Senior Business Development Executive

Ascend Recruiting Partners

Germantown, MD

JOB DETAILS
SALARY
$150,000–$175,000 Per Year
SKILLS
Acceptance Testing, Aerospace and Defense, Alliance/Partner Management, Applications Security, Aviation Industry, Business Development, Business Plan, Competitive Analysis/Strategy, Competitive Research, Conferences, Customer Acquisition, Customer Relations, Electronics, Federal Government, Field Trials, Forecasting, Government, Homeland Security, IR (Infrared), Laboratory, Leadership, Market Tracking, Market Trend Analysis, Military, Military Industry, Military Operations, Military Science, Negotiation Skills, OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), Operational Audit, Post-Sales, Pre-Sales, Product Demonstration, Product Lifecycle, Product Pricing, Project/Program Management, Proposal Development, Purchasing/Procurement, Reporting Skills, Requirements Management, Revenue Forecasting, Revenue Growth, Sales, Sales Pipeline, Sales Presentation, Sales Qualification, Sales Support, Security Clearance, Strategic Planning, Surveillance, System Integration (SI), Systems Engineering, Technical Presentation, Technical Support, Trade Shows, United States Department of Defense (DoD), Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), Willing to Travel
LOCATION
Germantown, MD
POSTED
2 days ago

Title: Director of Business Development (Aerospace/Defense)

Location: Germantown, MD (Hybrid)

Salary: $150,000 - $175,000 + Bonus/Commission

Travel: Approximately 35% Domestic Travel; Occasional International Travel

Overview:

Seeking a highly motivated Director of Business Development to lead strategic growth initiatives across the U.S. Department of Defense, Homeland Security, and Federal Government markets. This individual will be responsible for identifying, developing, and capturing new business opportunities for electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) surveillance, targeting, force protection, border security, and unmanned systems solutions.

The Director of Business Development will serve as a key interface between government stakeholders, defense primes, OEMs, system integrators, and engineering and product teams in both the United States and Israel. This role requires a proven ability to build trusted relationships, influence requirements development, identify emerging programs, and drive opportunities through the full business development lifecycle.

Required Qualifications:

  • 8+ years of business development, capture management, sales, military operations, or defense industry experience.
  • Demonstrated experience selling or supporting defense technologies, sensors, ISR systems, EO/IR systems, UAS platforms, C5ISR solutions, or related military technologies.
  • Strong understanding of U.S. defense acquisition processes, requirements generation, and procurement cycles.
  • Existing relationships within the Department of Defense, DHS, military services, defense primes, and federal agencies.
  • Experience developing strategic partnerships with OEMs, system integrators, and government stakeholders.
  • Proven ability to identify, qualify, and win complex government business opportunities.
  • Strong presentation, negotiation, communication, and executive engagement skills.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance if required.
  • Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Military Science, or related field. is highly preferred

HIghly Preferred Qualifications:

  • Military service experience, particularly within ISR, aviation, intelligence, special operations, air defense, or acquisition communities.
  • Experience supporting Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programs.
  • Background in EO/IR, surveillance systems, unmanned systems, force protection technologies, or defense electronics.
  • Existing network across the Army, SOCOM, Marine Corps, DHS, CBP, and related defense organizations.

Key Responsibilities

  • Develop and execute a strategic business development plan aligned with the company's growth objectives.
  • Identify, qualify, and capture new opportunities within the U.S. Department of Defense, Homeland Security, Border Security, and Federal Government markets.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with military end users, acquisition professionals, program offices, laboratories, and defense industry partners.
  • Develop business opportunities related to:
    • Group 1-5 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)
    • Counter-UAS and Force Protection solutions
    • EO/IR Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) systems
    • Mobile and fixed surveillance platforms
    • Remote Weapon Stations (RWS)
    • Border and perimeter security applications
    • Ground, maritime, and airborne sensor integration programs
  • Engage directly with defense primes, OEMs, and system integrators to establish strategic partnerships and teaming arrangements.
  • Collaborate with government customers to understand mission requirements and align technologies with future capability needs.
  • Develop and maintain a robust pipeline of qualified opportunities through all stages of the capture process.
  • Lead opportunity qualification, competitive assessments, win strategies, and customer engagement plans.
  • Coordinate closely with engineering, program management, and operations teams to ensure alignment between customer requirements and technical solutions.
  • Support proposal development activities, including technical solution discussions, pricing strategies, customer presentations, and executive reviews.
  • Lead pre-sale and post-sale activities, including customer demonstrations, operational evaluations, field testing, and technical briefings.
  • Represent at industry conferences, military demonstrations, trade shows, and customer events.
  • Monitor market trends, competitive activity, acquisition forecasts, and emerging defense priorities.
  • Prepare and deliver regular pipeline, forecast, and business development activity reports to executive leadership.
  • Support long-term strategic planning and market expansion initiatives throughout the U.S. defense and security sectors.

Success Metrics

• Qualified pipeline growth
• New contract awards
• Strategic partnership development
• Customer engagement activity
• Proposal and capture participation
• Revenue growth and forecast accuracy
• Expansion of the company's market presence within target defense sectors

About the Company

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Ascend Recruiting Partners