Business Development Director

Element has an exciting opportunity for a Business Development Director (BDD) to lead and grow our commercial operations based in New Berlin, Wisconsin. This is a highly visible, onsite leadership role responsible for driving revenue growth, strengthening customer relationships, and leading a team of commercial professionals serving the materials testing, failure analysis, metallurgy, polymers, forging, casting, steel, and industrial manufacturing sectors.

As a key member of the local leadership team, the Business Development Director will act as a working manager, balancing personal business development responsibilities with direct leadership of a team of three commercial professionals. This individual will play a critical role in evolving the commercial strategy, elevating team performance, and driving a culture of accountability, collaboration, and customer focus.

The successful candidate will bring proven success in the Testing, Inspection & Certification (TIC) industry or closely related technical services environments and possess the leadership capability to inspire change, improve sales effectiveness, and accelerate profitable growth.

This position requires daily onsite presence in New Berlin, WI.

Commercial Leadership & Business Growth

Lead business development efforts across key markets including polymers, materials testing, failure analysis, metallurgy, forging, casting, steel mills, and industrial manufacturing.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive commercial growth strategy aligned with business objectives and market opportunities.
• Drive new business acquisition while expanding strategic relationships within existing accounts.
• Identify opportunities to cross-sell and expand utilization of Element's testing, inspection, certification, and engineering services.
• Lead complex sales opportunities involving engineering, operations, quality, procurement, and executive-level stakeholders.
• Maintain ownership of key strategic accounts and high-value customer relationships.

People Leadership & Talent Development

• Directly manage and develop a team of three commercial professionals.
• Establish a culture of accountability, urgency, collaboration, and commercial excellence.
• Coach team members on prospecting, pipeline development, account management, qualification, negotiation, and closing strategies.
• Conduct regular one-on-one meetings, performance reviews, pipeline reviews, and development planning.
• Recruit, onboard, and develop top commercial talent as needed.
• Serve as a role model for customer engagement, sales discipline, and leadership behaviors.

Commercial Strategy

• Assess current commercial practices and implement improvements to drive sustainable growth.
• Partner with laboratory leadership to refine and execute go-to-market strategies.
• Develop sales processes, performance metrics, and operating rhythms that improve productivity and forecasting accuracy.
• Create and execute action plans to improve market penetration, customer retention, and revenue performance.
• Champion change management initiatives that strengthen commercial effectiveness and organizational performance.

Pipeline & Forecast Management

• Lead weekly pipeline and opportunity reviews.
• Ensure CRM accuracy, forecasting discipline, and sales process compliance.
• Monitor business development activity, conversion rates, and revenue performance.
• Identify at-risk opportunities and implement recovery strategies.
• Drive data-based decision-making and accountability throughout the commercial organization.

Cross Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with General Management, Operations, Technical Experts, Finance, and Customer Service teams.
• Translate customer requirements into technically and commercially viable solutions.
• Support strategic account initiatives and major customer engagements.
• Align commercial activities with laboratory capacity, capabilities, and growth objectives.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Marketing, or related discipline preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive business development, technical sales, account management, or commercial leadership experience.
• Prior leadership experience managing business development, sales, or account management teams.
• Experience within the Testing, Inspection & Certification (TIC) industry strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated success selling technical services within materials testing, failure analysis, metallurgy, polymers, manufacturing, metals, forging, casting, steel, or related industries.
• Proven ability to lead organizational change and improve commercial performance.
• Strong CRM proficiency and sales analytics capabilities.

Skills & Attributes

• Strategic thinker with a hands-on leadership style.
• Proven ability to drive revenue growth and commercial transformation.
• Strong coaching, mentoring, and team development skills.
• High level of business acumen and customer focus.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and relationship-building abilities.
• Results-oriented with a strong sense of ownership and accountability.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment requiring both leadership and personal sales contribution.

Element is one of the fastest growing testing, inspection and certification businesses in the world. Globally we have more than 9,000 brilliant minds operating from 270 sites across 30 countries. Together we share an ambitious purpose to 'Make tomorrow safer than today'.

When failure in use is not an option, we help customers make certain that their products, materials, processes and services are safe, compliant and fit for purpose. From early R&D, through complex regulatory approvals and into production, our global laboratory network of scientists, engineers, and technologists support customers to achieve assurance over product quality, sustainable outcomes, and market access.

While we are proud of our global reach, working at Element feels like being part of a smaller company. We empower you to take charge of your career, and reward excellence and integrity with growth and development.

Industries across the world depend on our care, attention to detail and the absolute accuracy of our work. The role we have to play in creating a safer world is much bigger than our organization.

At Element, we always take pride in putting our people first. We are an equal opportunity employer that recognizes diversity and inclusion as fundamental to our Vision of becoming "the world's most trusted testing partner".

All suitably qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment on the basis of objective work related criteria and without regard for the following: age, disability, ethnic origin, gender, marital status, race, religion, responsibility of dependents, sexual orientation, or gender identity or other characteristics in accordance with the applicable governing laws or other characteristics in accordance with the applicable governing laws.