Job Summary

The Director, Business Development, DZMG - Unmanned Aircraft Systems, leads growth across assigned Day & Zimmermann Munitions markets, with primary responsibility for Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Counter-UAS), Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), Loitering Munitions, Warheads, and associated payload components. The Director develops strategic customer and industry relationships, identifies and shapes opportunities, leads capture and proposal activities, and transitions awarded work to execution. The role owns the business development lifecycle for significant and complex opportunities from market and opportunity identification through qualification, shaping, capture, proposal, award, and transition to execution.

The Director develops strategic relationships across U.S. defense and government markets, commercial prime Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), technology partners, and other defense industry stakeholders to understand customer missions, emerging requirements, acquisition and funding priorities, technology needs, platform requirements, and competitive dynamics. The role identifies, shapes, and advances opportunities to position DZMG capabilities and products within new and existing weapon systems, unmanned and autonomous platforms, loitering munition applications, precision effects, payload solutions, and other emerging and adjacent markets aligned with DZMG capabilities.

A key focus of the position is identifying and developing opportunities where DZMG's warhead, payload, munitions manufacturing, integration, and production capabilities can support emerging systems and convert developing technologies and customer requirements into scalable, financially attractive, and executable production programs. The Director works with customers, OEMs, technology partners, existing programs, and internal teams to develop differentiated solutions, strengthen DZMG's competitive position, and establish DZMG as a preferred production and integration partner.

The role strengthens disciplined pursuit practices by aligning customer needs, market intelligence, product and program capabilities, technical and integration requirements, competitive positioning, and cross-functional execution teams. The Director is accountable for building and maintaining a qualified opportunity pipeline, achieving profitable bookings and sustainable revenue growth objectives, improving competitive position and probability of win, increasing opportunity conversion, expanding customer and market relationships, and developing new product, platform, and payload applications. The Director is also accountable for developing opportunities that are financially attractive, strategically aligned, appropriately risk-adjusted, and executable; maintaining accurate and timely opportunity forecasts; advancing strategic pursuits through defined capture milestones; and successfully transitioning awarded business to program and execution teams.

The Director leads cross-functional pursuit teams and works extensively with existing programs and program teams, including Program Management, Engineering, Operations, Finance, Contracts, Estimating, Supply Chain, Quality, and executive leadership, to develop technically viable, differentiated, competitive, financially sound, and executable customer solutions. This collaboration requires a strong understanding of product capabilities, production capacity, technical and integration requirements, cost, schedule, risk, investment requirements, customer commitments, and execution requirements to ensure DZMG pursues opportunities that support both profitable growth and successful program execution.

Responsibilities

• The position requires frequent travel to Day & Zimmermann Munitions plants and operating locations, customer and partner locations, industry events, and other business-development activities. Success requires strong external customer and market engagement combined with hands-on internal collaboration and the ability to translate emerging requirements, technologies, and market opportunities into qualified pipeline, profitable bookings, sustainable revenue growth, appropriate financial returns, new platform positions, and scalable and executable production programs
• Develop market and customer relationships across assigned DZMG lines of effort, including core munitions, Counter-UAS/UAS, loitering munitions, warheads, fuzing and precision products, payload components, and associated electronic components. Build trusted relationships with PM Combat Ammunition Systems, PM Maneuver Ammunition Systems, PM Close Combat Systems, Joint Munitions Command, PEO Missiles & Space, Department of War Fuze Integrated Product Team, DEVCOM Armaments Center Army Fuze Management Office, DoW Portfolio Manager for Unmanned & Autonomous Systems, Joint Interagency Task Force 401, Defense Innovation Unit/Drone Dominance Program, Army CPE Aviation – PM UAS, commercial prime OEMs, and other stakeholders to identify mission needs, funding priorities, acquisition strategies, market trends, and competitive dynamics.
• Source, shape, and qualify new business, account expansion, recompete, and adjacent-market opportunities through early customer engagement and disciplined pipeline management. Assess strategic fit, customer need, competitive position, differentiation, financial attractiveness, resource requirements, and probability of win to support pursue/no-pursue decisions.
• Develop and coordinate market-facing responses, including white papers, capability statements, RFIs, Sources Sought responses, industry-day materials, presentations, and other pre-solicitation content. Ensure customer-facing materials accurately position DZMG capabilities and inform customer requirements while supporting competitive differentiation.
• Lead capture, proposal, and award activities for qualified pursuits, including win strategy, solution development, teaming, pricing coordination, proposal development, presentations, negotiations, and final award. Direct cross-functional pursuit teams and maintain opportunity ownership through award to support compliant, competitive, and executable submissions.
• Transition awarded work to program and execution teams by communicating commitments, assumptions, risks, pricing and capture context, and customer expectations. Manage the Manager, Business Development and partner with program teams to strengthen BD practices, pursuit discipline, and organizational growth capability

KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Defense munitions market and customer knowledge sufficient to understand Department of War munitions missions, acquisition processes, funding drivers, industry trends, competitive dynamics, and the customer organizations relevant to assigned DZMG lines of effort.
• Business development and capture lifecycle capability sufficient to source, shape, qualify, capture, propose, negotiate, win, and transition complex opportunities ranging from $10M-$500M.
• Strategic and competitive analysis capability sufficient to evaluate market opportunities, assess competitors, identify discriminators, develop value propositions, and recommend disciplined pursuit/no-pursuit decisions.
• Persuasive written and verbal communication capability sufficient to develop white papers, RFIs, Sources Sought responses, proposals, presentations, executive briefings, and other customer-facing business development materials.
• Business and commercial acumen sufficient to consider pricing, contracting approach, financial drivers, risk, profitability, investment tradeoffs, and executable customer commitments when shaping and pursuing opportunities.
• Leadership and influence capability sufficient to manage business development employees, lead cross-functional pursuit teams, engage senior customers and executives, drive accountability, and maintain ownership from opportunity development through execution handoff.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; Business, marketing, engineering, defense, munitions, or related field; equivalent related business development, capture, government customer, or defense industry experience may be considered.
• 10+ years Progressive business development, capture, account management, sales, or related growth experience, including experience in defense, munitions, government agency, or government contractor environments; complex opportunity pursuit/capture from sourcing and qualification through proposal, award, and execution handoff; development of white papers, RFI/Sources Sought responses, proposals, presentations, or other customer-facing BD content; and experience leading cross-functional pursuit teams or business development employees

Essential Functions

• Visual acuity (e.g., needed to prepare and analyze data, to transcribe documents, to view a computer, to read, to inspect objects, to operate machinery
• Walking 
• Hearing 
• Talking 
• Capacity to think, concentrate and focus over long periods of time 
• Ability to write complex documents in the [English] language
• Ability to read complex documents in [English] language 
• Capacity to express thoughts orally (e.g., accurately, quick and loudly convey spoken instructions to workers) 
• Capacity to reason and make sound decisions
• Ability to regularly perform all job functions at Company’s office or work site 

• Travel:

  50%

Compensation and Benefits

Candidates may be required to satisfy additional job-related requirements, including those established and controlled by third parties, as part of the selection process.

In compliance with this state’s pay transparency laws, the wage range for this role is $131,600 - $197,400. This is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, as final offer amount may vary based on factors including but not limited to experience and geographic location. (The specific programs and options available to an employee may vary depending on date of hire, schedule type, and the applicability of collective bargaining agreements).

We care about our employees and it shows. Our staff receive a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package which includes medical/Rx, dental and vision coverage; life, AD&D and disability insurance; flexible spending accounts; 100% paid maternity leave for up to 12 weeks, parental leave, family leave, other paid time off; voluntary benefits and discount programs to meet our employees’ individual needs including pet insurance for our furry family members!