Employment Type: Full-time
Seniority: Mid-Senior / Senior Level
Function: Sales & Business Development
Sector: Defence / Aerospace / UAV / Unmanned Systems
Regional Scope: Middle East

About the Role

SEGULA Technologies Middle East is supporting a key international defence and aerospace organization in the recruitment of a Sales & Business Development Manager – UAV / Drone Systems – Middle East, based in Abu Dhabi, UAE.

We are looking for an experienced defence business-development professional with strong expertise in military UAVs, drones and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and a proven track record of developing and securing defence business across the Middle East.

The successful candidate will be responsible for identifying, developing and converting strategic business opportunities across the region, while building and maintaining senior-level relationships with Ministries of Defence, Armed Forces, Air Forces, procurement authorities, government stakeholders, defence companies, system integrators and industrial partners.

This role requires a combination of deep UAV / drone market knowledge, regional defence relationships, technical credibility and strong commercial capability.

The position is based in Abu Dhabi, with regular travel across the Middle East.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead business-development and sales activities for UAV, drone and unmanned aerial systems across the Middle East.

• Identify, qualify and develop strategic defence opportunities involving UAV platforms, payloads, mission systems and related technologies.

• Develop and execute regional business-development, market-entry and growth strategies.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with senior decision-makers across:

  • Ministries of Defence

  • Armed Forces

  • Air Forces

  • Defence procurement authorities

  • Government and security organizations

  • Defence OEMs

  • Local defence companies

  • System integrators

  • Strategic industrial partners

• Lead opportunities through the complete business-development lifecycle, including:

  • Market intelligence

  • Opportunity identification

  • Qualification

  • Capture planning

  • Customer engagement

  • Proposal development

  • Commercial negotiation

  • Contract award

  • Programme launch and sustainment

• Understand customer operational requirements and translate them into relevant UAV / UAS solutions.

• Coordinate closely with technical, engineering, programme, commercial and executive teams.

• Support technical and commercial discussions related to UAV platforms and associated mission systems.

• Prepare market assessments, capture plans, account strategies, competitive analyses and customer-engagement plans.

• Coordinate and contribute to responses for RFIs, RFPs, tenders and government procurement processes.

• Support pricing strategy, commercial negotiations and contractual discussions.

• Identify and develop appropriate regional partners, local representatives, integrators and industrial cooperation opportunities.

• Navigate defence procurement requirements, localization programmes, offsets and industrial-participation obligations across the region.

• Maintain strong awareness of competitor activity, UAV technology developments, upcoming defence programmes and customer priorities.

• Represent the organization at customer meetings, defence exhibitions, demonstrations, governmental meetings and strategic forums.

• Maintain and report an accurate regional opportunity pipeline and business-development forecast.

• Provide market intelligence and strategic recommendations to senior management.

UAV / Drone Expertise Required

Candidates must demonstrate direct professional exposure to military UAVs, drones, UAS or unmanned defence systems.

Relevant technical or commercial experience may include:

• Tactical UAV / UAS platforms

• Fixed-wing UAV systems

• Rotary-wing / VTOL UAV systems

• Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance – ISR

• EO/IR payloads

• Mission payload integration

• Ground Control Systems

• Command-and-Control systems

• C4ISR solutions

• Secure communications

• Tactical data links

• Autonomous systems

• Remote piloting and mission planning

• UAV demonstrations and flight trials

• Customer evaluations

• Defence UAV procurement programmes

• UAV lifecycle support and sustainment

• Counter-UAS exposure as an additional advantage

Experience within broader aerospace, defence electronics, autonomous systems, C4ISR or military aviationenvironments will also be valued.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 10+ years of professional experience in defence, aerospace, military technology, UAV / UAS or related sectors.

• Demonstrated experience in sales, business development, capture management or strategic account development within the defence industry.

• Direct professional experience with UAV, Drone or UAS solutions is essential.

• Proven track record of developing and winning complex defence opportunities or programmes.

• Strong knowledge of the Middle East defence market.

• Experience working across multiple Middle Eastern markets is strongly preferred.

• Established relationships with defence customers, military organizations, procurement authorities and/or defence industry stakeholders within the region.

• Strong understanding of defence procurement processes, RFIs, RFPs, tendering, technical evaluations and contract negotiations.

• Good understanding of localization, offset and industrial-participation requirements.

• Previous experience within a defence OEM, UAV manufacturer, aerospace company, defence technology organization, Ministry of Defence or Armed Forces environment is highly desirable.

• Ability to communicate credibly with senior military, governmental, commercial and technical stakeholders.

• Strong commercial negotiation, presentation and stakeholder-management skills.

• Ability to work independently and manage a geographically broad regional territory.

• Willingness to travel regularly across the Middle East.

Languages

• Fluent English is mandatory.

• Arabic is strongly preferred and will be considered a major advantage.

Preferred Background

We are particularly interested in candidates currently or previously working with:

• UAV / UAS manufacturers

• Military drone manufacturers

• Defence aerospace OEMs

• Autonomous-system companies

• Defence electronics companies

• C4ISR organizations

• Military aviation organizations

• Defence ministries

• Armed Forces UAV units

• Defence system integrators

• Regional defence technology companies

Important

This role is not intended for a generalist sales or business-development profile.

Candidates must have demonstrable experience within the defence sector and direct exposure to UAV / Drone / UAS technologies, programmes or customers.

Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE
Regional Responsibility: Middle East