Business Development Manager – Hybrid (DACH)

Description

To be responsible for driving sustainable revenue growth and strategic market presence across the Enterprise and Government sectors within the DACH region. The Business Development Manager Hybrid (DACH) will focus on identifying and securing high-value contracts, managing existing partnerships, and embedding SANS programs across enterprise organizations and government departments and agencies in alignment with SANS' brand, values, and mission. The successful candidate will act as a trusted partner, positioning SANS solutions to support organizational resilience, national security, cyber resilience, and professional development outcomes.### Key Responsibilities

Strategic Business Development & Market Engagement* Identify, shape, and secure complex, high-value, and often multi-year opportunities, moving toward program-based and capability-led engagements.

• Understand the DACH Enterprise and Government cybersecurity landscape to craft and implement strategies aimed at expanding SANS' presence, increasing market share, and driving long-term growth.
• Confidently engage and persuade senior enterprise executives, government officials, and civil servants by promoting SANS' best-in-class cybersecurity training solutions.
• Translate cybersecurity industry developments and emerging trends into solutions that address specific customer challenges across both enterprise and government sectors.
• Effectively communicate SANS' business strategy and the broader brand value proposition at relevant enterprise and government forums and industry events.

Client Relationship and Programme Delivery* Establish and sustain long-term, trust-based relationships with key decision-makers and influencers across enterprise organizations, government bodies, and agencies.

• Serve as a primary contact for senior stakeholders, ensuring a world-class customer experience through proactive management of customer success and satisfaction.
• Conduct regular, effective reviews of assigned accounts to assess performance and identify opportunities for further engagement.
• Facilitate the seamless onboarding of newly acquired enterprise organizations and government departments into SANS programs and services, ensuring they deliver immediate value.
• Identify cybersecurity skills gaps within enterprise organizations and government bodies and help embed professional development frameworks across departments and teams.

Sales Execution and Commercial Discipline* Own the end-to-end sales process, including opportunity qualification, solution design, pricing, proposals, and contracts.

• Provide accurate sales forecasts and maintain diligent pipeline reporting through SANS' CRM (Salesforce).
• Lead the tender process for both enterprise procurement and Government procurement opportunities, operating effectively within commercial and public sector procurement frameworks.
• Monitor the payment of customer invoices to ensure outstanding debts are settled in a timely manner.
• Maintain strong commercial discipline across deal management, governance, and internal collaboration.

Performance Metrics and Standards* Take ownership of performance metrics, including sales targets, KPIs, and other set revenue objectives.

• Act as a role model for professional and high-quality sales engagement, maintaining standards of commercial integrity.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with peers and senior executives across SANS to align strategies and share market intelligence.
• Uphold and promote the SANS brand, mission, and values in all professional interactions.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Educated to degree level or equivalent.
• Significant experience working within Enterprise and public sector or governmental organizations, with a proven ability to develop strategic relationships, navigate both commercial and public procurement frameworks, and drive revenue growth within complex enterprise and public sector environments.
• Native in German (Written and verbal).
• Able to deliver against agreed KPIs and targets.
• Strong influencing and negotiation skills in a business environment.
• Able to work well under pressure.
• Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills.
• Able to manage change, whilst aligning and prioritising multiple tasks.
• Sales focused and commercially aware of new business opportunities.
• Strong IT Skills, including experience of working with all Microsoft Office products.
• Able to use social media platforms such as LinkedIn.
• Proficient in managing customers using a CRM system.
• Able to align and prioritise multiple client accounts whilst delivering a world class service.
• Ability to use initiative and creativity to overcome customer objections.
• Decisive and forward thinking, with strong vision and strategic capability.
• The ability to plan and prioritise own workload and work to strict deadlines.
• Ability to plan, forecast and report against sales plan and targets.
• Translate customer needs into customer driven solutions.
• Ability to work autonomously and as part of a team.
• Ability to network and communicate at all levels both internally and externally.
• Ability and desire to travel to SANS events in Europe and London.

About SANS Institute

SANS Institute (SANS) launched in 1989 as a cooperative for information security thought leadership, it is SANS’ ongoing mission to empower cyber security professionals with the practical skills and knowledge they need to make our world a safer place. We fuel this effort with high quality training, certifications, scholarship academies, degree programs, cyber ranges, and resources to meet the needs of every cyber professional. Our data, research, and the top minds in cybersecurity collectively ensure that individuals and organizations have the actionable education and support they need.

Join the SANS Team At SANS, our culture is defined by Mission, Brand, People. Our goal is to hire people who understand the importance of continuing to fight against the cyber security threats (Mission) while delivering the highest quality training (Brand) to our students. We want employees whose personal values align well with our culture of fairness, honesty, customer focus, and pragmatic approach (People).