Defense Business Development & Capture Manager

LIFEPORT LLC•Woodland, WA

3d•$100,000 - $150,000•Onsite

About The Position

LifePort is seeking a customer-facing business development and capture professional to grow its defense portfolio across the U.S. Department of Defense, other federal customers, allied governments, Foreign Military Sales (FMS) channels, and major aerospace and defense OEMs and primes. The role develops trusted customer relationships, identifies opportunities early, maps requirements, stakeholders, funding and acquisition pathways, and converts validated customer needs into qualified pursuits and revenue opportunities. The position represents LifePort’s defense solutions, including ballistic protection and survivability, aeromedical/MEDEVAC/CASEVAC systems, patient handling, special-mission interiors, mission seating and flooring, and related mission-equipment integration. The successful candidate will translate operational problems into business opportunities and manage capture from initial customer need through funded requirement, acquisition pathway, award, and follow-on growth. This role works closely with customers and LifePort’s Engineering, Programs, Operations, Finance, Contracts, and leadership teams. It involves domestic and international business development, including FMS and appropriately structured direct-commercial or allied opportunities, while coordinating export-control, contracting, and legal requirements with responsible LifePort functions. The position is based at LifePort LLC in Woodland, Washington, and requires travel up to 50% domestically and internationally as business needs require. Working conditions are normal for a manufacturing/machine shop/office environment, with frequent travel to customer, partner, military, and industry locations. Employees must follow company safety policies and wear personal protective equipment when required. The role must meet export-control compliance requirements; a U.S. Person as defined by applicable U.S. export-control regulations is required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Duties and responsibilities may change.

Requirements

Typically 8 or more years of relevant defense, military, government, aerospace, acquisition, capture, or business-development experience.
Demonstrated record of developing defense customer relationships and converting customer needs into funded pursuits, contracts, partnerships, or measurable pipeline growth.
Strong understanding of the U.S. defense acquisition environment and the ability to connect operational requirements, funding, acquisition organizations, contracting pathways, and industry partners.
Working knowledge of DoD budgeting and funding concepts, including PPBE/POM, congressional appropriations and authorization context, budget exhibits, RDT&E, Procurement, and O&M funding, and their impact on business-development timing.
Ability to build credibility and long-term relationships with defense customers. An established DoD network is strongly preferred; exceptional candidates who have demonstrated an ability to create senior-level relationships may be considered.
Ability to sell complex mission solutions and connect customer mission problems to LifePort’s engineering, integration, certification, production, and sustainment capabilities.
Ability to communicate credibly with operational military personnel, acquisition professionals, engineers, executives, and international customers.
Strong capture judgment, including the ability to distinguish qualified opportunities from general interest, prioritize resources, and recommend GO/HOLD/NO-GO decisions with clear evidence.
Ability to work independently in an externally focused role while coordinating with internal account owners and functional teams.
Excellent written, verbal, briefing, and executive-presentation skills.
Strong business acumen, including opportunity valuation, pricing awareness, competitive positioning, partner economics, and risk assessment.
High degree of initiative, professional judgment, integrity, and discretion when handling sensitive customer, program, and competitive information.
Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and CRM tools and ability to use data, market intelligence, and structured account/capture tools to manage a portfolio.
Ability to travel up to 50% domestically and internationally as business needs require.
Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, national security, military studies, or a related field preferred; equivalent military leadership, acquisition, industry, or business-development experience may substitute.
A U.S. Person, as defined by applicable U.S. export-control regulations, is required to meet export-control compliance requirements.
Ability to meet customer or program security requirements may be required.

Nice To Haves

Established DoD network.
Working knowledge of federal acquisition approaches such as FAR/DFARS contracting, IDIQ/task orders, OTAs, SBIR/STTR transition, CSOs, and other rapid-acquisition mechanisms.
Knowledge of FMS/security-cooperation pathways and international defense business development.
Experience in Army or joint aviation; MEDEVAC/CASEVAC/aeromedical operations; tactical wheeled vehicles; survivability/ballistic protection; special-mission aircraft; medical systems; defense OEM/prime programs; or FMS/security cooperation.
Prior military service.
Experience in DoD acquisition, requirements, program management, operational planning, security cooperation, or the defense industry.
Active U.S. security clearance, where relevant to assigned programs.

Responsibilities

Build and maintain relationships with U.S. DoD operational, requirements, acquisition, program management, contracting, medical, aviation, sustainment, and security-cooperation stakeholders.
Develop relationships with defense OEMs and primes, integrators, channel partners, allied defense organizations, and other organizations that can create or accelerate qualified opportunities.
Own assigned defense accounts and campaigns from early identification through qualification, capture, proposal, award, and follow-on growth; maintain disciplined customer, ownership, next-action, decision-gate, and forecast records.
Identify emerging customer problems and programs before formal solicitation by monitoring requirements development, acquisition activity, budget signals, industry engagement, exercises, platform modernization, and partner activity.
Map customer requirements to funding and acquisition pathways, including requirements, PPBE/POM activity, appropriations, budget exhibits, program elements, funding categories, acquisition organizations, and contracting vehicles.
Assess how enacted or programmed funding could become an executable acquisition opportunity; identify the government owner, acquisition authority, contracting path, and next action needed for LifePort to compete.
Develop account and campaign strategies for LifePort defense solutions, including ballistic and survivability systems, MEDEVAC/CASEVAC and patient-handling systems, rapid-role-change mission equipment, special-mission interiors, seating, flooring, and related integration capabilities.
Conduct customer discovery and requirements analysis and translate mission needs into internal opportunity statements for Engineering, Programs, Operations, Finance, and Contracts.
Present LifePort capabilities to executives and lead customer discussions with operators, maintainers, program managers, PEOs, senior military leaders, OEM executives, and allied-government stakeholders.
Support domestic and international sales, including FMS and appropriately structured direct-commercial and allied opportunities, coordinating export-control, ITAR/EAR, contracting, and legal requirements with responsible functions.
Develop and maintain working knowledge of DSCA/FMS processes, Security Cooperation Organizations, relevant service international program offices, OEM international channels, and allied procurement approaches.
Coordinate with LifePort leadership and registered government-affairs/lobbying resources on approved congressional or budget-shaping efforts; the role is not intended to duplicate registered lobbying activity.
Evaluate RFIs, RFQs, RFPs, sources sought, BAAs, CSOs, OTAs, and other acquisition vehicles; lead or support bid/no-bid recommendations and proposal and capture strategy.
Work with Finance and Contracts on pricing, commercial structure, terms, risk, and profitability; support proposal development and customer negotiations within delegated authority.
Develop strategic teaming relationships to address platform-access, certification, integration, technology, manufacturing, international-market, or customer-access gaps.
Plan and execute high-value customer visits, demonstrations, trade shows, and industry engagements tied to defined account and capture objectives.
Maintain accurate CRM and forecast data and provide concise executive updates on opportunity value, probability, funding, customer sponsorship, next decision, risk, and required resources.
Partner with Engineering, Programs, Operations, and executive leadership to ensure proposed solutions are technically feasible, supportable, certifiable, producible, and aligned with LifePort strategy.
Build a qualified and balanced defense pipeline with clear customer problems, funding and acquisition pathways, owners, next actions, and realistic forecasts.
Increase LifePort’s access to priority DoD, OEM/prime, and allied/FMS stakeholders while reducing dependence on any single executive for customer relationships.
Identify credible opportunities early enough to influence requirements, teaming, budget, and acquisition strategy where appropriate.
Advance assigned pursuits through measurable milestones, including validated requirement, customer sponsorship, funded pathway, capture strategy, proposal, award, and follow-on growth.
Develop repeatable account and campaign plans across LifePort’s defense portfolio, particularly ballistic/survivability and medical/MEDEVAC/CASEVAC mission solutions.
Maintain disciplined CRM, forecast, and executive reporting and use travel, proposal, engineering, and partner resources efficiently.

Benefits

PTO (paid time off)
Personal leave
Annual performance bonus program
Wellness program and onsite gym with free personal training
Paid company holidays
Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits with HSA and FSA options
401(k) with employer contribution
Employer-paid basic life and disability coverage
Employee life assistance program
Additional voluntary benefits may include legal, long-term disability, pet, accident, hospital indemnity, and critical illness coverage.