Business Development Manager
CAE — Ottawa
Posted 2026-11-03
Our Customer Service & Sales team is at the forefront of delivering excellence. By managing relationships, leading proactive solutions, and elevating the client experience, every interaction makes a difference. Join us to grow your career and contribute to CAE’s global mission of enhancing safety and readiness.
Description
As a member of CAE's Sales team, you will support the organization's commitment to customer excellence by developing and managing strategic relationships within the Canadian Defence and Security market. The role is responsible for driving business growth, leading opportunity capture efforts, and collaborating across multiple functions to deliver customer-focused solutions.
Key Responsibilities
- Achieve significant annual order intake targets within assigned program areas, generally valued at $50M or more.
- Identify market opportunities and develop relationships with prospective clients, partners, and existing customers.
- Develop and execute capture strategies and manage opportunity pursuits using CAE's Lead to Award (L2A) process.
- Support the positioning and promotion of CAE capabilities within the Canadian Defence and Security market.
- Collaborate with engineering and product teams to develop innovative and competitive solutions.
- Partner with marketing and communications teams to plan events, support outreach activities, deliver strategic presentations, and strengthen brand awareness.
- Work with CAE's global offsets organization to develop offset strategies and identify academic and Indigenous partnering opportunities.
- Lead multidisciplinary pursuit and capture teams and contribute to the development of win strategies and themes.
- Manage budgets and expenses associated with approved business development activities and pursuits.
- Provide leadership, operations, engineering, and management teams with visibility into key business opportunities.
- Support and, when required, lead proposal teams in the preparation and submission of competitive proposals.
- Maintain awareness of competitor capabilities, market trends, and emerging technologies.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
- 12+ years of experience in the Canadian Defence and Security industry.
- 6+ years of experience or exposure to Canadian Defence procurement processes.
- Knowledge of military air operations, maritime patrol operations, anti-submarine warfare operations, and/or related technologies gained through military or industry experience.
- Understanding of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) operations.
- Demonstrated business acumen and strategic thinking.
- Experience leading cross-functional teams and collaborating with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and business partners.
- Advanced sales, market research, and business development knowledge.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Established professional network within the Canadian Defence industry, Department of National Defence (DND), Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC), Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), or a comparable public safety and security environment.
- Ability to obtain and maintain a NATO Secret Security Clearance and Controlled Goods Clearance.
- Eligibility to work in Canada as a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or with a valid work permit.
- Ability to travel within Canada approximately 25-40% based on business needs and assignments.
- Ability to travel internationally approximately 10% as required.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master of Business Administration (MBA).
- Additional experience supporting defence, security, aerospace, or government procurement programs.
- Experience developing strategic partnerships and offset programs within the Canadian market.
- Experience participating in large-scale, complex pursuit and capture activities.
- Bilingualism in English and French
Benefits
We've designed flexible policies to support employee well-being and professional growth, based on role eligibility and business requirements:
- An environment where employee initiatives are recognized and valued
- Competitive compensation with a performance-based sales bonus
- Company benefits plan, pension plan, and employee stock purchase plan
- Collaborative, supportive, and dynamic work environment
- Opportunities for career development within a global organization
- Flexible work schedules and occasional work‑from‑home options
Base Pay Range
Our total rewards package includes base pay and benefits, with final compensation determined by experience, skill, location, and internal equity.
$129,400K - $179,400K
About CAE
At CAE, our mission is clear: to help make the world a safer place. For nearly 80 years, we’ve driven innovation in simulation, training, and mission readiness to support critical operations worldwide. By leveraging advanced technologies, we empower our customers to operate smarter, faster, and more sustainably. Join a purpose-driven organization where bold ideas are encouraged, collaboration drives progress, and your growth fuels our shared success.
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Position Type
Regular
Equal Opportunity & Accommodations
CAE is committed to providing equal opportunities to all applicants, regardless of race, nationality, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, neurodiversity, veteran status, age, or other characteristics protected by law. We encourage applicants who may not meet every qualification to apply. Reasonable accommodations are available—contact your recruiter or email CAECarrieres-Careers@cae.com if needed.
Data Privacy
As part of our process, we may use AI‑supported tools to help review applications, with human decision‑making at every step. CAE thanks all applicants for their interest. However, only those whose background and experience match the requirements of the role will be contacted.