Business Development Manager – Defense
HP
This is a strategic, customer-facing role focused on growing HP's presence with defence customers including national Ministries of Defence, prime contractors, and the emerging defence technology and start-up ecosystem. Working in overlay to our existing account teams, you will shape and execute the regional Defence strategy, open new accounts, and build the relationships, pipeline, and programmes that drive long-term growth.
You'll act as the connective tissue between customers, account teams, channel partners, and the wider HP organisation, translating defence-sector requirements into opportunities and ensuring we are positioned to win.
What you'll do?
- Own and grow the end-to-end Defence business across the Nordics, in partnership with account teams.
- Develop and own a multi-year strategic plan for the region, including a clear revenue trajectory, aligned across the wider business.
- Map the Nordic defence ecosystem: key customers, prime contractors, start-ups, programmes, decision-makers and build an actionable coverage model.
- Identify, qualify, and progress major opportunities, from early engagement through to close.
- Build a strong, well-tracked pipeline and provide regular, accurate reporting on progress.
- Represent HP at relevant defence events, industry associations, and forums, and build influence with key stakeholders.
- Engage and align internal teams (sales, channel, marketing, and business units) around the Defence opportunity.
- Stay close to customer priorities; sovereignty, capability requirements, and key programmes and feed these back to inform strategy and roadmap.
- Build a thorough understanding of our portfolio, roadmap, organisation, and operating model.
- Establish yourself internally and position the Defence role across sales, channel, marketing, and partner teams.
- Build early momentum with customers through joint engagements alongside account executives.
- Map the regional defence ecosystem: key deals, top players (Ministries of Defence, primes, start-ups), market size, and coverage gaps.
- Set up pipeline tracking and reporting.
- Confirm strategic priorities and present an initial multi-year Defence plan to leadership.
- Significant business development or sales experience in the defence sector, ideally across the Nordic region.
- A strong existing network within the Nordic defence community: Ministries of Defence, armed forces, prime contractors, and/or defence technology start-ups.
- A track record of opening new accounts and closing complex, high-value deals.
- Solid understanding of defence procurement processes, programme cycles, and the considerations that shape them (e.g. sovereignty, security, and capability requirements).
- The ability to think strategically and build multi-year plans, while also executing hands-on in the field.
- Excellent stakeholder management; comfortable influencing across customers, partners, and internal teams.
- Familiarity with technology, IT infrastructure, or related solutions is a strong advantage.
- Fluency in English; a Nordic language is highly desirable.
- Eligibility to obtain relevant security clearance, as required by customers.
- Willingness to travel across the region.
- A high-impact, high-visibility role with a clear mandate to grow a strategic part of HP's business.
- The autonomy to shape regional strategy and build something from the ground up.
- A competitive salary and performance-based sales compensation.
- The backing of a global technology leader and close collaboration with HP's wider