Senior Business Development Manager

Metes Group is looking for an experienced and entrepreneurial Senior Business Development Manager New Business to accelerate the international growth of the group.

An important part of your mandate will be to help shape and position the combined Metes Group offering in the market.

The group has entered a new phase of growth following the entry of a new investment partner and the acquisition of XYTECH. This combination expands the industrial platform, customer reach and production footprint. Metes Group now wants to turn this broader platform into organic growth across the group, starting in the Benelux and expanding over time into other European markets.

METES, METECH and XYTECH each bring established capabilities and customer relationships, but the newly formed group does not yet have a joint customer base. You will help turn their complementary strengths into a clear, integrated customer offering and create new business across the group.

The role therefore requires more than lead generation. You need to understand which customers, applications and opportunities fit the capabilities and long-term direction of the group.

This is a true hunting role. Your primary responsibility is to identify the right industrial companies, open doors at decision-making level and develop first contacts into qualified business opportunities for METES in Belgium, METECH in Serbia and XYTECH in the Netherlands and China.

You will not take over an existing customer portfolio. Your focus is on creating new business. Once an opportunity develops into a running project, the Sales Manager and Internal Sales team take over the commercial follow-up. This allows you to remain focused on developing the market, building relationships and creating the next opportunity.

You will report directly to the Group CEO and work closely with Sales, Engineering, Purchasing and the management teams across the group.

Your role

You will take ownership of new business development from market analysis through first customer engagement and qualification. You will help define how the capabilities of METES, METECH and XYTECH are presented as one relevant offering, determine which markets and customer segments offer the strongest potential, and build a structured pipeline of qualified opportunities.

Your primary commercial territory is the Netherlands and Belgium. You will analyse target markets, competitors and accounts, and use an existing industrial network to gain access to OEMs, machinery manufacturers and other companies that outsource sheet metal components, mechanical parts and complex assemblies. Once a strong pipeline has been established, the scope can expand further within Europe.

At customer level, you will engage with General Management, Purchasing, Engineering, Operations and Supply Chain. You will understand the customer's business, sourcing strategy, volumes and technical requirements and connect these to the right combination of engineering and production capabilities within Metes Group. Together with Sales and Engineering, you will develop relevant opportunities through RFQ, quotation, audit, trial production and first order.

You will maintain focus on opportunities with sufficient strategic fit, revenue potential and long-term value. Your involvement continues until a project is commercially and operationally established, after which you organise a clear handover to the Sales Manager and Internal Sales team. You will also represent Metes Group with prospects, at industry events and within relevant industrial networks. Success is measured by the quality of the opportunities you create and, ultimately, the new business generated.

The position is home based. You will work from an office in the Venray area or in Dilsen- Stokkem, on average one day per week. The role involves regular travel to prospects and customers in the Netherlands and Belgium and, later, other European markets. You will also visit the operations in Serbia and, when relevant, China or other group locations.

Who you are

You are a senior business developer with a proven record in industrial B2B sales and the acquisition of new customers. Ideally, you have worked in contract manufacturing for machinery, industrial equipment, sheet metal, mechanical production or complex assemblies and bring a strong network within the Dutch industrial market.

You combine commercial drive with analytical capability and technical understanding. You can assess markets, customers, competitors and opportunities and translate that analysis into focused action. You understand industrial manufacturing, materials, assemblies and the economics of outsourced production. You can interpret technical drawings at a basic level, ask the right questions and involve Engineering when needed.

You have the confidence and credibility to engage with engineers as well as Purchasing Directors, General Managers and business owners. You are persistent and resilient, while knowing when an opportunity is worth pursuing and when it is not. You work independently, take ownership of your results and build trust without relying on a polished sales style.

You are fluent in Dutch and English. German is a strong advantage and French is useful. A Master's degree in engineering, business engineering, economics or another analytical discipline is preferred, although substantial relevant experience and demonstrated results can also qualify.

Most importantly, you do not wait for opportunities. You create them.

Growth potential

Metes Group is growing organically and through acquisitions and wants to attract people who can grow with the organisation. This role therefore requires more than sales capabilities alone. You will need to understand the technology, customers, factories, operations and economics behind an international manufacturing business.

For someone who delivers results and demonstrates the right capabilities, there is genuine potential to progress towards broader commercial, business development or general management responsibilities. Growth is earned through performance, business judgement and demonstrated leadership.