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Senior Director of Business Development

Arlington, Virginia, United States; Fort Worth, Texas; San Luis Obispo, California, United States

At Zone 5 Technologies, we're redefining what's possible in unmanned aircraft systems. Our team of engineers and innovators is developing cutting-edge autonomous solutions that push the boundaries of UAS technology - solving complex challenges that matter.

We're building the future of UAS capabilities, and we're looking for exceptional talent to join us. If you're driven by hard problems, energized by rapid innovation, and ready to make an impact on next-generation flight systems, you belong here.

Zone 5 Technologies is seeking a Senior Director of Business Development to lead and unify the company's business development function across its International Business Development team and Portfolio BD Directors. This is a senior leadership role for an executive who has built and led winning BD organizations — either inside a successful defense start-up or within a major defense prime supporting an emerging product line — and who brings the technical and operational credibility to guide portfolio-level prioritization, not just manage a pipeline.

Reporting directly to the Chief Strategy Officer, the Senior Director will ensure business development priorities align with Zone 5's corporate vision, translate strategy into resourced pursuit plans, and identify “bold” plays — high-value, high-risk opportunities that require accelerated effort, dedicated tasking, and executive-level vision to win. This individual will be the connective layer between capture-level execution and enterprise strategy, working daily with Portfolio Vice Presidents and Finance to set price-to-win positioning and with BD Directors to keep pursuits prioritized, resourced, and moving.

This position is promotable to Vice President, Business Development based on demonstrated performance, pipeline growth, and organizational impact.

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

BD Leadership & Team Oversight

  • Lead, mentor, and manage the International Business Development team and Portfolio BD Directors, setting clear pursuit priorities, performance expectations, and capture discipline across the organization.
  • Establish consistent capture processes and reporting cadences across portfolios and international geographies to give executive leadership a unified view of the BD pipeline.
  • Build BD bench strength through coaching, structured pursuit reviews, and hands-on involvement in the highest-priority opportunities.

Opportunity Prioritization & Capture Strategy

  • Apply deep, hands-on knowledge of the general defense capture process — both intra-Department of War (with a domestic U.S. emphasis) and international — to help Portfolio Vice Presidents and BD Directors correctly prioritize opportunities against resourcing and probability of win.
  • Partner with Portfolio VPs to assess opportunity qualification, technical fit, and program timing, ensuring pursuit decisions are grounded in operational and technical realism rather than optimism.
  • Identify and elevate “bold” plays — strategically significant opportunities that fall outside normal pursuit cadence and require accelerated tasking, dedicated resources, and direct executive sponsorship to pursue credibly.

Price-to-Win Strategy

  • Work directly with Portfolio Vice Presidents and Finance to develop and refine price-to-win strategy for priority pursuits, balancing competitive positioning against margin and delivery realities.
  • Bring technical and operational judgment to price-to-win discussions, ensuring cost and schedule assumptions reflect genuine system and program maturity rather than aspirational positioning.
  • Standardize a repeatable price-to-win methodology that can be applied consistently across portfolios and international campaigns.

Executive Alignment & Strategic Reporting

  • Report directly to the Chief Strategy Officer on BD pipeline health, prioritization decisions, resourcing gaps, and pursuit outcomes.
  • Ensure BD priorities remain aligned with company vision and strategic plan, flagging misalignment between pursuit activity and corporate direction early.
  • Proactively highlight resource needs — people, funding, or executive engagement — required to win priority pursuits, and make the case for reallocation when warranted.
  • Serve as a key voice in strategic planning discussions, ensuring BD perspective informs company-level investment and portfolio decisions.

 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Minimum of 5 years of business development experience within a successful defense start-up or a major defense prime, with direct responsibility for an emerging product line.
  • Deep understanding of the general defense capture process, both intra-Department of War and international, with particular strength in domestic U.S. capture.
  • Strong technical and operational pedigree sufficient to credibly guide Portfolio Vice Presidents and BD Directors on opportunity prioritization and technical fit.
  • Demonstrated experience developing price-to-win strategy in direct partnership with Finance and Portfolio/Program leadership.
  • Prior experience managing, mentoring, or directly leading a team of business development professionals.
  • Ability to operate effectively at the executive level, translating strategy into resourced, prioritized action across a distributed BD organization.
  • Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in business, engineering, or a related field preferred.
  • Active U.S. Secret clearance required.

Preferred

  • 10 years of business development experience
  • Top Secret/SCI clearance.
  • Prior U.S. military experience (uniformed or civilian) in a role relevant to weapons systems, capability development, and acquisition.
  • Experience leading BD across multiple mission areas or product portfolios simultaneously.
  • Established relationships across the U.S. Department of War acquisition community and/or international defense customers.
  • Experience standing up or maturing a formal capture and price-to-win process within a growing organization.

CORE COMPETENCIES

  • Executive judgment — balances technical realism, financial discipline, and strategic ambition when prioritizing pursuits.
  • Team leadership — builds, coaches, and holds accountable a distributed team of BD Directors across portfolios and geographies.
  • Capture process mastery — fluent in both domestic DoW and international capture pathways, from qualification through award.
  • Cross-functional financial acumen — partners credibly with Finance and Portfolio VPs on price-to-win and margin trade-offs.
  • Strategic communication — translates pipeline complexity into clear, decision-ready input for the Chief Strategy Officer and executive leadership.

Pay range for this role

$225,000 - $250,000 USD

What's in it for you:

Benefits: 

  • Competitive total compensation package 
  • Comprehensive benefit package options include medical, dental, vision, life, and more.
  • 401k with company-match 
  • 4 weeks of paid time off each year
  • 12 annual company holidays

Why Join Zone 5 Technologies?

  • Innovative Environment: Work on cutting-edge technology that is shaping the future of defense and aerospace.
  • Collaborative Culture: Join a team of passionate professionals dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
  • Career Growth: Opportunities for professional development and career advancement.

If you are passionate about unmanned aircraft technology and want to be a part of a dynamic and growing company, we would love to hear from you. Apply today and join the Zone 5 Technologies team! 

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

Zone 5 Technologies is a federal contractor and participates in E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility. As required by law, we will verify the identity and employment authorization of all new employees using the E-Verify system. Learn more about your rights and responsibilities under E-Verify: https://www.e-verify.gov.

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