Business Development Director

Freeform is a stealth-mode metal 3D printing startup founded on the belief that transforming the way things are made is essential to making the world a better place. Our advanced technology stack lies at the intersection of hardware, software, and data science, creating the foundation for the world’s first fully autonomous and scalable manufacturing system. Our core team hails from several of the world’s most innovative companies such as SpaceX, Hyperloop, and Blue Origin, and we have secured significant funding from several of Silicon Valley’s top venture capital firms.

We are actively looking for a Business Development Director to lead customer acquisition and development activities as well as play a key role in the expansion and continued refinement of our overall go-to-market and sales strategy.

To be successful in this role, you must have experience in business strategy and development, targeted sales expertise, and thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, and performance-minded environment. Freeform’s manufacturing-as-a-service business model means that a successful selling effort requires experience selling a novel technology or technical service, the ability to build a strong justification for business transformation, and tenacity to navigate a complex manufacturing service sales process. You’ll work with a broad degree of autonomy and play a key role in Freeform’s success by leading the charge on customer development activities and partnering with our technical team to respond to specific customer needs.

Responsibilities:

• Serve Freeform’s customers by prospecting, qualifying, and generating new business.
• Track metal additive manufacturing market/industry trends, budgets, and competitive environment and remain agile to quickly respond to rapidly changing market dynamics.
• Evaluate Freeform technologies, services, capabilities, and goals for alignment with new market opportunities.
• Stimulate market awareness of Freeform printing services and build an active sales funnel of qualified opportunities.
• Direct, develop, execute and evolve customer growth plans.
• Build Freeform advocates (designers, engineers, fabricators, and senior leadership) at each account.
• Work with engineering and operations teams to develop and gain buy in for technical solutions, cost and schedule estimates, and pricing recommendations for new business opportunities.
• Drive continuous improvement into the customer acquisition and development process to maximize pace of revenue growth.
• Gather customer requirements and collaborate in a team environment working side-by-side with the engineering team to iterate on and improve Freeform product offerings.
• Provide input to executive and engineering team to guide company direction and drive product definition and ensure product-market fit.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in business, engineering, or similar technical discipline.
• 4+ years of professional experience in customer facing roles such as technical consulting, technical program management, business development, or similar.
• 1+ years of technical business development or B2B sales experience in a hardware or engineering company/environment).
• Must be willing to travel (up to 50%).
• Able to provide legal proof of identity and authorization to work in the United States, which applies to U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens alike. [Freeform does not currently sponsor H-1B visa petitions.]

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• 7+ years of technical business development or B2B sales experience.
• Proven ability to penetrate, build and develop meaningful, long-term relationships with senior executives and other key stakeholders within key customers in highly technical, solution-oriented environments.
• Knowledge of metal additive manufacturing processes and industries.
• Independently motivated with a demonstrated track record of pursuing and closing complex deals.
• Energized by a complex and evangelist sales process advocating for change to a new technology.
• Ability to complete projects with ownership of the end-to-end process with minimal oversight.
• Strong interpersonal, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Demonstrated technical aptitude for the products you’ve supported.
• Strategic thinker with a strong business acumen.
• Team player, positive attitude, growth mindset, integrity, accountability, adaptability, entrepreneurial, driven, results-oriented and ethical.

Location:

• We are located in Hawthorne in a 35,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility featuring large open spaces for team collaboration, R&D, and production, as well as easy access to the 405, 105, and 110 freeways. Our facility is in the heart of LA’s vibrant emerging tech eco-system alongside many other high growth start-ups and enterprises.

Why Freeform?

• We have an inclusive and diverse culture that values collaboration, learning, and making deliberate data-driven decisions.
• We offer a competitive compensation package that includes significant equity in the company, as well as a full suite of additional benefits including premium health care (medical, dental, and vision) and life insurance, generous Paid Parental Leave and extended transition back to work for birthing parent, 401K, and PTO.
• Our work environment includes casual dress, flexible work hours, a fully stocked kitchenette, free parking, daily paid-for lunches, and regular catered team-building events.
• Freeform is an Equal Opportunity Employer that values diversity; employment with Freeform is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.