Director, U.S. Government Business Development, Navy (R3497)

What you'll do:

• Capture Strategy Development: Develop and implement comprehensive capture strategies tailored to specific U.S. Navy opportunities, ensuring alignment with Shield AI's 5-year strategic plan.
• Opportunity Identification: Identify and qualify new business opportunities within the U.S. Navy, leveraging market analysis and customer insights.
• Customer Engagement: Establish and maintain strong relationships with key decision-makers, stakeholders, and influencers within the U.S. Navy and associated program offices.
• Proposal Oversight: Lead the proposal development process in collaboration with the BD Operations team, ensuring compliance with customer requirements and alignment with Shield AI's value propositions.
• Competitive Analysis: Conduct in-depth analyses of competitors to understand their strengths and weaknesses, enabling Shield AI to position itself advantageously.
• Risk Management: Identify potential risks associated with capture pursuits and develop mitigation strategies to address them.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with the Strategic Engagement team and Solutions Engineers to secure and manage opportunities across the U.S. Navy.
• Industry Engagement: Represent Shield AI at conferences, trade shows, and strategic events, proactively organizing and facilitating high-level interactions to promote the company's mission and capabilities.
• Stakeholder Communication: Regularly update senior leadership on capture progress, key milestones, and any issues that may impact the pursuit.

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Engineering, or a related field.
• A combined total of over 12 years of experience in military service and sales, with a focus on the U.S. Navy.
• Air aviation background with a deep understanding of the government acquisition sales cycle.
• Proven track record of successfully capturing and winning contracts within U.S. Navy agencies.
• In-depth understanding of defense acquisition processes and the Department of Defense procurement lifecycle.
• Self-motivated and results-oriented, with demonstrated success in meeting and exceeding critical goals and deadlines.
• Experience owning and closing deals, with strong negotiation and contract management skills.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to lead and motivate cross-functional teams in a high-pressure, deadline-driven environment.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently for customer engagements at various locations, including internal and external sites and industry trade shows.
• Active or eligibility for a U.S. Department of Defense security clearance.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience with Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and autonomy software.
• Experience in the U.S. Navy, with established relationships within the service and associated markets.
• Master of Business Administration (MBA) or equivalent graduate degree.