Website:
kestrelsec.com
Job details:
KestrelSec is looking for a Business Development Manager to own and grow our cybersecurity revenue across MSME and SMB accounts in India. This is a relationship-first, field-oriented sales role. You will bring an existing book of contacts across BFSI, Government, Defence, Manufacturing, and allied verticals and the credibility to walk into a room with a founder, CFO, or IT head and earn their trust quickly.
Key Responsibilities:
- MSME / SMB Pipeline Ownership: Own end-to-end revenue generation from MSME and SMB accounts across assigned verticals. Build, qualify, and manage a healthy pipeline of cybersecurity opportunities — VAPT, SOC-as-a-Service, cloud security, compliance consulting, and managed security. Deliver against quarterly and annual revenue targets.
- Vertical Relationship Development: Leverage and deepen existing relationships with decision-makers — founders, CFOs, IT heads, and compliance officers — across BFSI, Government / PSU, Defence, Manufacturing, Retail, and Healthcare verticals. Open new accounts through referrals, industry networks, and direct outreach. The ability to get a meeting — not just send a LinkedIn request — is the baseline expectation.
- Customer Discovery & Needs Mapping: Conduct structured discovery conversations to identify security pain points, compliance pressures (DPDP Act, CERT-In, RBI / IRDAI / SEBI mandates, DPSU cybersecurity requirements), budget cycles, and buying triggers. Translate business conversations into qualified, scoped opportunities.
- Solution Positioning & Proposal Support: Work alongside KestrelSec's technical team to build and present tailored proposals. Own the commercial narrative — pricing, ROI, risk language — while the technical team owns the solution depth. Be confident enough to hold a first-level cybersecurity conversation without technical support in the room
- Bid & Tender Participation: Support responses to MSME-scale RFPs, GeM bids, and Government empanelment opportunities. Co-ordinate with internal teams to ensure bids are submitted on time and are commercially competitive. Understand the procurement cycle for Government and Defence buyers — including DPP frameworks, DGS&D contracts, and DPSU vendor registration processes.
- Partner & Channel Development: Identify and activate channel partners — system integrators, IT resellers, CA / audit firms, and compliance consultants — who serve MSME clients and can refer or co-sell KestrelSec services. Develop joint go-to-market motions with key partners in target verticals.
- Market Intelligence & Feedback Loop: Stay current on the Indian MSME cybersecurity buying landscape — regulatory developments, competitor pricing, vertical-specific threats, and buying triggers. Feed ground-level intelligence back to leadership, pre-sales, and the delivery team to shape service packaging and pricing.
- CRM, Forecasting & Reporting: Maintain rigorous pipeline hygiene in the CRM. Provide accurate weekly opportunity updates and monthly forecasts to sales leadership. Flag risks early and propose corrective action. Treat the CRM as a sales tool, not a reporting chore.
Qualification & Technical Profile:
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration, or a related discipline. MBA is an advantage but not a requirement — track record matters more.
- Sales & BD Experience: 5–10 years in a B2B sales, business development, or account management role, with at least 2–3 years selling technology or cybersecurity services to MSME / SMB clients in India. Demonstrated track record of closing deals in the ₹2 lakh – ₹50 lakh range within short to midlength sales cycles.
- Vertical Relationships — Non-Negotiable: Active, usable relationships with decision-makers in one or more of the following verticals: BFSI (banks, NBFCs, insurance, fintech), Government / PSU, Defence and DPSUs (HAL, BEL, DRDO, ordnance units), Manufacturing (auto, pharma, FMCG, process), Retail / e-Commerce, or Healthcare.
- Cybersecurity Domain Fluency: Working knowledge of core cybersecurity service categories — VAPT, SOC / SIEM, endpoint security (EDR/XDR), cloud security, compliance consulting, and managed security services.
- Regulatory & Compliance Awareness: Familiarity with the compliance and regulatory mandates that drive MSME cybersecurity buying in India — DPDP Act, CERT-In 6-hour reporting obligation, RBI cybersecurity framework for NBFCs and cooperative banks, IRDAI cybersecurity guidelines, SEBI cyber resilience framework, and Defence / DPSU vendor security requirements.
- MSME Sales Instincts: Understand how MSME buyers make decisions — budget constraints, single decision-maker dynamics, long trust cycles, price sensitivity, and preference for packaged simplicity over bespoke complexity.
- Government & Defence Sales (Preferred): Experience navigating Government and Defence procurement — GeM portal, CPPP, DGS&D rate contracts, DPSU vendor registration (BEML, HAL, BEL, BDL), and MeitY / NIC empanelment processes. Understanding of L1 tender dynamics and how to build value-differentiated bids in a lowest-cost environment.
- Communication Skills: Strong verbal and written communication in English and Hindi. Comfortable presenting to first-generation entrepreneurs, SMB owners, Government officials, and PSU purchase committees. Able to write crisp proposals, executive summaries, and email follow-ups that move deals forward — not just acknowledge conversations.
- Certifications (Preferred): CompTIA Security+, CEH, or equivalent cybersecurity foundation credential. Not a hard requirement — but demonstrates intent to take the domain seriously.
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