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Business Development Manager

The Business Development Manager (BDM) role is a newly created and highly impactful position at Rubbercraft, critical to the company’s continued growth and success. Rubbercraft is seeking a motivated “hunter” who thrives on identifying, pursuing, and securing new business opportunities within a highly technical Aerospace & Defense environment.

The BDM will take urgent ownership of proposals and bids for new business opportunities with small to mid-sized customers, driving opportunity capture and increasing win rates. Because new opportunities arise daily, the successful candidate must demonstrate strong learning agility, exceptional organization, and the ability to manage multiple customer engagements simultaneously.

Rubbercraft will also assign strategic target accounts for the BDM to assess, develop, and expand. The ideal candidate brings an established network of Aerospace & Defense customer relationships and a proven track record of growing market share and capturing new business.

The BDM will work closely with Inside Sales, Customer Service, Engineering, and Program Management teams. All customer activities and pipeline management are maintained within a state-of-the-art Salesforce CRM environment. This role offers strong visibility and significant career growth potential for candidates who consistently deliver results.

About Rubbercraft (RCC): Rubbercraft is a trusted leader in engineered elastomer solutions serving aerospace, defense, and industrial markets. Our team designs and manufactures precision-molded seals, gaskets, and custom rubber components that perform in the most demanding environments. We take pride in craftsmanship, collaboration, and a culture built on innovation and reliability.

Our Mission: Become a premier partner for design and manufacture of low-mid volume, high mix of engineered seals, gaskets and rubber components to the aerospace, space, defense and energy industries by providing a world-class performance to our customers.

Reporting Structure 

• Direct Line – Vice President Business Development & Sales 

Working Conditions

• Travel required: approximately 50–60% to customer locations 
• Onsite presence at Rubbercraft’s Long Beach, California facility to integrate with the team and business operations 
• Standard office and manufacturing environment 
• Work requires substantial visual concentration and attention to detail 
• Must be able to work from written and verbal instructions 
• Manufacturing operations may require use of PPE, including safety glasses, masks, hearing protection, gowning, heel/wrist straps, and other required equipment 
• May occasionally be exposed to loud noise, dust, fumes, cold temperatures, or confined spaces 
• Physical Requirements (approximate and may vary by task)
  • Sitting: 70% 
  • Standing: 30% 
  • Lifting/Pushing: up to 20 pounds 
  • Frequent computer use in an office or cubicle workspace

Main Duties and Responsibilities:

• Proactively and urgently follow up on proposals and bids for new business opportunities, positioning Rubbercraft to improve win rates and capture additional business 
• Evaluate customer “share of wallet” opportunities and recommend strategies to expand Rubbercraft’s portion of customer spend 
• Drive long-term growth within assigned accounts and target customers 
• Introduce and communicate Rubbercraft’s value proposition to both existing and prospective customers 
• Develop and manage lead capture plans and customer engagement strategies within Salesforce CRM 
• Continuously identify and cultivate new customer relationships and business opportunities 
• Support proposal and bid development, including recommendations to improve competitiveness and increase win probability 
• Lead customer negotiations with support from internal teams 
• Collaborate with Inside Sales and Customer Service to ensure exceptional responsiveness and communication throughout the sales cycle 
• Represent the voice of the customer internally while maintaining Rubbercraft’s business interests 
• Develop deep knowledge of customer organizations, including decision makers, relationships, performance metrics, and industry recognition 
• Recommend and participate in trade shows and industry events 
• Support development of marketing materials and customer-facing content 
• Maintain accurate opportunity tracking, pipeline management, and capture activities within Salesforce CRM 
• Perform additional responsibilities as assigned

Additional Comments: The essential functions have been provided as examples of the type of work performed by employees assigned to this job classification. The Company reserves the right to modify the work assignments and/or to make reasonable accommodations so that qualified employees can perform the essential functions. The job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities. It is intended to describe the general nature of the position.

Requirements:  

• 5+ years of new business development experience within the Aerospace & Defense industry, with demonstrated success in business capture and market share growth 
• Established relationships and strong contacts within Aerospace & Defense customer organizations 
• Knowledge of rubber seals and gaskets preferred 
• Strong learning agility and ability to quickly adapt in a fast-paced environment 
• High-energy, positive personality with a strong “hunter” mentality 
• Proven ability to prepare for and lead effective customer meetings with clear agendas and objectives 
• Analytical and data-driven approach to decision-making 
• 5+ years of experience in pricing proposals, including understanding of pricing strategies, margins, EOQ concepts, and related financial drivers 
• Ability to manage multiple customer interactions and priorities simultaneously with strong attention to detail 
• Advanced Salesforce CRM proficiency 
• Highly organized, structured, and process-oriented 
• Strong preparation and planning skills for customer engagement activities 
• Demonstrated problem-solving capabilities and experience managing complex workflows and reporting processes 
• Strong focus on results, customer service, teamwork, planning, and decision-making 
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Project, and other PC-based office tools, including advanced Excel formulas and dynamic tables 
• Excellent negotiation, facilitation, and consensus-building skills 
• Resilient, assertive, and positive communication style 
• Strong listening skills with the ability to actively incorporate customer feedback 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with strong stakeholder engagement capabilities
• Education / Certification
  • Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, or related field required 
  • MBA preferred

Benefits:

At Rubbercraft, we recognize how important your career and benefits are to you and your family. We offer a full suite of benefits, including medical, dental, vision, short and long-term disability coverage, accident insurance, critical illness insurance, basic and supplemental life insurance, employee assistance plan, retirement savings and matching, and other developmental opportunities. We are committed to supporting the way you live and work.

RCC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation to complete the application process may contact Human Resources.

This position requires access to information subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Employment is contingent upon the applicant being a “U.S. person” as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.15), which includes U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, or asylees, as required by U.S. export control laws.