Senior Business Development Manager- Water Treatment Projects

We are recruiting for a Senior Business Development Manager – Water Treatment Projects for our client to be based in Dubai, UAE, a well-established engineering solutions provider with a strong presence across the GCC. The company specializes in delivering integrated water and wastewater treatment solutions for municipal, industrial, commercial, and infrastructure projects. With decades of regional experience, it has built a strong reputation for executing complex turnkey EPC projects while providing long-term operations and maintenance support to both public and private sector clients. Salary - 18,000- 25,000 AED+ Commissions Position Summary We are seeking a highly accomplished and commercially driven Business Development Manager with a minimum of 15 years of proven experience in the GCC market, capable of leading strategic sales, business development, market expansion, and revenue growth across the region. The ideal candidate will bring a strong track record in water and wastewater treatment, EPC, O&M, electromechanical works, industrial utilities, infrastructure, or related engineering sectors. Key Responsibilities (Not Limited To) The Business Development Manager shall be responsible for, but not limited to, the following: Strategic Sales & Business Growth • Develop and execute the company’s GCC sales and business development strategy aligned with revenue and profitability targets. • Build and maintain a strong pipeline of opportunities across EPC, design-build, O&M, retrofit, rehabilitation, BOOT/BOT, and technology-led projects. • Identify, pursue, and secure new business opportunities in the water, wastewater, desalination, TSE, industrial treatment, pumping stations, STP/WWTP, and related infrastructure sectors. • Drive market penetration in UAE, KSA, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and other relevant GCC territories. Client & Market Development • Establish and maintain high-level relationships with: • Government and semi-government entities • Municipalities and utility authorities • Industrial clients and developers • Consultants / PMCs / EPC contractors • Technology partners / OEMs / strategic investors • Lead prequalification, vendor registration, tender intelligence, and opportunity tracking. • Position the company early in the project cycle through consultants, specifiers, and decision-makers. Commercial Leadership & Opportunity Conversion • Lead opportunity qualification based on technical fit, commercial viability, risk profile, payment terms, and strategic value. • Develop bid / no-bid strategies and support pursuit planning for high-value projects. • Lead pricing strategy, scope positioning, partner strategy, and commercial negotiations. • Support or lead consortium / JV / agency / strategic alliance discussions where required. • Ensure opportunities pursued are aligned with company capability, risk appetite, and profitability objectives. Tendering & Proposal Strategy • Work closely with proposals, engineering, procurement, project, and finance teams to ensure technically competitive and commercially sound submissions. • Oversee and guide: • EOIs / prequalification submissions • Budgetary and firm proposals • Technical-commercial offers • Clarification responses • Deviation sheets • Post-tender negotiations • Ensure strong control over commercial exposure, exclusions, qualifications, and contractual risk. Leadership & Governance • Lead, mentor, and structure the sales / business development team with clear KPIs, KRAs, accountability, and reporting discipline. • Drive a culture of market intelligence, proactive follow-up, commercial ownership, and forecast accuracy. • Maintain and present structured reports on: • Pipeline value and quality • Order intake • Conversion ratio • Margin outlook • Strategic accounts • Market trends and competitor activity Core Experience Required The candidate must possess substantial and demonstrable GCC market experience, including but not limited to: • Minimum 15 years of progressive experience in the GCC in sales, business development, commercial leadership, or strategic account management. • Proven experience in one or more of the following sectors: • Water & wastewater treatment -Desalination / RO / UF / STP / WWTP / TSE • EPC / electromechanical contracting • Industrial process utilities • Infrastructure / utility projects • O&M / lifecycle service contracts • Environmental engineering / treatment solutions • Proven exposure to: • Government and semi-government clients • Municipalities and utility authorities • Industrial and infrastructure clients • Consultants / PMC firms • EPC contractors and developers • OEMs and technology providers 3. Proof of References & Demonstrated Success (Mandatory) • Applicants must be able to provide clear evidence of performance and market credibility, including but not limited to: • Verifiable references from previous employers, clients, consultants, or strategic partners within the GCC. Demonstrated track record of: • Securing and closing high-value projects in the GCC • Generating measurable annual order intake / revenue growth • Developing new markets, clients, or sectors • Winning direct awards, negotiated contracts, or major tenders • Establishing successful strategic partnerships / JVs / agency relationships • Ability to present a portfolio / list of major projects or contracts influenced, originated, or closed by the candidate. • Evidence of strong network access and relationship strength across relevant GCC stakeholders. • Proven success in building and converting a healthy opportunity pipeline into awarded business. Minimum Qualifications • Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Business, Marketing, or a related field (Engineering background strongly preferred for technical sectors.) Preferred Qualifications • MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification in business / management is an advantage. Additional certifications in: • Sales leadership • Commercial / contract management • Business strategy • Key account management • Negotiation or project commercial management Show more

Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Business, Marketing, or a related field (engineering background strongly preferred for technical sectors). Preferred Qualifications: MBA or equivalent postgraduate qualification in business/management is an advantage. Additional certifications in: Sales leadership; Commercial/contract management; Business strategy; Key account management; Negotiation or project commercial management.

Key Responsibilities include: Strategic Sales & Business Growth — develop and execute GCC sales and business development strategy aligned with revenue and profitability targets; build and maintain a strong pipeline across EPC, design-build, O&M, retrofit, rehabilitation, BOOT/BOT, and technology-led projects; identify and secure new opportunities in water, wastewater, desalination, TSE, industrial treatment, pumping stations, STP/WWTP, and related sectors; drive market penetration in UAE, KSA, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and other GCC territories. Client & Market Development — establish and maintain relationships with government entities, municipalities, utility authorities, industrial clients, consultants/PMCs/EPC contractors, technology partners/OEMs; lead prequalification, vendor registration, tender intelligence, and opportunity tracking; position the company early in the project cycle. Commercial Leadership & Opportunity Conversion — lead opportunity qualification based on technical fit, commercial viability, risk, payment terms, and strategic value; develop bid/no-bid strategies and support pursuit planning; lead pricing, scope positioning, partner strategy, and commercial negotiations; support or lead consortium/JV/agency discussions; ensure alignment with capability and profitability. Tendering & Proposal Strategy — collaborate with proposals, engineering, procurement, project, and finance teams to ensure competitive and sound submissions; oversee EOIs/prequalification, budgets, firm proposals, technical-commercial offers, clarifications, deviation sheets, post-tender negotiations; control commercial exposure and contractual risk. Leadership & Governance — lead and mentor the sales/business development team with KPIs/KRAs; foster market intelligence, proactive follow-up, commercial ownership, and forecast accuracy; maintain reports on pipeline, order intake, conversion, margin, strategic accounts, and market trends.