: medical & prescription, dental, vision (including Domestic Partners).
• Critical Illness & Hospital Indemnity supplemental insurance.
• Company Health Savings Account contribution.
• Flexible Spending Account for eligible health care and dependent care expenses.
• Paid time off such as vacation, sick leave, and floating holidays.
• Mental and emotional support resources through our Employee Assistance Program.
• Wellness Program to increase activity and health habits, with ability to earn participation rewards.
• Paid Parental Leave.
• Travel Assist (Domestic/International).
• Participation in a 401(k) plan, with an employer match.
• Company paid Short- & Long-Term Disability benefits.
• Group term life insurance with options to buy-up for self and others.
• Education Assistance Program.
• Student Loan Repayment Assistance.
• Internal training and development resources to grow your career.
• LEAD Forward Leadership Development Program.
• Annual Career Goal Setting and Performance Review cycle participation.