Business Development Engineer

Position Summary

The Business Development Engineer (BDE) drives revenue growth by combining technical expertise with customer engagement. The BDE identifies, develops, and supports application driven opportunities, providing technical guidance to customers and internal teams.

The BDE translates customer application requirements into optical and photonics solutions using Edmund Optics (EO) products and capabilities, and provides feedback to product management and engineering teams to support the development of new products and enhancements aligned with market needs. This role bridges engineering, sales, and product development, requiring strong technical acumen, customer interaction, and cross functional collaboration.

Essential Functions Technical Engagement & Market Support

• Engage directly with customers to understand application requirements and recommend appropriate optical/photonics solutions.
• Act as a technical advisor to customers and internal teams on Life Science Optics products and applications.
• Develop application knowledge across optics and photonics industry.
• Support creation of technical content for marketing campaigns, application notes, and product collateral.
• Deliver technical training to internal teams and customers.

Opportunity Development & Sales Support

• Identify and develop new business opportunities by aligning EO capabilities with customer technical needs.
• Collaborate with regional sales teams to support customer visits, technical discussions, and solution development.
• Provide technical expertise during customer meetings, presentations, and negotiations.
• Assist in managing and advancing the sales funnel.
• Support strategic account development through engineering engagement and solution based selling.
• Evaluate technical feasibility and alignment of opportunities with EO product capabilities and strategy.

Product & Application Feedback

• Gather and analyze customer feedback to identify trends of applications and technologies.
• Work closely with Product Line Managers and Engineering teams to influence product development and roadmap decisions.
• Identify gaps in current product offerings and propose new solutions or enhancements.
• Stay current on emerging technologies, competitors, and industry trends.

Industry Engagement

• Represent EO at technical conferences, trade shows, and industry events.
• Build relationships with engineers, researchers, and technical decision makers.
• Contribute to establishing EO as a trusted technical partner in the industry.

General

• Comply with all federal, state, and company policies, procedures, and regulations.

Required Skills & Abilities

• Strong technical knowledge of optics/photonics
• Ability to translate customer application needs into optical system or component solutions
• Experience in customer-facing technical roles (e.g., applications engineering, field engineering, or technical sales)
• Strong problem solving and analytical skills
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly
• Ability to collaborate across engineering, sales, and product teams
• Self motivated with a proactive approach to identifying opportunities
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Customer-focused mindset
• Comfortable working in a matrix organization
• Proficiency with MS Office tools

Education/Experience

• Bachelor's Degree or higher in Engineering, Physics, or related technical field
• Minimum 3-7 years of experience in photonics, optics, or related technical industry
• Experience in applications engineering, systems engineering, or technical business development preferred

Physical Requirements

• Ability to travel up to 50% (domestic and occasional international travel)
• Work in office and/or lab environment