Business Development Director, US Army

Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace Inc

2h•Remote

About The Position

Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace, Inc. (KDA Inc.) is seeking a dynamic and highly experienced Business Development Director to drive growth for their Land Systems portfolio across the United States. This remote leadership role is central to Kongsberg’s PROTECTOR line of remote weapon stations and turret systems, serving as the primary link between KDA Inc. in the U.S. and Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace in Norway. As the senior business development lead, the director will shape customer engagement strategies, cultivate high-value relationships, and influence key stakeholders across the U.S. Army, Department of War (DOW), and other defense programs. The role involves integrating, communicating, and problem-solving to ensure seamless alignment between U.S. customer needs, OEM partners, funding and requirements offices, and Kongsberg’s global engineering and product teams. The company is looking for a driven, relationship-focused professional who understands the U.S. and international remote weapons market, thrives in complex defense environments, and can aggressively pursue new opportunities while strengthening existing partnerships. This position also offers the opportunity to contribute across KDA Inc.’s broader portfolio, supporting growth initiatives where expertise can make an impact.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree, preferably in mechanical engineering and or business management.
Military level professional military education equivalent required.
Prior military – 10 years of experience with various weapon systems, remote weapons stations / turrets.
Proven track record in Capture/Program Management that successfully resulted in winning large-scale pursuits / contracts / programs.
Managed and or supported a US Army vehicle or weapons program.
Thorough understanding of the defense market, US government procurement processes (PPB&E), including current trends, technologies, and regulatory environment.
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to influence and negotiate at all levels.
Proven leader skills with a with a track record of managing and motivating high-performance teams under fluid, rapidly changing environments.
Ability to work individually and as part of a cross-cutting, multi-function team.
Understanding of and experience in the use of business development and capture processes.
Must have or able to obtain a US passport.
Must be able to work as part of a team; positive “can-do” attitude.
Flexible in ability to change priorities to accomplish changing team/corporate deadlines and goals.
To comply with U.S. national security policy, employee must be a U.S. Person as defined in 22CFR120.15 of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). Specifically, a U.S. Person is a United States Citizen or National, Lawful Permanent Resident, Lawful Temporary Resident, Refugee or Asylee.
Eligible for and ability to obtain a government SECRET clearance.

Nice To Haves

Acquisition program manager experience for the military preferred.
Active SECRET or higher clearance preferred.

Responsibilities

Report to the Business Development Director working as part of the KDA Inc. Business Development team to identify areas of cross collaboration and provide inputs to the overarching KDA Strategic Plan.
Represent Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace (KDA) Business Unit Land Systems (BULS) and KDA Incorporated (KDA Inc.) with customer / user interactions, present information briefing (product line) and begin the problem-solving process and offer solutions.
Maintain strong relationships with all current, and prospective, US customers.
Coordinate Quarterly Update / Status meetings with existing customers to maintain relationships and be the connectivity between division program management in Norway and customer.
Manage relationship between KDA and US Army acquisition community to ensure current operator/mission planner knowledge of specific weapon capabilities and most current CONOPs considerations are integrated into student curriculum.
Grow a strong base of relationships within the US Army acquisition customer base.
Elevate existing relationships with existing customer offices and develop / foster relationships with other offices to increase advocacy and integration of the Protector family of remote weapons into other platforms (if applicable).
Identify and pursue new business opportunities, commercial as well as military, to include strategic partnerships, joint ventures, and contract acquisitions as directed.
Analyze market trends, competitive landscape, and emerging technologies to inform strategic decisions and positioning.
Drive sales initiatives and revenue growth by identifying and pursuing new business opportunities, contracts, and programs, as well as supporting retention and growth of existing programs.
Identify potential risks and develop mitigation strategies to ensure the successful execution of business development initiatives.
Assist customers with framing problem statements, key decision steps, and solutions for key decision makers. Such assistance will include (but not be limited to) a clear articulation of a successful path with timelines, funding / cost, structure requirements, operational impact.
Coordinate preparation of all required cost information to include Rough Order Magnitude (ROM) and Firm Fixed Pricing (FFP).
Coordinate with officials throughout KDA Inc. and LS, to include engineering, business contracting, finance, production, programs, and legal counsel.
Participate in full opportunity lifecycle process, from opportunity identification through proposal delivery and award.
Work as part of the KDA/KDA Inc. Business Development team to identify areas of cross collaboration and provide inputs to the overarching KDA Inc. Strategic Plan.
Manage recurring Trade Show participation by ensuring participation in high payoff potential venues are ensuring KDA displays reflect evolving focus of existing or targeted customer base.
Be a collaborative member of the business development team and with other KDA divisions to include systems engineering, production and programs that assist in identifying and recommending integration requirements that achieve optimal system performance (exceeding user-defined requirements).
Maintain awareness and understanding of new technology development / platform development projects and manage communication of efforts to current /potential US customers and industry partners, as appropriate.
Hands-on attitude to work with a willingness to learn and develop.
Self-starter, a team player who works well in dynamic teams and in matrix-style project organizations.
Problem solver - identifying and resolving problems in production as they arise.
Collaborative and collegiate attitude to work.
A willingness to embrace KONGSBERG corporate values of collaboration, determination, reliability and innovation.
A willingness to travel and undergo training when required - including internationally.