Job Description

Our client is a European defence manufacturer with proprietary intellectual property and its own production facility. It develops UAV platforms, warheads and electronic systems and represents additional military and law-enforcement equipment and spare parts.

The International Sales Director / Head of Sales will lead international commercial activity and take ownership of buyer relationships across at least one territory – GCC/MENA, Africa or Latin America whilst developing core business relationships within CEE. This transaction-led appointment requires an established defence professional who can combine immediate market access with the disciplined pursuit of larger, longer-cycle opportunities.

Responsibilities

Lead international sales activity across the company's proprietary and represented defence product portfolio.

• Develop and convert commercial opportunities for UAV platforms, warheads, electronic systems, military and law-enforcement equipment, and spare parts.
• Take ownership of the complete commercial cycle, from opportunity identification and qualification through capture planning, proposal development, negotiation, contract signature and handover.
• Use established relationships to secure early access to relevant buyers, programmes and procurement requirements while building a sustainable longer-term pipeline.
• Engage directly with Ministries of Defence, state procurement agencies, military end users, prime contractors, licensed traders and other authorised counterparties.
• Build a balanced opportunity portfolio combining potential first-year wins with larger direct-supply transactions that may require extended procurement and approval cycles.
• Lead commercial negotiations for transactions typically valued between EUR 5 million and EUR 30+ million, as well as larger strategic opportunities where appropriate.
• Develop and execute territory and account strategies across priority markets in Europe and at least one other market - GCC, Africa and Latin America.
• Work closely with management, engineering, production, legal, finance and export-compliance teams to ensure offers are commercially viable, technically deliverable and fully compliant.
• Support export-licence applications, end-user documentation, sanctions screening and counterparty due diligence as integral elements of each transaction.
• Manage commercial terms, pricing, margins, delivery structures and relevant Incoterms, including CIF and DAP transactions where applicable.
• Evaluate and manage agents, distributors, integrators and trading partners, ensuring clear market coverage and appropriate governance.
• Represent the company at international exhibitions, customer meetings, demonstrations and industry events.

Requirements

• At least 8 years of relevant international sales experience within the defence, security or dual-use sector.
• Significant experience working directly for a defence manufacturer or established licensed trading business, rather than exclusively as an agent or intermediary.
• A demonstrable record of personally originating, negotiating and closing defence transactions, including at least three completed contracts within the last five years.
• Established relationships with Ministries of Defence, state procurement organisations, military end users, prime contractors and/or licensed defence traders in at least two countries.
• Evidence of completed sales into at least one of the following markets: Europe, the GCC, Africa or Latin America. Coverage across multiple regions would be advantageous.
• Experience with multi-million-euro transactions and the ability to explain the candidate's personal commercial role at each stage of the process.
• Relevant product exposure across UAVs, munitions, warheads, fuzes, detonators, defence electronics, military equipment, consumables or spare parts is strongly preferred.
• Practical understanding of European export controls, licensing requirements, sanctions, end-user certification and regulated defence-trade processes would be advantageous.
• Strong commercial judgement, including experience of pricing, margin management, delivery terms, payment structures and international contracting.
• Excellent English communication and negotiation skills. Additional European, Arabic or other relevant regional languages would be advantageous.
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively and operate effectively within a lean, entrepreneurial and technically focused organisation.
• Ability to provide appropriate transaction and counterparty references while respecting all existing confidentiality and contractual obligations.
• A bachelor’s degree in business or engineering or equivalent experience is preferred.
• Visa free travel to the EU would be advantageous.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be an established defence-industry commercial leader with a demonstrable transaction history and strong international network. They will open relevant doors from the outset while ensuring opportunities are qualified, compliant, commercially viable and converted into secured business. This position will suit a hands-on sales leader who is comfortable operating with autonomy and being personally accountable for results.

Thank you for your application. Only suitable candidates will be contacted.

Please note that by applying to this role, your profile will be searchable in our database. Our recruiters will contact you should another suitable role become available.