Business Development Associate Jobs in Lexington, SC

LOCATIONS
HAHN Automation Group has locations in Miamisburg OH, Hebron KY, Columbia SC, and Brooklyn Park MN. All of our locations are actively recruiting for Controls Engineers (Machine Programmers). When applying please be sure to specify your preferred location or if you are open to relocation.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Business Development Manager is responsible for driving new business growth by identifying, qualifying, and securing new business opportunities within assigned industry verticals. This role is focused on new customer acquisition, serving as the primary point of contact for prospective customers and opening doors into target accounts that are not currently doing business with HAHN Automation Group. Through proactive prospecting, market research, lead qualification, and relationship building with key decision-makers, the Business Development Manager develops a strong pipeline of qualified opportunities aligned with HAHN Automation Group’s strategic growth objectives.

Working closely with Marketing, Applications Engineering, Account Management, and regional leadership, the Business Development Manager converts leads into qualified RFQs, develops proposals, negotiates pricing and terms, and guides opportunities through the Lead-to-Quote (L2Q) process to the first purchase order. The role also ensures accurate CRM management, maintains market intelligence, and develops go-to-market strategies by analyzing industry trends, competitive landscapes, customer needs, and regional regulatory requirements. Following the successful acquisition of new business, the Business Development Manager provides a seamless handoff to the Account Management team to support long-term customer success and continued business growth.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

Education: Bachelor’s degree with emphasis in Engineering, Business, Marketing, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience

Experience: 5+ years of successful business development or technical sales experience, preferably in automation, industrial equipment, capital equipment, or manufacturing

Additional skills:

• Proven track record of identifying, qualifying, and securing new business while consistently achieving sales targets through a proactive hunting approach
• Strong understanding of complex B2B sales cycles, including prospecting, lead qualification, proposal development, negotiation, and closing
• Demonstrated ability to build strategic relationships with executive decision-makers, technical stakeholders, and key influencers while establishing long-term customer partnerships
• Strong commercial and business acumen with experience developing pricing strategies, negotiating commercial agreements, and managing customer proposals
• Ability to understand customer technical challenges and collaborate with Engineering and Applications teams to develop value-driven automation solutions
• Experience conducting market research, analyzing industry trends, and identifying new business opportunities that support strategic growth initiatives
• Proven ability to collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Engineering, Applications, and Account Management to drive customer acquisition and ensure successful opportunity handoffs
• Excellent written and verbal communication, presentation, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical audiences
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple opportunities, prioritize competing demands, and maintain accurate CRM and pipeline data
• Self-motivated, results-oriented professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment, demonstrates professionalism and integrity, and is willing to travel as required to support customer and business development activities
• Flexibility to work additional hours as needed to meet project requirements with the potential for frequent overtime/weekend hours
• A commitment to integrity, ethical and economical practices, and the organization’s mission

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND ACTIVITIES

The principal duties will include, but not be limited to:

• Own new customer acquisition within an assigned industry vertical
• Focus exclusively on Hunting: identifying, opening, and qualifying new customers
• Serve as the primary door-opener into target accounts not currently doing business with HAHN Automation Group
• Develop early relationships with customer decision-makers, influencers, and technical stakeholders
• Proactively identify and research potential leads through various sources
• Own lead qualification
• Collaborate with Marketing to develop and execute targeted campaigns to generate leads
• Responsible for turning leads into qualified RFQs which are owned through the L2Q process
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of all lead activity in the CRM system and own the conversion of new leads in the CRM
• Develop offers for customers with target to receive PO. Focus on price setting, negotiation with customer and coverage of legal and commercial factors. Coordinate with Application Engineers.
• Handover of accounts to Account Managers after first PO ensuring a smooth process
• Collaborate with the Regional SVP to define and prioritize new business fields and market segments aligned with the regional strategy
• Develop preliminary go-to-market strategies for identified opportunities, including value propositions, target audience profiles, and potential messaging
• Identify potential strategic partnerships and alliances to accelerate market entry and expand reach
• Conduct thorough market research to identify target industries, key players, emerging trends, and competitive landscape within the region
• Build and maintain a target account list aligned with regional and industry growth strategy
• Analyze market data to identify unmet needs, pain points, and opportunities for HAHN solutions
• Develop and maintain a deep understanding of key regional regulatory environments and industry standards impacting factory automation
• Collaborate with Business Development leadership to define and prioritize new business fields and market segments aligned with the regional strategy
• Develop preliminary go-to-market strategies for identified opportunities, including value propositions, target audience profiles, and potential messaging
• Present findings and recommendations to the Regional SVP and Marketing team in clear, concise reports and presentations
• Support Account Managers by providing insights into target customer needs and challenges
• Assist in identifying key decision-makers and influencers within accounts that are handed over
• Share market intelligence and competitive information with the Account Management team
• Handover of opportunities after RFQ or PO to account management
• Travel required, including overnight travel – potentially domestic and international

PHYSICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

As a member of HAHN Automation Group US, applicants must be able to interact safely in a manufacturing environment. This includes:

• Full body mobility with the ability to bend, stoop, climb, and lift or move 25 lbs. of weight
• The ability to walk within restricted areas of the company manufacturing plant
• Professional conduct in regards to hygiene and dress
• The ability to read and prepare business documents as well as conduct business over the telephone in a sometimes-loud environment
• The ability to sit or stand for long periods of time
• The ability to travel to customer, supplier, and/or inter-company sites via vehicle or airplane (both domestic and international)
• Valid driver’s license with driving record of acceptable risk as defined by HAHN Automation Group US’s
• insurance company
• Must be legally authorized to work for any employer in the United States now and in the future without employment visa sponsorship

The HAHN Automation Group is a global solution partner for factory automation. We offer industry-specific know-how, an extensive project portfolio, and a global organization with a focus on providing service all from a single source.

With facilities located in Hebron, KY, Queretaro, MX, Miamisburg, OH, and Columbia, SC the HAHN Automation Group is a full-service, specialty machine builder—engineering, manufacturing, installing, and servicing custom application assembly and test equipment specifically in support of customers in Med-Tech, Automotive, and Transformation Technology industries. Our mission is to partner with our customers as a premier provider of innovative, well-engineered manufacturing systems and solutions to enhance their competitive advantage.