Business Development Director, Formant

• 7–15 years of enterprise sales or business development in industrial / OT software — at companies such as Rockwell Automation, Honeywell, Emerson, AVEVA, ABB, Siemens, AspenTech, PTC, GE Digital, or OSIsoft
• Proven, active relationships with VP Operations, Plant Directors, GMs of Fabs, or Heads of Smart Manufacturing at mid-to-large manufacturing companies. Not historical contacts — people who take your call
• Direct experience selling into at least one of Formant's Tier 1 verticals: semiconductors & electronics, pharmaceuticals & biotech, or energy & utilities
• Track record of closing six-figure enterprise software or SaaS deals with 3–9 month sales cycles
• Genuine comfort — and genuine excitement — about working in a fast-moving startup where you build the playbook rather than follow one
• Hunters, not farmers — people who find energy in finding and closing new business, not managing existing accounts
• Operator-empathetic closers — you've spent enough time with operations teams to earn credibility in the first 10 minutes of a conversation, and you know that the VP Ops doesn't want a pitch deck — they want someone who gets it
• Change-embracers — you thrive when the product, the pitch, and the go-to-market are all evolving simultaneously, and you bring clarity rather than anxiety to that ambiguity
• Mission-driven people who believe that better AI in manufacturing operations prevents accidents, reduces waste, and makes factories safer for the people who work in them

Desirable

• We're hiring a Business Developer — Advanced Manufacturing — a commercially elite, network-driven operator who already has a seat at the table with the VP of Operations, General Manager, and Head of Smart Manufacturing at the facilities we're targeting
• This is not a traditional sales role. The BD is Formant's Connector: the person whose first call to a VP Ops at a semiconductor fab or pharma plant gets picked up — because they've already earned that trust over years of working in these environments. Their network is the asset
• You'll be supported by Forward Deployed Engineers for technical delivery and a founding team that leads deals alongside you. What we need from you is the credibility, the relationships, and the hunger to activate them
• Map your network to Formant's target account list — semiconductors, pharma, energy, chemicals, automotive — and identify the fastest paths to qualified conversations
• Open warm doors with VP Operations, General Managers of Fabs and Facilities, and Heads of Smart Manufacturing at Tier 1 and Tier 2 accounts. Your relationships are how we get in the room
• Run executive-level discovery — articulate Formant's value proposition with confidence, translate customer pain into a compelling case, and qualify opportunities with precision
• Own the full sales cycle from first conversation through signed contract — qualification, discovery, demo coordination (with our Forward Deployed Engineers), proposal, negotiation, close
• Build multi-threaded account relationships — engaging operations, OT/IT architecture, and economic buyers simultaneously so deals don't hinge on a single champion
• Hit quarterly pipeline and bookings targets. 12-month goal: $200K+ in new ARR, 3–5 signed deals, 20+ qualified opportunities in CRM
• Bring the field back to the team — your ground-level read on buyer priorities, objections, and competitive dynamics directly informs how we build the product and sharpen the message
• Identify and pursue speaking and presence opportunities at SEMI, ARC Industry Forum, Automation Fair, and vertical trade shows where your credibility opens doors that booths don't
• Partner with Forward Deployed Engineers on seamless handoffs from sale to implementation — you own the relationship, they own the delivery
• Cultivate referral relationships with SCADA integrators, OT consultancies, and ecosystem partners inside Rockwell, Honeywell, AVEVA, and Emerson — people who call you when their customers have the problem we solve
• Co-develop go-to-market materials with key integration partners and represent Formant at partner events