Senior Business Development Manager

Job description

Apera is an innovative, Vancouver-based company at the forefront of robotics, AI, and machine vision — recognized with the 2025 Frost & Sullivan Technology Innovation Leadership Award and the 2024 BC Tech "Company of the Year, Growth" award. We're on a mission to redefine AI-driven robotic vision. Apera AI helps manufacturers make their factories more flexible and productive. Robots enhanced with Apera's software have 4D Vision — the ability to see and grasp objects with human-like capability. Challenging applications such as bin picking, sorting, packaging, and assembly are now open to fast, precise, and reliable automation. We work with the world's leading automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers. Our portfolio spans Vue (our 4D Vision software), Forge (a no-code simulation and AI training studio where customers build, validate, and de-risk robotic cells before any hardware is bought), and VuePod, our new turnkey, productized bin-picking cell. We're hiring a Senior Business Development Manager to lead commercial growth across the US automotive and manufacturing markets. This is a high-impact, hunter-first role where strategic sales meets advanced technology. You'll partner with OEMs, integrators, distributors, and end-users to demonstrate how Apera's 4D Vision platform transforms factory performance from bin picking and assembly to sorting and packaging. **What You'll Actually Do** - Develop, maintain and expand new business relationships with end users, OEMs, integrators, and distribution partners. - Produce qualified leads with realistic close dates and manage a disciplined sales pipeline. - Present Apera's solutions to customers based on their requirements and work with the applications team to configure the best fit. - Deliver outstanding customer service and manage client relationships to ensure satisfaction post-sale. - Manage and grow key strategic accounts through expansion and long-term partnership development. **Why This Is a Career Move (Not Just a Job)** - You'll own a high-value territory. The Detroit Metro and Michigan market is at the heart of US manufacturing automation — you'll be at the center of it. - You'll sell innovation that matters. Apera's 4D Vision technology is recognized by Frost & Sullivan, AAM, and BC Tech for transforming automation globally. - You'll grow with us. Work alongside visionary engineers and leaders, gain equity from day one, and help define how AI vision goes to market across North America. - You'll see the real impact. Every customer win means faster production, safer factories, and smarter robots on real factory floors. **About You** You're a proven senior business development professional with 5+ years of success in B2B technical sales. You've sold into manufacturing or automation environments and know how to speak the language of engineers and operations leaders. You're self-directed, curious, and thrive in fast-paced environments where the path isn't always laid out for you. **What We're Looking For** - 5+ years of B2B sales experience building and expanding a client base in manufacturing automation or related industries - A strong and consistent track record of meeting and exceeding sales goals - Experience developing and leading a sales project or initiative within your team - Bachelor's degree or equivalent in an engineering or technical field, or a background in technical sales with a non-technical degree - A consultative, trust-based sales approach that resonates with technical buyers - Demonstrated ability to manage and grow key strategic accounts and distribution partnerships **Bonus Points If You Have** - Recognized sales acumen. You're known as one of the best on your team - Experience selling robotics, machine vision, or complex automation systems - A demonstrated ability to positively impact company culture and build trust with colleagues and customers **What We Offer:** - **A chance to make a difference:** Aperians are friendly, smart, and driven to build amazing products; we tackle challenges as a team, we are close-knit and scrappy. Our teams are motivated, talented, hardworking and have both an intrapreneurial and entrepreneurial spirit. We enjoy making a large impact, solving challenging problems rooted in real-world robotic vision optimization using science, imagination, creativity, and persistence. - **Build your skills. Build your career:** We don't just promise opportunities. We back them with personalized development plans, annual learning budgets, regular individual and team upskilling, and time dedicated to innovation. Come for the mission, stay for the mastery. - **Equity That Empowers**: A Rare Opportunity to Own What You Help Build. At Apera AI, equity isn't just a benefit, it's a belief system grounded in fairness, unity, and shared success. Every Aperian receives a meaningful ownership stake from day one, because those creating value should share in the rewards. While traditional companies reserve equity for a privileged few, we extend it to all employees. We've already gained considerable traction in transforming how manufacturers use AI and robotics. Join a mission-driven team where your ideas matter, your work shapes industries, and your ownership grows with every win. This is your invitation to be part of something rare: a company that shares both purpose and upside. - **Straightforward compensation:** At Apera AI, we believe that transparency and fairness are key to building a thriving team. For this Sr. BDM role, we offer a competitive base salary range of $110,000 to $120,000 USD and OTE of $220,000 to $240,000 per year. This range reflects the base and OTE for a highly qualified candidate. The final offer will depend on a range of factors including your unique skills, experience, intellectual contributions to team diversity, and the value you bring to our vision of transforming industrial automation with AI-powered vision systems.