Vacancy | Market Portfolio Manager – Defense/APNT | Leuven

For our office in Leuven, we are looking for highly qualified and motivated professionals like you. If you think you have what it takes to keep Septentrio firmly in Pole Position, get in touch. 

We need you for the position of 

Market Portfolio Manager – Defense/APNT

The Job

As a Market Portfolio Manager, you are driving the business success of Septentrio in the assured position, navigation and timing sector, more specifically the defense sector with a focus on governments, military affairs and their affiliated needs.

You are responsible for growing the business over the mid- to long-term horizon by shaping markets upstream, building influence within the ecosystem, working with product managers and technical experts to solve market needs and by positioning our portfolio early in customer, governmental and military decision cycles. This position operates with a multi-year perspective (typically 2-5 years) and focuses on creating the conditions for sustainable, long-term growth.

Your Mission

This role focuses on long-term market shaping and strategic positioning, while ensuring the right opportunities exist at the right time for sustained success. As Market Portfolio Manager, you will be responsible for:

Defense Market Ambassadorship & Ecosystem Influence

• Build and sustain strategic relationships with defense institutions, Belgian and possibly other European ministries of Defense or relevant army branches, primes, OEMs, integrators, and key influencers.
• Contribute to lobbying efforts and shape discussions on GNSS, PNT, and resilience.
• Participate in international defense fairs, conferences, forums, and working groups.

Market Intelligence & Decision-Cycle Mapping

• Analyze defense procurement processes, decision-making structures, and program timelines.
• Identify stakeholders, influencers, and funding channels.
• Anticipate future defense needs, doctrines, and technology trends impacting GNSS adoption.
• Deliver actionable market intelligence to internal teams.

Market & Portfolio Strategy

• Define and implement defense market strategy for GNSS solutions.
• Ensure portfolio positioning, differentiation, and long-term relevance in defense applications.
• Translate market needs into product requirements and roadmap inputs.
• Act as the governmental and institutional defense market voice for product management, R&D, and marketing.

Long-Term Business Development

• Shape strategic opportunities from early influence to program adoption.
• Engage in decision cycles early, even before formal procurement.
• Position company solutions within future defense architectures and programs.
• Drive sustainable growth through early positioning and strategic influence.

Sales Engagement & Opportunity Orchestration

• Manage the transition from market shaping to active selling.
• Determine optimal timing for Sales involvement based on opportunity maturity.
• Ensure smooth handover to Sales for execution and closure.
• Support strategic deals alongside Sales when required.
• Enable sales success through positioning and stakeholder insights.

Your Qualifications

• You are well connected‑ within the defense/security ecosystem and understand how to effectively position technology or electronic solutions to stakeholders. You bring experience in stakeholder engagement, lobbying, or strategic account influence within this sector.
• You have proven B2B experience, particularly with technology-driven products or solutions. You rely on an established, relevant professional network and demonstrate a strong appetite for cultivating and expanding targeted relationships to foster business growth.
• You possess strong analytical skills to interpret market trends and customer behavior, and the ability to manage multiple projects in a complex environment, with long-decision and procurement cycles. Your creative thinking and problem-solving abilities enable you to address challenges and capitalize on market opportunities.
• You combine a strategic mindset with hands-on execution capabilities, allowing you to communicate, influence and manage stakeholders with high expectations.
• You meet—or can meet—the criteria required to obtain security clearance from national defense or governmental authorities, enabling you to access and operate within secured defense environments.
• You are willing and able to travel internationally on a regular basis (approximately 30% of the time).
• You are fluent in English; proficiency in French is considered an asset.

Our Offer

In exchange for your talent, we offer a very competitive compensation package in a top-notch high-tech, international working environment. At Septentrio you’ll have room to grow, both personally and professionally. Our on-boarding plan is legendary, our homework policy family-friendly. Get in touch and help us shoot for the moon, the stars and beyond.