Product & Business Development Manager - Hydrogen AEM

Product & Business Development Manager - Hydrogen AEM

Bekaert Group

Zwevegem, Belgium

Purpose and Mission

The Product & Business Development Manager Hydrogen AEM drives sustainable growth in the Hydrogen AEM segment by building and converting a strong opportunity pipeline into repeat business. This role combines market and customer intelligence with hands-on sales execution to grow the customer portfolio and consistently exceed commercial targets. On the product side, the manager translates customer needs into the product roadmap and rallies the organization to bring innovations to market.

Key Activities and Responsibilities

Business Development & Customer Management

• Identify and develop new electrolyzer OEM customers and business opportunities within the AEM market.
• Build and manage a global sales pipeline, driving opportunities from prospecting through to signed supply agreements.
• Lead commercial negotiations, including pricing, volumes, and contractual agreements.
• Maintain and strengthen relationships with customers through regular engagement, site visits, and technical-commercial discussions.
• Develop annual sales forecasts, monitor performance, and consistently drive growth against targets.
• Gather and analyze market intelligence on volumes, pricing, and margins to support strategic planning.

Product Strategy & Roadmap Management

• Act as the voice of the customer by translating market requirements into product development priorities for R&D teams.
• Own the product lifecycle and define a rolling five-year product roadmap aligned with customer needs and market developments.
• Develop compelling value propositions by translating technical product performance into tangible customer benefits.
• Establish pricing strategies based on market dynamics, competitive positioning, product differentiation, and production costs.

Go-to-Market & Market Intelligence

• Lead product launches from concept to commercialization, coordinating evaluations, customer adoption plans, specifications, and performance tracking.
• Monitor industry trends, emerging technologies, and competitor activities through customer interactions, benchmarking and external partnerships.
• Capture and share application and market insights across the organization to support strategic decision-making.
• Support intellectual property initiatives and manage related agreements such as NDAs, JDAs, and collaboration contracts.
• Contribute to marketing activities, and represent Bekaert at industry events, give lectures at conferences, and customer engagements.

Skills

• Customer Focus: You build a deep understanding of customer needs and proactively anticipate future requirements. You respond quickly and effectively to customer questions and are committed to delivering long-term value.
• Relationship Building & Networking: You establish trusted relationships with customers, partners, and internal stakeholders. Through effective networking and collaboration, you create an environment of open communication and knowledge sharing.
• Entrepreneurial Mindset: You thrive in dynamic environments where structures and processes are still evolving. You take ownership, show initiative, and enjoy creating new opportunities from the ground up.
• Business Development ("Hunter") Mentality: You are energized by identifying and pursuing new business opportunities. You enjoy opening doors at new customers, building relationships from scratch, and converting opportunities into long-term partnerships.
• Communication & Presentation Skills: You are a compelling communicator who can translate technical concepts into clear customer value propositions and generate enthusiasm among prospects and stakeholders.
• Stakeholder Management: You know how to connect with the right people, both internally and externally, and align stakeholders around common objectives.
• Analytical Problem Solving: You are able to analyze complex technical and commercial challenges, identify root causes, and translate insights into practical and effective solutions.
• Commercial Negotiation Skills: You have experience negotiating commercial agreements, including pricing, volumes, contractual conditions, and long-term partnerships with senior decision-makers.
• Results Orientation: You are driven to achieve ambitious goals and deliver measurable outcomes. You mobilize internal teams, coordinate resources effectively, and ensure customer commitments are met, even in challenging situations.
• Previous Experience: • 5-8 years in business development or sales in B2B industrial, technical role in advanced components for electrochemical systems.

Qualifications and Education

• Proven experience in business development, product management, technical sales, or a related commercial role within an industrial or manufacturing environment.
• Strong technical understanding of products, applications, production processes, customer manufacturing environments, and emerging industry trends.
• Willingness to travel internationally (approximately 15–30%).
• Fluent in English; knowledge of Dutch, German, and/or Italian is considered a strong asset.
• Scientific or engineering degree; electrochemistry or materials science background is a plus; business degree is a plus.