Sales/BD Manager

Ready to build the sales engine behind next-gen photonics?

Ever wondered what it’s like to drive growth for cutting-edge laser and photonic integrated circuit technology? Here’s your chance to be at the intersection of industry changing innovation and high impact customer relationships. Join an agile, internationally minded team pushing precision optics forward for sectors like aerospace, smartphone manufacturing, communications and sensing.

Why this role?

· You’ll own the commercial process from day one, leads, CRM, quotations, and pipeline management.

· There’s already inbound interest. Your mission? Build a process that ensures no opportunity gets missed.

· Work alongside a technical team building cutting-edge laser and photonics products.

· Flexible hybrid setup; ideally 2 days per week in the Karlsruhe office.

· Travel to international exhibitions and client meetings (~20-30% travel).

What you’ll be doing

· Set up a functioning sales funnel and CRM from the ground up.

· Own the first and second level of communication with customers, responding to inquiries, handling quotes, qualifying leads.

· Work cross-functionally with engineers to ensure accurate, technical responses where needed.

· Support marketing by helping shape product materials, decks, and outreach campaigns.

· Prioritize and nurture leads based on commercial viability and product fit.

What you’ll need

• You bring several years of sales or business development strength in high-tech, ideally in photonics, lasers or optics

· Experience setting up CRM tools, defining customer processes, and managing full sales cycles.

• Presenting at international events, crafting strategic pricing or pitch materials and tracking performance excite you

· Strong communication and relationship-building skills.

· Fluent English; German a bonus.

Nice to have

· Experience working in a startup or scale-up environment, building from scratch, not just maintaining.

· Comfort interacting with technical teams and translating product features into benefits.

Interested in shaping the commercial backbone of a pioneering photonics startup?

Send your CV or reach out to start the conversation.

Darwin Recruitment is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

Jack Kindell