Business Development Director, Sr.

AeroVironment•Pottstown, PA

2d•$152,000 - $243,250•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Director, International Business Development is responsible for driving international bookings growth by identifying, qualifying, capturing, and closing high-value business opportunities that achieve AeroVironment's annual bookings objectives. This role focuses on accelerating near-term business opportunities while simultaneously developing targeted capture strategies for strategically important pursuits. Working in partnership with senior Business Development leadership, Product Line General Managers (PLGMs), Program Management, Engineering, Contracts, and other cross-functional teams, the Senior Director develops and executes customer engagement and capture strategies that position AeroVironment for contract awards. Success in this role requires building trusted relationships with senior government, military, and industry leaders, understanding customer requirements and procurement priorities, and translating opportunities into executable capture plans that deliver measurable business results.

Requirements

Minimum of 15 years of international business development, capture management, or defense industry experience with a demonstrated record of consistently achieving or exceeding annual bookings and sales objectives.
Proven success identifying, qualifying, capturing, negotiating, and closing complex international defense opportunities.
Strong understanding of international defense procurement processes, acquisition organizations, and government decision-making.
Demonstrated experience engaging senior military, government, and industry leaders at the General/Flag Officer, Senior Executive Service (SES), Ministerial, or equivalent executive level.
Demonstrated success developing winning proposals and executing capture strategies for both Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS).
Experience with export compliance requirements, including ITAR, EAR, and related U.S. Government approval processes.
Strong understanding of defense and security market dynamics, customer operational requirements, and procurement priorities across international markets.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex pursuits simultaneously while maintaining accurate forecasts and delivering near-term results.
Ability to operate in strict compliance with FCPA regulations when interfacing with pertinent foreign and US government channels in areas of operation

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in international relations or foreign policy is a plus
Experience working with or around defense technology (e.g. UAS, electronic warfare, C-UAS)
Strong communications, negotiation, strategic planning, and interpersonal skills
Demonstrated experience working with cross-functional teams
Able to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
Displays strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectives
Takes ownership and responsibility for assigned tasks

Responsibilities

Own the identification, qualification, capture, and successful closure of international business opportunities that achieve annual bookings and revenue objectives.
Develop and execute aggressive capture strategies focused on converting qualified opportunities into contract awards within established planning horizons.
Identify, prioritize, and drive high-probability opportunities through the business development lifecycle, ensuring disciplined pipeline management and forecast accuracy.
Partner with Product Line General Managers, Engineering, Contracts, Finance, Operations, and executive leadership to align resources and develop winning customer solutions.
Lead customer engagement activities throughout the sales cycle, from opportunity identification through contract award.
Develop customer-specific win strategies based on operational requirements, competitive positioning, acquisition strategies, and customer priorities.
Identify and develop strategic partnerships, distributors, resellers, and industry relationships that improve market access and increase the probability of near-term business success.
Provide market intelligence and strategic insight by: Identifying emerging customer requirements and procurement opportunities. Monitoring competitor activities and market dynamics. Assessing acquisition strategies, funding sources, and procurement timelines. Evaluating the impact of U.S. Government policies, export regulations, and geopolitical developments on current opportunities. Identifying key influencers and decision-makers to shape customer requirements toward AeroVironment solutions.
Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior military, government, industry, and acquisition leaders to accelerate opportunity development and contract awards.
Maintain a disciplined opportunity pipeline with accurate forecasting, regular status reporting, and clear capture priorities aligned with annual operating objectives.
Represent AeroVironment at customer engagements, industry conferences, trade shows, demonstrations, and executive meetings.
Utilize Salesforce CRM to maintain opportunity data, forecasts, customer engagement activities, and capture plans.