Business Development Manager
$95k - $125k/yr+ Variable compensation
Expert
Austin, TX, USA
Hybrid
Sales & Account ManagementAccount Executive, Account Management
About the job
Requirements
- Significant experience, typically 8 or more years, in B2B sales, business development, or consulting, ideally within an engineering services, technical consulting, or professional services firm.
- A proven track record of selling complex technical services or solutions and closing high-value, multi-stakeholder deals.
- Passion for new technologies and the ability to engage credibly with engineers and technical decision-makers.
- Strong understanding of the Austin industrial and technology ecosystem, including semiconductors, electronics, robotics, mobility, and hardware startups.
- An engineering background or experience in sectors combining mechanical, electronic, or robotics expertise.
- Demonstrated leadership skills, with experience managing or coaching a sales team.
- Strong negotiation, communication, and executive presence.
- Resilience and composure under pressure, with the ability to navigate complex and fast-moving situations.
- Persistence, rigor, and an entrepreneurial approach, taking ownership and working to succeed at new challenges.
Responsibilities
- Build and grow a strategic account portfolio and establish Kickmaker’s presence in Central Texas through outbound prospecting by phone, field work, and events; executive-level networking; and thought leadership through media, conferences, and industry forums.
- Lead discovery and sales meetings with senior stakeholders, including chief technology officers, vice presidents of engineering, program directors, and procurement stakeholders.
- Analyze client needs and shape tailored, value-based commercial offers in close coordination with technical teams.
- Own the full sales cycle, from lead qualification through proposal, negotiation of commercial terms, and contract signature, including master service agreements and statements of work.
- Oversee project delivery with partner organizations, ensuring alignment on scope, quality, timelines, and client satisfaction.
- Drive account expansion and long-term partnerships through regular business reviews and proactive relationship management.
- Monitor the market, competitive landscape, and industry trends to identify opportunities and inform go-to-market strategy.
- Partner with Human Resources and Talent Acquisition on recruitment, including candidate sourcing, technical and cultural interviews, and offer alignment.
- Build a strong, trust-based relationship with each Kicker.
- Support and follow up with each Kicker throughout their assignment with the partner, from onboarding to mission completion.
- Define and implement reporting processes and key performance indicators for pipeline, conversion, utilization, client satisfaction, and retention, and present regular business updates to leadership.
- Lead and mentor the junior sales team, supporting their professional development and performance.
- Contribute to continuous improvement of sales and delivery processes, and ensure compliance with current health, safety, and environment rules and company standards.
Desired Qualifications
- An established network across key accounts and partners in the Austin industrial and technology ecosystem is a significant plus.
About the company
Kickmaker helps high-tech companies turn prototypes into mass-produced products. It offers turnkey industrialization or stage-specific support across the full product lifecycle—design strategy, industrialization, production monitoring, quality control, and lifecycle management—for industries like drones, robotics, mobility, electrification, medical devices, embedded AI, IoT, and consumer electronics. It operates through four agencies (Paris, Lyon, Nantes, Shenzhen) plus urban micro-factories and leverages a community of about 150 engineers to deliver localized, scalable manufacturing. Its goal is to bridge prototype development and mass production by making high-tech products manufacturable at scale and ready for market deployment.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
Early VC
Total Funding
$5.5M
Headquarters
Paris, France
Founded
2016
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Kickmaker opened a tri-continental network and new U.S. facility by August 2026.
- Kickmaker published fresh 2026 robotics and AI-physicality content, signaling active demand generation.
- Medical and robotics partnerships in 2025 reached surgeons and industrial buyers, strengthening credibility.
What critics are saying
- Services are commoditizing as Etteplan, Apside, and similar firms chase the same projects.
- Hardware startups still cut spending fast; one funding winter hits utilization within quarters.
- Kickmaker owns little proprietary product; clients can internalize industrialization and squeeze margins.
What makes Kickmaker unique
- Kickmaker spans prototype-to-series industrialization across seven offices and urban micro-factories.
- Kickmaker keeps client IP in-house while handling design, software, data, and architecture.
- Kickmaker specializes in hardware-heavy categories: robotics, medical devices, electrification, drones, and embedded AI.
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Benefits
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Paid Sick Leave
- 401(k) Retirement Plan