Business Development Manager

Faurecia’s FORVIA group, a leader in sustainable mobility, is expanding its team in Lyon for a Business Development Manager. This full-time, onsite position sits at the LYON FIS R&D site and sits within the MATERI'ACT division, a FORVIA unit focused on sustainable materials that help deliver the company’s CO₂ reduction roadmap in line with the Paris Agreement. The company is actively seeking someone who thrives at the intersection of technology and business and enjoys shaping commercial strategies for today’s automotive brands.

Joining this team means working at the edge of innovation where clean technologies and next-generation materials come together to influence the vehicles of tomorrow. You’ll collaborate with major OEMs and contribute to projects that impact mobility on a global scale, while building relationships across functions to drive value for both customers and the business.

The rhythm of building partnerships in Lyon

Within the Sales Organization of a Customer Business Unit, you’ll own the sales development for a defined customer or portion of an account, be it a specific program, a serial-life program, or acquisitions, across a division and region. Your core missions center on developing deep, productive relationships with customer contacts in purchasing, engineering and programs, engaging with senior customer leadership, and joining regular reviews across progress, quality and commercial matters.

You’ll prepare and validate commercial offers in a timely way, setting pricing directions and negotiation paths to persuade the customer, and ensuring all prices and written communications are thoroughly documented. You’ll check offers for consistency with technical changes and mandated components, and you’ll follow the established guidelines for contract management while supporting customer-level negotiations on claims when needed.

The role also covers Serial Life responsibilities, including negotiating engineering change requests on time and profitably, understanding how piece price, tooling and D&D impact the business, and monitoring the product’s variable cost margin. You’ll drive commercial productivity initiatives with a clear view of squeeze management and keep a sharp eye on local economics like inflation and exchange rates. For Programs, you’ll oversee several programs from a sales perspective, help negotiate ECRs and claims, monitor profitability and participate in program reviews with the broader business units.

In acquisitions, you’ll lead or co-lead the team, grasp the business plan and RFQA, refine and update commercial offers through negotiation loops, and help design and drive the lobbying plan to support the deal.

Must-haves and nice-to-haves

The company is looking for someone who brings solid credentials and a clear business mindset. Here’s what’s essential and what would be nice to have.

• Must-haves: a master’s degree in business or an engineering degree with a clear intent to pursue a business career; at least five years of professional experience with a proven track record; well-established personal relationships with OEMs in the relevant markets.

• Nice-to-haves: fluency in English (and, if needed, the customer’s language); strong skills in relationship building and negotiation; comfort with financials; solid communication and presentation abilities with empathy; an international business outlook; accountability and results orientation; ability to collaborate well in a matrix organization.

What Forvia can offer you

Forvia is a global automotive technology supplier formed from the complementary strengths of Faurecia and HELLA. With more than 157,000 employees across more than 40 countries, and a broad footprint that includes over 12,000 R&D engineers, the company supports a diverse set of capabilities across six business groups and protects a robust IP portfolio of more than 12,400 patents. In 2025, the group reported revenue of 26.2 billion euros prior to IFRS 5 and is listed on the Euronext Paris market under the FRVIA code, as a component of the SBF 120 index. Forvia is committed to being a catalyst for mobility transformation and has set its sights on CO2 Net Zero as a priority, guided by the motto to use less, use better and use longer, with a focus on recyclability and circular economy. The company also emphasizes inclusion and diversity through gender targets and inclusion actions, and it supports a sustainable future with a clear sustainability framework.

Employees are encouraged to develop their skills in a learning-friendly environment, with access to FORVIA University, an initiative offering extensive training to help people stay at the forefront of mobility technologies, including a broad training program delivered across multiple campuses around the world. The culture values energetic, agile professionals who can adapt to changes and contribute to the company’s long-term success with teamwork and high standards for clients.

Advice for applicants

Make your strongest first impression by placing the most relevant experience up front on your resume, highlight the five-plus years of work you’ve done and the OEM relationships you’ve built in the markets that matter for this role.

Show how you’ve proven the must-haves in practice: share concrete examples of complex negotiations, pricing strategies you’ve led, and how you’ve managed financial aspects of programs, including profitability and cost control within a matrix organization.

Prepare to talk through real-life scenarios you’ve faced in customer engagements: how you’ve handled engineering changes, documentation for offers, and alignment with contractual guidelines. Be ready to discuss your approach to cross-functional collaboration across sales, engineering and program teams.

Consider a question that demonstrates your strategic thinking and curiosity about the business: what changes would you pursue to improve profitability for a major program while maintaining strong customer relationships, and how would you implement them within a global organization like Forvia?