Sr Dir Business Development, USN and USV

The Senior Director of Business Development is responsible for leading and driving the strategic growth of the Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) segment of the Unmanned Market. They identify new business opportunities, cultivate relationships with potential clients and partners, and negotiate deals and contracts within the maritime marketplace. They develop and implement sales and marketing strategies to expand the company's market reach and increase revenue across the USN/USMC/USCG/DOW/DOH portfolios to increase growth of mission capability

Essential Functions

• Strategy & Market Leadership
• Define and execute the USV business development and sales strategy aligned with corporate growth objectives
• Identify and prioritize new markets, customers, and mission applications for USV platforms and payloads
• Positions the organization to greatest advantage against competitors
• Analyze customer requirements, competitive landscape, and emerging maritime autonomy trends
• Shape product roadmaps by translating customer needs into actionable requirements for engineering and product teams
• Customer Engagement & Capture
• Serve as the primary senior-level interface with U.S. government, defense, and key international customers
• Build and maintain long-term relationships with program offices, end users, integrators, and industry partners
• Lead capture planning for major opportunities, including win strategies, teaming, and pricing approaches
• Drive early customer engagement to influence requirements and acquisition strategies
• Sales & Revenue Ownership
• Own USV sales pipeline and bookings targets; forecast revenue accurately by building and maintaining a 5-year pipeline of new opportunities that are in the $100M-$500M size range with a focus on prime pursuits to include multiple award IDIQ and stand-alone contracts
• Identifies and qualifies new opportunities through a gate review process
• Drive negotiations for contracts, OTAs, IDIQs, and commercial agreements
• Participates in color reviews to include Green, Pink and Red teams, and White team/lessons learned
• Coordinate proposal development efforts, including technical, cost, and compliance inputs
• Support contract execution handoff to program management teams
• Partnerships & Ecosystem Development
• Identify and manage strategic partnerships with primes, subsystem providers, and international partners
• Evaluate M&A, joint venture, and teaming opportunities that accelerate USV market penetration
• Represent the company at industry events, trade shows, and customer forums

Leadership & Collaboration

• Mentor and guide junior business development and capture staff
• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, program management, legal, finance, and operations
• Provide executive-level briefings on pipeline health, market trends, and growth opportunities
• Performs other duties as assigned or required
• Regular and reliable attendance on a full time basis [or in accordance with posted schedule].
• Responsible for exhibiting professional behavior with both internal and external business associates that reflects positively on the company and is consistent with the company's policies and practices.
• Embodies AEVEX's cultural values and aligns daily actions with department goals and company culture.

Qualifications and Competencies

Knowledge and experience in one or more of the following areas required

• Manned and unmanned marine(USV) surface and subsurface warfare; sensor/system integration; advanced technology insertion; special mission maritime; One Way Attack, launched effects, familiarity with the USV market, firm grasp of the USN/USMC/USCG/DOW market for Unmanned Surface Vehicles
• Demonstrated winning record leading new business pursuits in the $50M-150M range of actual (not MAIDIQ) contract value to the company is required in the recent 3-5 years
• Current presence and network within professional circles and associations a plus
• Trained in Shipley BD/Capture Management or professional equivalent
• Demonstrated experience in managing diverse teams who are solving challenges required
• Highly competitive and driven to win
• Financially literate with understanding of cost structures and returns on investment
• Excellent ability to develop, retain, and maximize focus on client needs
• Experience with or the ability to acquire and rapidly apply knowledge of company's operations and core competencies in order to develop integrated solutions
• Incisive thinker; creative problem-solver; resource integration abilities
• Excellent communication skills that allow for development, presentation, and promotion of integrated solutions to decisionmakers in both the public and private sectors
• Excellent ability to establish and maintain successful working relationships with clients, corporate leaders; project managers, staff, and other business enterprises and partners
• Strong knowledge of trends in government and industry which affect corporate business areas
• Directs and provides expert knowledge in the strategic function of the department.
• Develops short and long-term people and organizational strategy in alignment with AEVEX goals and direction.
• Leads with impact & influence. Establishes credibility, effectively persuades and develops others, and achieves important objectives collaboratively. • Identifies, recruits, and retains top-notch talent.
• Champions AEVEX's culture and empowers employees to take responsibility for their jobs and goals.
• Sets performance standards and encourages employee engagement and results through delegation, continuous feedback, goal setting, and performance management.
• Maintains transparent communication. Appropriately communicates organization information through department meetings, one-on-one meetings, and appropriate email, and regular interpersonal communication.

Education / Certifications

• Bachelor's Degree Required, Master's Degree Preferred.
• Additional years of relevant experience may substitute for formal education.

Experience

• 10+ years of progressively increasing functional experience in the Federal government or in Defense industry equivalent required
• Established relationships and past performance within the launched effects marketplace to include PEO Aviation, PM UAS, and/or Future Vertical Lift Combined Task Force

Physical Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties the employee is: Physical Requirements Occasionally required to stand for extended periods of time Note: For the purpose of this summary, occasionally it is used to represent up to 1/3 of the time given to the work day, frequently represents 1/3 to 2/3 of the time and constantly represents 2/3 or more of the time.

About AEVEX

AEVEX, headquartered in Solana Beach, California, supports the U.S. national security mission and partner nation needs around the world by providing full-spectrum aviation, remote sensing, and analysis solutions. The company's capabilities include custom design and engineering; rapid prototyping; sensor integration and sustainment; aircraft modification and certification; flight test instrumentation and support; mission operations service; advanced intelligence data processing, exploitation, and dissemination solutions; and tailored hardware and software mission-system tools. AEVEX uses agile and customized approaches to rapidly define, develop, and deliver specialized solutions for airborne special mission needs for the U.S. Government, partner nations, and commercial businesses. AEVEX has major offices in California, Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia.

AEVEX provides a full suite of comprehensive benefits, including a 401(k)-retirement plan, comprehensive Medical, Dental, Vision, Disability and Life insurance group coverage with a portion of the premiums paid by the company, professional development funds, and an Employee Assistance Plan (EAP) with counseling, legal help, child and elder care support, among other benefits for qualified employees.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

AEVEX is an Equal Opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, religious creed, color, sex (including pregnancy, breast feeding and related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, military and veteran status, marital status, age, protected medical condition, genetic information, physical disability, mental disability, or any other protected status in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws.

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