Head of Business Development Indopac

Austal Ships is seeking a dynamic and experienced Head of Business Development – Indo-Pacific. The ideal candidate will possess exceptional commercial acumen, organizational skills, and regulatory expertise. This role demands the ability to cultivate and sustain positive relationships with regional and global leaders.

In this role, you will prioritize and execute business development strategies in alignment with overall business objectives. You will demonstrate exceptional communication and negotiation skills, maintaining an in-depth understanding of the global Defence and/or Commercial maritime landscape, with a focus on market opportunities and trends.

As the Head of Business Development – Indo-Pacific, you will optimize strategic projects across multiple geographic locations and a diverse client base, ensuring alignment with the company’s strategic goals. Join Austal Ships and play a pivotal role in driving our strategic initiatives across the Indo-Pacific region. Apply now to be part of a forward-thinking team dedicated to excellence and innovation.

Key Responsibilities:

• Identify, assess, and pursue new business opportunities in Defence & Government and Commercial markets, focusing on technology-driven solutions and supporting the operational team in planning and resourcing operational capacity.
• Investigate and support the development of adjacent markets complementary to Austal's core business and provide market insights and support to Austal USA on an ad hoc basis.
• Represent Austal Australia at trade shows and national industry meetings, actively engaging in lead generation through networking and direct outreach, converting leads into actionable opportunities with high win probabilities.
• Generate and convert opportunities to support work in Austal Vietnam and Austal Philippines, while also supporting the domestic export agenda, and lead bid and proposal efforts using cross-functional resources to deliver client-oriented, profitable bids.
• Build and share client insights, understanding and communicating their needs, buying habits, and expectations within Austal, and analyse, understand, and communicate the price to win.
• Build and mature key government relationships to support activities, develop and implement an outreach plan to establish a strategic partnerships network across the supply chain, and identify, qualify, and develop key relationships with country/region-based brokers and consultants to support business-winning activities.
• Implement ongoing market monitoring processes to analyse trends and competitor activities, delivering actionable insights, and work with marketing to produce bi-annual reports on overall trends and insights.

 Ideal Background and Experience: 

• Over 10 years of experience in defence, maritime, or shipbuilding sales roles, with a proven track record in technology-driven initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to formulate and execute commercial strategies that leverage market opportunities and integrate technology development.
• Exceptional communication and negotiation abilities, proficient in building relationships with defence and government customers.
• In-depth understanding of the global Defence and/or Commercial maritime landscape, with a focus on market opportunities and trends.
• Proven experience in building and nurturing relationships with customers, government officials, and industry partners across defence and commercial sectors, emphasizing Austal's commitment to technology and development.
• Experience in navigating complex, regulated environments, with a strong grasp of regulatory requirements relevant to our core markets.

This is a career-defining executive opportunity that will continue to ensure operational excellence, innovation and the strategic growth of this well-established and reputable organisation for years to come.