Director Business Development

Location: Plymouth, Michigan, United States of America
Job Category: Sales & Marketing
Req ID: WD48191

What You Will Do

The Director of Business Development is responsible for defining and executing global growth strategies for assigned strategic customers and markets. This role drives long‑term revenue growth, technology adoption, and profitability by shaping customer strategies, strengthening executive‑level relationships, and ensuring enterprise‑wide alignment to global commercial and product roadmaps. This leader serves as the primary commercial and strategic interface with key customers, fostering deep partnerships across engineering, purchasing, product planning, quality, and strategy functions. The Director will lead cross‑functional teams to translate customer insights into differentiated solutions, new business wins, and sustainable competitive advantage.

How You Will Do It

  • Own and lead global customer and market growth strategies, identifying new business opportunities that drive technology adoption, expand share of wallet, and improve long‑term profitability.

  • Build and maintain senior‑level customer relationships across all relevant functions, acting as a trusted advisor to customer leadership while enabling collaborative innovation and portfolio expansion.

  • Lead cross‑functional commercial execution, serving as the voice of the customer during program development, launches, product ramp‑ups, and innovation initiatives.

  • Align customer technical roadmaps with internal product, technology, and market strategies, ensuring mutual value creation and long‑term partnership sustainability.

  • Drive global business performance, overseeing key commercial metrics including revenue, growth, share, P&L performance, and profitability for assigned customers or segments.

  • Develop and execute multi‑year (3–5 year) strategic customer and market plans, ensuring new business is secured at target margins across regions and functions.

  • Lead global commercial negotiations, including pricing strategies, long‑term agreements, and complex sales contracts to optimize value for both the customer and the enterprise.

  • Advance corporate growth priorities, strengthening customer and market intelligence, identifying emerging trends, and delivering differentiated, value‑added solutions.

  • Champion the voice of the customer internally, providing clear input on customer expectations, satisfaction, and competitive positioning.

  • Ensure successful launch and commercialization of new customer products, supporting best‑in‑class customer satisfaction and execution excellence.

What We Look For

Required

  • Bachelor’s degree required in Business, Engineering, or a related discipline

  • Minimum of 10+ years of experience in OEM‑facing commercial, business development, or customer leadership roles, with demonstrated success driving growth and transformation.

  • Proven “hunter” mentality combined with a strong strategic mindset and comfort operating in ambiguous, fast‑evolving environments.

  • Demonstrated ability to lead and influence across functions, geographies, and cultures in a global matrix organization.

  • Deep understanding of the automotive market and electrification trends, including powertrain evolution, vehicle architecture, and system‑level integration.

  • Technical acumen in safety systems and low‑voltage electronics preferred.

  • Strong analytical, critical‑thinking, and problem‑solving skills, with the agility to translate insights into executable business strategies.

  • Ability to identify market opportunities and risks, develop compelling business cases, and drive strategic and tactical execution.

  • Willingness to travel 5–15% domestically and internationally.

  • Ability to translate customer needs and technical requirements into solutions that drive customer success and long‑term enterprise value.

Preferred

  • Master’s degree or MBA strongly preferred.

#LI-TD1

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What you get

  • Medical, dental and vision care coverage and a 401(k) savings plan with company matching – all starting on date of hire

  • Tuition reimbursement, perks, and discounts

  • Parental and caregiver leave programs

  • All the usual benefits such as paid time off, flexible spending, short-and long-term disability, basic life insurance, business travel insurance, and Employee Assistance Program

  • Global market strength and worldwide market share leadership

  • HQ location earns LEED certification for sustainability plus a full-service cafeteria and workout facility

  • Clarios has been recognized as one of 2026's Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere. This prestigious recognition marks the fourth consecutive year Clarios has received this distinction.

Who we are

Clarios is the force behind the world’s most recognizable car battery brands, powering vehicles from leading automakers like Ford, General Motors, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. With 18,000 employees worldwide, we develop, manufacture, and distribute energy storage solutions while recovering, recycling, and reusing up to 99% of battery materials—setting the standard for sustainability in our industry. At Clarios, we’re not just making batteries; we’re shaping the future of sustainable transportation. Join our mission to innovate, push boundaries, and make a real impact. Discover your potential at Clarios—where your power meets endless possibilities.

Veterans/Military Spouses

We value the leadership, adaptability, and technical expertise developed through military service. At Clarios, those capabilities thrive in an environment built on grit, ingenuity, and passion—where you can grow your career while helping to power progress worldwide. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to protected characteristics.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We recognize that people come with a wealth of experience and talent beyond just the technical requirements of a job. If your experience is close to what you see listed here, please apply. Diversity of experience and skills combined with passion is key to challenging the status quo. Therefore, we encourage people from all backgrounds to apply to our positions. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, status as a protected veteran or other protected characteristics protected by law. As a federal contractor, we are committed to not discriminating against any applicant or employee based on these protected statuses. We will also take affirmative action to ensure equal employment opportunities. Please let us know if you require accommodations during the interview process by emailing Special.Accommodations@Clarios.com. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and value diversity in our teams in terms of work experience, area of expertise, and all characteristics protected by laws in the countries where we operate. For more information on our commitment to sustainability, diversity, and equal opportunity, please read our latest report. We want you to know your rights because EEO is the law.

A Note to Job Applicants

Please be aware of scams being perpetrated through the Internet and social media platforms. Clarios will never require a job applicant to pay money as part of the application or hiring process.

To All Recruitment Agencies

Clarios does not accept unsolicited agency resumes/CVs. Please do not forward resumes/CVs to our careers email addresses, Clarios employees or any other company location. Clarios is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes/CVs.

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