Business Development Director - Directed Energy Systems, International

AeroVironment•Albuquerque, NM

4d•$126,500 - $215,000

About The Position

AeroVironment is seeking an experienced international business development leader to establish and expand its directed energy business across allied and partner nations, including the LOCUST® X3 Laser Weapon System. The role translates regional defense priorities and emerging counter-UAS requirements into international directed energy programs, helping customers assess how laser weapon systems can support layered air defense, protect forces and critical infrastructure, and address unmanned aircraft threats. The Director leads international growth strategy across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and the Indo-Pacific. This includes developing market-specific approaches, identifying priority countries and programs, building customer and partner relationships, and advancing opportunities from early market development through contract award and program growth. The role also helps shape customer requirements, regional partnerships, and the evolution of products and offerings for international operators. The position is based in Albuquerque, New Mexico; Huntsville, Alabama; or the National Capital Region, with frequent international travel across Europe, MENA, and the Indo-Pacific, as well as domestic engagement with AV teams and U.S. government stakeholders. It requires a Secret clearance and access to ITAR/EAR-controlled information; applicants must meet the stated U.S.-person or export-license eligibility requirements. Some positions may require current U.S. citizenship due to contract requirements.

Requirements

10 or more years of relevant defense or national security experience, including 5 or more years in international business development, capture, defense sales, strategic partnerships, or acquisition.
Demonstrated record of advancing complex defense opportunities and building trusted relationships with international customers, government stakeholders, and industry partners.
Established network in one or more priority regions: Europe, MENA, or the Indo-Pacific.
Strong understanding of how international military requirements are developed, funded, acquired, integrated, and transitioned into operational capability.
Working knowledge of directed energy, laser weapon systems, counter-UAS, integrated air defense, electro-optical systems, or related technologies.
Ability to explain directed energy advantages, limitations, operational employment, and integration considerations within a layered air defense architecture.
Experience developing regional market strategies, capture plans, customer engagement plans, pipeline objectives, and international growth initiatives.
Experience coordinating complex pursuits across government, industry, and internal functions, including engineering, program management, contracts, finance, export compliance, and legal.
Strong commercial judgment in evaluating customer urgency, market attractiveness, competitive positioning, partner value, program risk, and return on investment.
Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to work across cultures and organizational levels.
Initiative and persistence to open markets, shape requirements early, develop proposals and presentations, and maintain momentum through complex international decision cycles.
Must meet ITAR/EAR eligibility requirements as a U.S. person or be eligible for an export license; some positions may require current U.S. citizenship due to contract requirements.

Nice To Haves

Successful international sales or captures involving directed energy, high-energy lasers, counter-UAS, air defense, electro-optical/infrared systems, or related defense technologies.
Experience supporting customers or programs across two or more of Europe, MENA, and the Indo-Pacific.
Familiarity with FMS, DCS, government-to-government acquisition, multinational programs, export licensing, and international compliance requirements.
Experience developing international teaming arrangements, system-integration strategies, offset or industrial participation plans, local-content strategies, or in-country sustainment approaches.
Experience working with NATO, allied, coalition, or multinational defense organizations.
Technical, operational, military, or acquisition experience that enables effective engagement with engineers and military end users.
Professional experience living or working internationally, or demonstrated proficiency in another language.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute directed energy market strategies for Europe, MENA, and the Indo-Pacific, assessing regional security priorities, counter-UAS requirements, air defense architectures, acquisition timelines, funding sources, competition, and industrial capabilities.
Identify and prioritize countries, ministries, military organizations, acquisition programs, exercises, demonstrations, and industry engagements where AV can build a durable market position.
Translate regional strategies into business development and capture plans; establish pipeline objectives, qualify opportunities, shape requirements, and track opportunities through award and follow-on growth.
Build relationships with allied and partner-nation ministries of defense, military users, acquisition organizations, test agencies, national security institutions, international primes, system integrators, and local defense companies.
Engage customers to understand operational challenges, threat priorities, force structure, rules of engagement, infrastructure needs, and desired employment concepts, and position directed energy within integrated, layered air defense and counter-UAS solutions.
Help customers connect operational needs to requirements development, experimentation, demonstrations, funding, acquisition strategy, integration, training, sustainment, and long-term force development.
Develop regional partnerships and strategies for teaming, integration, industrial participation, local content, sustainment, and market access.
Lead international captures and coordinate cross-functional teams across engineering, product management, program management, contracts, finance, supply chain, export compliance, legal, and communications to develop capture strategies, proposals, teaming arrangements, pricing approaches, and executable business plans.
Coordinate Foreign Military Sales (FMS), Direct Commercial Sales (DCS), government-to-government, and other international acquisition pathways with AV specialists, U.S. government stakeholders, and customer representatives.
Represent AV in senior-level customer meetings, technical briefings, demonstrations, operational assessments, trade shows, exercises, industry forums, and partner engagements.
Communicate the operational value, capabilities, employment considerations, integration requirements, limitations, readiness factors, and lifecycle implications of laser weapon systems to military, technical, acquisition, and executive audiences.
Support international program growth after award through customer and partner engagement on implementation, fielding, training, sustainment, capability expansion, follow-on opportunities, and international references.
Translate customer feedback, competitor intelligence, policy changes, partner capabilities, and regional market trends into recommendations for product development, integration, positioning, pricing, investment, and international portfolio strategy.