Customer Development Manager

Position Summary

ADAM TECH is seeking a proactive Customer Development Manager (CDM) to drive customer and project development within assigned accounts and target opportunities. This Inside Sales role is designed around approximately 70% proactive, outbound business-development activity and 30% customer support and execution activity. The CDM will build pipeline, identify new applications and design opportunities, expand relationships with key customer stakeholders, and progress opportunities from initial engagement through quote, sample, qualification and production. The role also serves as a backup to the Customer Success Manager (CSM), providing transactional support when needed, particularly for high-value or strategically important projects.

Key Responsibilities

• Proactively develop assigned accounts and target customers through outbound calling, email campaigns, virtual meetings, account research, and disciplined follow-up, with approximately 70% of time focused on proactive customer and project development.
• Identify and qualify new business opportunities by engaging purchasing, engineering, sourcing, supply chain, product development, and other key stakeholders; uncover new programs, applications, locations, and product needs.
• Create demand and advance design-in opportunities from initial identification and RFQ through quotation, samples, technical review, qualification, design registration/NBO, and production award.
• Develop and maintain account growth plans and a healthy opportunity pipeline; use Pipedrive (CRM) to document contacts, opportunity stage, next actions, expected revenue, timing, and customer requirements.
• Proactively follow up on open quotes, sample activity, dormant opportunities, historical buying patterns, and customer/project milestones to improve conversion and account penetration.
• Coordinate with Business Development Managers, manufacturer representatives, distributors, Engineering, Product Management, Operations, and global teams to support customer strategy, technical requirements, pricing, and project execution.
• Support commercial discussions and quotation strategy while understanding price, cost, margin, volume, MOQ, lead-time, and competitive considerations; escalate strategic pricing decisions as appropriate.
• Dedicate approximately 30% of time to customer support activities as needed, including high-value order entry and project order coordination, customer requests, samples, order status, expediting, RMAs, and issue resolution; provide coverage for the Customer Success Managers during absences or peak workload.
• Build and cultivate long-term customer relationships while identifying service issues, competitive threats, and customer risks that may affect retention or future growth.
• Opportunity to participate in customer visits, distributor/rep meetings, trade events, and other business-development activities with travel up to 20%.

Qualifications & Experience

• 5+ years of experience in business development, inside sales, account management, or another customer-facing role; electronic or electrical component industry experience preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to generate outbound activity, develop customer relationships, build qualified pipeline, and progress opportunities toward revenue.
• Strong written, verbal, presentation, and consultative-selling skills with the ability to engage both technical and commercial stakeholders.
• Established organizational skills, urgency, follow-through, and ability to manage multiple customers, projects, and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience using CRM, ERP, customer portal, and order-management systems; Pipedrive experience a plus.
• Working knowledge of quoting methodologies including gross margin calculations; CRM and ERP experience required, with Pipedrive experience preferred.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications including Excel, Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to work effectively across Sales, Customer Success, Engineering, Quality, Operations, Supply Chain, Logistics, Accounting, manufacturer representatives, and distribution partners.