Major Programmes Sales Lead

We’re building the UK's next generation engineering powerhouse, providing critical technology that strengthens national security and resilience. b. This role may also suit candidates with titles such as: Capture Manager, Business Development Director, Bid Director, or Sales Director (Defence).

We specialise in turning advances in sensing, AI, and communications into operational capability for the edge, where connectivity may be degraded or denied. Our work focuses on accelerating the deployment of technology, improving decision-making for frontline teams, and protecting people and critical assets in demanding environments. Headquartered in Bristol, Rowden employs around 200 people and operates over 20,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing facilities.

We have a growing international footprint and are one of Europe’s fastest-growing engineering businesses.

About The Role

As Business Development / Sales Manager, you'll be responsible for leading and delivering complex captures in regulated procurement environments. This is a senior role with dual focus: leading from the front on major government sales (across defence, national security, CNI and emergency response), whilst amplifying the impact of the wider sales team. This role will suit a professional with strong first-principles analytical ability and genuine creativity – someone who can deconstruct complex problems, generate original approaches and shape competitive strategy from the ground up, rather than simply replicating processes learned elsewhere.

This is an ideal role for someone who has experience leading high value (£10m+) complex captures looking for their next challenge as part of a dynamic, high growth business.

Compensation

is tailored to the scope of the role and the specific experience a candidate brings. Because that can vary significantly, we do not always publish a fixed salary band.

openly at the first stage of the process and can share an indicative range before either side invests significant time. Candidates must be eligible for SC clearance. uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels First and foremost, this role is about converting qualified sales opportunities into contracted work in our order book.

You will work across sales, engineering and delivery to make that happen, but you will be expected to do the substantive work yourself – shaping bids, structuring arguments and driving submissions. This is not a managerial post; it is a hands-on capture role with direct accountability for outcomes. Sales Strategy & Execution Lead enterprise-scale sales opportunities (typically £10M+) from origination to closure, ensuring momentum across qualification, capture, bid, negotiation, and contracting.

Develop clear win strategies, including competitor analysis, differentiation, and risk mitigation. Identify, evaluate, and secure strategic industry partners to form bid winning teams. Reporting & Sales Operations Work closely with revenue operations and executive leadership to ensure robust sales discipline and accountability.

Leadership While this is not a line management role, we would expect you to use your experience to raise the standard of capture across the business – coaching colleagues, sharing judgement and helping others think more clearly about how we pursue and win work: Role model the behaviours and habits of a high-performing sales organisation - energising the team, reinforcing customer-centricity, and fostering accountability and ownership. Guide and coach the wider team to develop capture strategies across key verticals: defence, national security, emergency response, and Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). Serve as a coach and mentor: encouraging creative thinking and helping team members overcome technical, commercial, or political blockers.