Defense Commercial Growth Officer (Defense CGO)

Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM)•Pittsburgh, PA

About The Position

The Defense Commercial Growth Officer (Defense CGO) leads the ARM Institute’s growth strategy across U.S. defense and national security markets. The role develops and executes business development and capture strategies, represents ARM to government and industry stakeholders, identifies and shapes new opportunities, and leads strategic pursuits that advance U.S. manufacturing capability, robotics and AI adoption, workforce readiness, and national security. The Defense CGO owns the opportunity lifecycle end to end, from sustained customer engagement and opportunity shaping through bid/no-bid decisions, capture planning, proposal leadership, award, and transition to delivery. The position builds relationships across the Department of War, military services, defense agencies, other government stakeholders, prime contractors, ARM Consortium members, and industry partners. It requires deep knowledge of the defense acquisition environment, government and military requirements, competitive dynamics, contracting vehicles, and business development processes. The role leads and mentors the defense business development and capture organization, develops pipeline and performance discipline, and works across ARM’s technical, program, operations, finance, contracts, workforce, membership, communications, and executive teams. As a senior leadership team member, the Defense CGO helps set organizational strategy and ensures awarded work aligns with ARM’s priorities and delivery capacity. Success includes diversified revenue growth, strong capture and customer outcomes, strategic partnerships, and effective transitions from award to delivery.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, public policy, national security, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
20 or more years of progressive experience in defense, federal contracting, government acquisition, defense manufacturing, advanced manufacturing, robotics, AI, or a closely related industry.
Demonstrated success developing and winning significant defense-sector contracts, including opportunity qualification, capture planning, proposal development, and customer engagement.
Extensive knowledge of the Department of War acquisition and contracting environment, government contracting vehicles, competitive procurements, proposal compliance, and funding cycles.
Strong understanding of defense budgets, appropriations, requirements development, acquisition strategies, and procurement processes.
Strong understanding of defense-manufacturing challenges and the roles of the Department of War, OIB, DIB, military services, and industrial base partners.
Demonstrated experience leading complex capture efforts and developing winning proposal strategies.
Established relationships across the defense industry and U.S. government customer community.
Proven ability to develop and manage a substantial business development pipeline.
Experience leading, mentoring, and developing high-performing business development and capture teams.
Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with senior government, industry, academic, and nonprofit stakeholders.
Superior executive-level written, verbal, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-management skills.
Ability to obtain and maintain any security clearance required for the position, if applicable.
Willingness and ability to travel for customer engagements, conferences, proposal activities, and stakeholder meetings.
Must be eligible to work on U.S. government and defense programs in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in business administration, engineering, national security, or a related discipline.
Prior experience supporting or working within the Department of War, military services, or defense agencies.
Prior senior military or government experience.
Understanding of Manufacturing Innovation Institutes, the Manufacturing Technology (MANTECH) program, and public-private partnerships used to satisfy military requirements.
Experience with traditional and non-traditional federal contracting mechanisms.
Existing relationships with major defense primes and/or key government customers.
Experience with DoD manufacturing, MANTECH, research and engineering, acquisition and sustainment, operations and maintenance, depot modernization, shipyard modernization, or industrial base programs.
Experience with congressional interest items, appropriations-related engagement, or public-private partnership funding models, conducted in accordance with applicable laws and organizational policies.
Experience in robotics, automation, AI, digital manufacturing, technology transition, or workforce-development programs.
Experience leading multi-organization teams, consortiums, or industry-academia-government partnerships.
Active security clearance, where relevant to the role.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute ARM’s defense-sector business development strategy in alignment with organizational revenue, mission, technology, and workforce priorities.
Identify, qualify, and prioritize opportunities across the Department of War, military services, defense agencies, and other federal customers; maintain a qualified pipeline that supports growth objectives.
Monitor defense requirements, modernization initiatives, funding trends, market conditions, and competitive dynamics, and translate them into actionable opportunities.
Provide executive leadership with assessments of pipeline health, market trends, competitive positioning, win probability, funding timelines, risks, and revenue forecasts.
Lead major capture efforts from early opportunity identification through contract award, including opportunity shaping, qualification, capture plans, customer engagement, competitive analysis, teaming, solution development, pricing, win themes, staffing, schedules, and contract strategy.
Lead disciplined bid/no-bid decisions and proposal strategy, solution positioning, executive reviews, and recommendations on pursuit investments.
Coordinate cross-functional teams and ensure capture and proposal commitments are approved and transitioned effectively to delivery teams.
Build trusted relationships with senior government leaders, program managers, contracting officials, requirements organizations, military leaders, and other decision-makers in accordance with applicable ethics and procurement regulations.
Develop strategic account plans for priority government customers, including mission needs, stakeholder priorities, funding pathways, contract vehicles, competitive environments, and long-range opportunity roadmaps.
Represent ARM in government and industry engagements, stakeholder meetings, defense-manufacturing events, working groups, conferences, and customer visits.
Secure and grow funding for Technology Advancement Programs, robotics and AI modernization initiatives, Automation Assessments and related services, Robotics Manufacturing Hub concepts, and Education and Workforce Development programs.
Pursue funding across relevant defense and government sources, identify appropriate contracting vehicles and funding mechanisms, and work with executive leadership and external affairs on strategic funding priorities within applicable requirements.
Coordinate with commercial business-development leadership to identify collaboration, transition, and dual-use opportunities.
Identify and negotiate strategic teaming arrangements, joint ventures, subcontracting relationships, and other partnerships that strengthen ARM’s competitive position and expand its addressable market.
Build relationships across the defense industrial base and with Consortium members, prime contractors, subcontractors, technology companies, academic partners, and other industry partners.
Partner with Membership to recruit, retain, and activate consortium members with capabilities relevant to ARM’s defense markets.
Lead and mentor the defense business development and capture organization; establish measurable objectives, pipeline metrics, and accountability standards.
Improve business development processes, tools, CRM discipline, opportunity qualification, forecast accuracy, and win rates.
Serve as the primary internal voice of defense customers and translate their needs into guidance for ARM’s technical, workforce, program, membership, and communications teams.
Coordinate with program management, technical leadership, finance, and contracts before award or signature to confirm scope, budget, staffing, risk, success measures, and customer commitments.
Partner with the CSO to develop market-specific messaging, thought leadership, customer stories, events, and campaigns; coordinate with the CTO and CWO to align opportunities with capabilities and resources.
Serve on the senior leadership team and contribute to overall organizational strategy.