Technical Business Development Leader, Shape AI

Shape Corp is a global leader in advanced metal manufacturing, recognized for its expertise in complex aluminum extrusion, fabrication, and value-added manufacturing processes. Our Trenton, Ohio facility is leading our Advanced Industries Division and leverages world-class aluminum extrusion technology, precision CNC machining, fabrication, welding, and assembly capabilities to deliver innovative solutions for some of the industry's most demanding applications. 

While Shape has a long history of supporting leading automotive manufacturers, we are rapidly expanding into aerospace, new space, and emerging technologies. Our team is working on exciting new programs that require agility and a commitment to delivering results in fast-paced, highly technical environments.

Our Trenton facility is a growing operation with significant opportunities to make an impact. We are seeking driven professionals who thrive on challenging work, enjoy collaborating with high expectation customers, and are energized by developing innovative manufacturing solutions. If you are motivated by technical challenges, continuous improvement, and the opportunity to build something great within a growing organization, Shape Corp offers an environment where you can make a difference.

 

Position Summary:  This is not a traditional automotive account management position. This role is designed for a business leader who thrives at the intersection of advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence, mobility innovation, energy storage systems, and disruptive technology. The Chief Engineer will develop and implement strategies in automotive, aerospace, and other emerging technology plans and programs geared towards existing and new markets. Success in this role requires an individual who is energized by rapid change, willing to challenge conventional thinking, and capable of shaping opportunities years before they become formal sourcing decisions.

The ideal candidate is motivated by the opportunity to help Shape become a critical strategic partner to a company building the future. The Chief Engineer is responsible for integrating, engineering, sales, and program execution into a unified team that drives growth and delivery for our customers. This position serves as the primary owner of customer relationships, including both commercial and technical outcomes while ensuring engineering capabilities are translated into awarded business, strong customer partnerships, and successful program execution.

 

Essential Job Functions include, but not limited to, the following:

• Lead the voice of customer (VOC) for the division.  Business partner to the division Managing Director for all customer facing matters.
• Serve as the primary owner of customer relationships, leading the division in the development and execution of the sales, engineering, and program vision.
• Lead the development of new products from concept through production launch.
• Serve as the central leader between customers and internal teams, aligning engineering, operations, commercial, and program resources to advance new product opportunities from concept through production launch.
• Work collaboratively with customers to define requirements, evaluate technical solutions, and guide development activities while ensuring alignment with manufacturing capabilities, timing, cost, and business objectives.
• Facilitate decision making throughout the product development process, helping teams resolve technical, commercial, and operational challenges to keep programs moving forward and deliver successful outcomes.
• Ensure alignment between customer expectations, commercial commitments, and execute while working closely with the plant operations team.
• Influence customer architecture, sourcing decisions, and technical direction early in the development cycle.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities aligned with strategic growth priorities.
• Develop and oversee detailed growth strategies and the preparation of initial business cases for each new business opportunity.
• Identify and develop new business opportunities.
• Develop and maintain relationships with customer executives in purchasing, engineering, and advanced product development.
• Convert technical differentiation and engineering capability into awarded business.
• Develop initial business cases and support strategic opportunity evaluations.
• Integrate engineering, business development, and program execution into a single operating framework.
• Own pricing strategy, customer presentations, commercial negotiations, margin performance, and long-term agreement discussions.
• Ensure technical solutions are financially viable, manufacturable, and executable.
• Balance customer requirements, cost, timing, quality, and overall business objectives.
• Drive timely, high-quality engineering decisions and resolve cross-functional technical challenges.
• Ensure effective technical support is provided to customers when needed.
• Challenge design assumptions from the engineering team, drive technical innovation, and identify new applications for existing technologies and processes.
• Drive accountability across engineering, operations, and program teams to ensure successful execution.
• Support forecasting, strategic planning, profitability analysis, and execution reviews.
• Ensure effective management of account activities, escalations, customer performance metrics, and commercial issues
• Manage program activities related to Thixomolding processes, ensuring technical excellence, process capability, and successful execution with customers.
• Lead division strategic planning, sales forecasting, and budgeting.
• Lead competitor and market trend analysis and provide sound input into cost benchmarking.
• Review and confirm accuracy of NPV/IRR analyses and advanced product development inputs.
• Ensure that EC is leveraged to improve IRR/margins.
• Guide the execution of VAVE strategy and the win/loss database.
• Guide the team in identifying new applications of existing Shape product/process technology.
• Collaborate with Shape SAP and JV partners.
• Conduct timely and complete performance evaluations of direct reports and ensure timely and complete performance evaluations of team members reporting under indirect supervision.
• Assess the skill sets and development needs of direct reports and take steps to mentor and develop them appropriately.
• Build and develop engineering leadership development plans to ensure growth and development is occurring with the team.
• Additional functions not specifically outlined in this position description as directed by the leader.

Qualifications

Position Skills and Experience Requirements:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty effectively. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

• 7-10+ years of engineering, technical sales, commercial, or business leadership experience.
• Bachelor's Degree of Science in Engineering or Business, Engineering preferred.
• Master's Degree preferred.
• Prior experience effectively managing accounts and a sales team.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships at all levels of the organization across regions/cultures, internally and externally.
• Proven experience developing and driving sales strategy
• Ability to coach others in BPP, MPR, DFM and VSM analysis.
• Experience leading complex customer-facing programs and strategic growth initiatives.
• Experience developing customer relationships and managing significant commercial opportunities.
• Advanced manufacturing experience preferred
• Ability to build strong relationships with high expectation customers.
• Customer focused mindset while effectively balancing customer requirements with business objectives and operational capabilities.
• Thrives in fast paced, dynamic environment where priorities can shift rapidly and responsiveness is critical.
• Expert negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Expert problem-solving and continuous improvement skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft applications and a company ERP.
• Prior experience managing a sales, engineering, or program team.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally up to 50 percent of the time.