Senior Director Business Development and Capture - Training Solu

The Senior Director of Business Development and Capture for Training Solutions leads the identification, qualification, shaping, capture, and transition of new business across Akima's training portfolio. The role combines market development, customer engagement, solution integration, product and technology growth, and disciplined capture execution. The selected leader will manage a team supporting pursuits in training services, training systems, hardware and software based simulation, virtual and augmented reality, courseware development, simulator instruction, and simulator maintenance and sustainment.

This leader will work in close partnership with the Training Solutions Capability Lead and operating company leadership to translate customer needs into differentiated executable solutions. A central priority is expanding Akima's presence at Redstone Arsenal and throughout the Huntsville defense and aerospace ecosystem while also pursuing qualified domestic and international opportunities.

Responsibilities

Directs business development strategies designed to generate, pursue, and close business with prospect accounts.
Business Development and Market Growth

• Develop and execute a training solutions growth strategy aligned with Facilities Solutions Group priorities, operating company capabilities, bookings objectives, and long-range revenue goals.
• Build, qualify, and maintain a healthy pipeline of new and recompete opportunities across Federal, defense, civil, commercial, and selected international markets.
• Lead customer and opportunity identification for virtual training products and services, including virtual maintenance training, immersive learning, virtual and augmented reality, digital courseware, and related training technologies.
• Establish and sustain trusted relationships with operational, program management, requirements, acquisition, contracting, budget, and technical stakeholders.
• Use market intelligence, customer priorities, funding profiles, acquisition timelines, contract vehicles, and competitor analysis to recommend where Akima should invest and compete.
• Represent Akima at customer meetings, industry events, conferences, demonstrations, and partner engagements to strengthen market visibility and identify emerging requirements.

Redstone Arsenal and Huntsville Growth

• Serve as the senior business development lead for expanding Akima's training and simulation footprint across Redstone Arsenal and the greater Huntsville market.
• Develop account plans and sustained engagement strategies for organizations such as the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command, PAE Maneuver Air, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, the Prototype Integration Facility, Redstone Test Center, Army space and missile defense organizations, U.S. Space Command, and other resident mission partners and tenants.
• Identify training, simulation, readiness, maintenance, sustainment, digital learning, and workforce development needs that can be addressed through Akima capabilities and partnerships.
• Build relationships across the local customer, small business, technology, academic, and industry communities to improve early awareness, solution relevance, and competitive positioning.

Capture Leadership

• Lead multiple concurrent pursuits from initial identification and qualification through proposal submission, award, and transition to operations.
• Develop and manage capture plans, customer call plans, schedules, milestones, resource requirements, consultant support, and approved bid and proposal budgets.
• Lead competitive assessments, Black Hat reviews, acquisition and requirements shaping, win strategy, solution strategy, teaming, staffing, pricing, Price to Win activities, proposal readiness, executive reviews, color team reviews, orals, clarifications, and post submission activities.
• Prepare and brief opportunity qualification, pursuit investment, and bid or no bid recommendations to executive leadership using clear evidence, risk assessment, and win probability.
• Coordinate with operations, technical leaders, pricing, contracts, legal, finance, recruiting, security, competitive intelligence, marketing, and proposal teams to deliver compliant, compelling, executable, and competitively priced offers.
• Identify and engage prospective teammates and support the negotiation of teaming arrangements, workshare, joint ventures, mentor protégé relationships, and other pursuit specific partnerships.

Training Solutions and Virtual Training Leadership

• Integrate capabilities across live, virtual, and constructive training; modeling and simulation; aviation and maintenance training; simulator operations; instructor services; courseware; synthetic training environments; and training system sustainment.
• Lead the market development and pursuit strategy for virtual training opportunities, including customer discovery, use case validation, demonstrations, solution positioning, business case development, accreditation pathways, and transition from product interest to funded requirements.
• Maintain working knowledge of Akima's virtual training products and value propositions and ensure solutions are aligned with mission outcomes, technical requirements, cybersecurity considerations, and customer acquisition strategies.
• Partner with technical and operational leaders to convert customer problems into differentiated solutions, credible implementation approaches, sound bases of estimate, and measurable readiness outcomes.
• For international opportunities, coordinate with export compliance, legal, contracts, and security personnel to obtain required authorizations for marketing, demonstrations, technical data exchange, and sales.
• Recommend investments in new capabilities, technology, intellectual property, strategic hiring, partnerships, internal research and development, or acquisitions that strengthen long term differentiation.

Team Leadership and Integration

• Lead, mentor, and develop direct reports responsible for business development, capture, customer engagement, market research, and opportunity execution within the training portfolio.
• Set clear priorities, performance expectations, accountabilities, and development plans while fostering collaboration, initiative, ethical conduct, and disciplined follow through.
• Convene subject matter experts and leaders across Akima operating companies to combine relevant technology, customer relationships, contract vehicles, geographic presence, and past performance into integrated offerings.
• Create a consistent operating rhythm for pipeline reviews, account planning, capture reviews, customer engagement, investment decisions, and executive reporting.
• Ensure accurate and timely opportunity data, forecasts, capture documentation, and leadership briefings in applicable business development systems.

Qualifications

• Ten or more years of progressive business development, capture, sales, program, or operational leadership experience supporting the Federal market, including substantial Department of Defense experience.
• Demonstrated record of identifying, shaping, capturing, and winning complex Federal opportunities in training, readiness, simulation, aviation, maintenance, sustainment, digital learning, or a closely related market.
• Strong knowledge of the Federal acquisition lifecycle, the FAR and applicable DoD acquisition practices, appropriations and budgeting processes, contract vehicles, source selection, and customer buying behavior.
• Experience leading cross functional pursuit teams through qualification, solution development, capture, teaming, pricing, proposal development, reviews, orals, award, and transition.
• Established relationships within one or more defense, training, aviation, simulation, readiness, or Huntsville and Redstone Arsenal customer communities.
• Ability to understand and clearly communicate technical and operational concepts involving training systems, simulation hardware and software, immersive technologies, courseware, instruction, and sustainment.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing teams, including direct reports, in a matrixed and geographically distributed organization.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication, executive presentation, negotiation, relationship management, analytical thinking, and decision-making skills.
• Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, aviation, training, technology, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Recent experience supporting customers and mission partners at Redstone Arsenal or within the Huntsville defense, aviation, space, or aerospace ecosystem.
• Experience with virtual maintenance training, immersive learning, virtual or augmented reality, synthetic training, distributed simulation, or digital courseware solutions.
• Operational, maintenance, instructional, engineering, or program leadership experience in military aviation or another complex mission environment.
• Experience developing international defense or training opportunities and working within export control requirements.
• Advanced degree in a relevant field.
• Active Secret or higher-level security clearance.

Special Requirements

• This is an on-site position based in Huntsville Alabama and is not designated as a remote work position.
• Ability to travel approximately 25 percent of the time, domestically and internationally, or as business requirements dictate.
• U.S. citizenship and a valid U.S. passport are required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance is required.
• Ability to attend customer meetings, demonstrations, conferences, and industry events at Redstone Arsenal and other domestic and international locations.

Leadership Profile

The successful candidate will combine strategic market perspective with hands on capture discipline. This leader must be comfortable establishing long range growth priorities, developing new customer relationships, coaching a team, integrating capabilities across organizational boundaries, and personally driving the detailed actions required to convert opportunities into awards and successful program transitions.

Job ID

2026-26915
Work Type

Hybrid
Company Description


Work Where it Matters

Akima is not just another global enterprise and federal contractor. As an Alaska Native Corporation (ANC), our mission and purpose extend beyond our exciting federal projects as we support our shareholder communities in Alaska.

At Akima, the work you do every day makes a difference in the lives of our 15,000 Iñupiat shareholders, a group of Alaska natives from one of the most remote and harshest environments in the United States.

For our shareholders, Akima provides support and employment opportunities and contributes to the survival of a culture that has thrived above the Arctic Circle for more than 10,000 years.

For our government customers, Akima delivers agile solutions in the core areas of facilities, maintenance, and repair; information technology; logistics; protective services; systems engineering; mission support; furniture, fixtures & equipment (FF&E); and construction.

As an Akima employee, you will be surrounded by a challenging, yet supportive work environment that is committed to innovation and diversity, two of our most important values. You will also have access to our comprehensive benefits and competitive pay in addition to growth opportunities and excellent retirement options.