Director Business Development 1 - USAF Account Manager

Northrop Grumman•Falls Church, VA

86d•$185,400 - $305,900•Hybrid

About The Position

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems (NGMS) is currently seeking a Director of Business Development 1 to join our Strategic Customer Engagement team within the Business Development and Capture Excellence organization. In this highly visible role, the Director serves as the US Air Force Account Manager and the primary interface with the US Air Force customer and NGMS divisions, directing complete, end-to-end account management. This results-driven, win-focused leader sets and executes an “up and out” strategic agenda that seamlessly integrates NGMS programs, product lines, and capture activities, while generating leads and building a high-value, sector-aligned pipeline. As a trusted advisor to executive leadership, the leader ensures decisive, high-impact engagement at every customer interaction, positioning NGMS as the preferred partner for the US Air Force. The selected candidate must be local to one of these NG locations and has the option to hybrid telework: Linthicum, MD, Newport News, VA, Beavercreek, OH, McLean, VA, or Falls Church, VA. This position will report to the Senior Director, Strategic Customer Engagement and supports engagements with Langley AFB, Wright-Patterson AFB, and other Air Force locations as needed. This position will require up to 50% travel to customer sites or other NG facilities, depending upon candidate location, and direction of the Strategic Customer Engagement Senior Director.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and 10+ years of defense‑sector business development/capture experience or relevant military experience or a Master's degree and 8+ years of defense‑sector business development/capture experience or relevant military experience.
5+ years leading large, multi‑disciplinary teams to deliver win‑focused outcomes.
Deep knowledge of DoW/USAF acquisition and/or operational processes.
Exceptional executive‑level communication and briefing skills; experience influencing senior government officials and corporate leadership.
US Citizenship.
Current/Active Secret clearance with the ability to obtain and maintain a SAP clearance after starting.

Nice To Haves

Proven track record of owning full‑cycle account management and improving win rates.
Ability to translate market intelligence into agile, winning strategies.
Top Secret Clearance.
Advanced degree or MBA preferred.

Responsibilities

Manage the US Air Force account for NGMS as the primary sector customer-facing business development lead; accountable for meeting growth objectives, pipeline health, win rate, and customer relations.
Lead the full account lifecycle—early shaping and solution scoping through proposal, award, and post‑award relationship stewardship—ensuring seamless handoffs to programs and disciplined execution against account plans.
Integrate NGMS divisions, product lines, and capture teams to present a unified value proposition to the US Air Force; align portfolios and investments to US Air Force priorities and sector growth outcomes.
Build and deepen executive‑level customer relationships across HAF/SAF staff, AFMC centers (e.g., AFLCMC, AFRL), PAEs, PEOs, MAJCOMs and Numbered Air Forces, and key influencers; serve as a trusted advisor by translating mission needs into actionable NGMS solutions.
Drive an opportunity‑rich pipeline: identify, qualify, and prioritize pursuits; apply business‑case and competitive analysis to focus resources where we can win and sustain target pipeline coverage versus Annual Operating Plan.
Orchestrate disciplined opportunity qualification, set win strategies and themes, and ensure rapid transitions to capture with clear customer insight, competitive positioning, and decision‑gate readiness.
Partner with Capture Leadership, Business Units (Profit & Loss owners), and functional teams to shape and execute capture strategies; enable proposal readiness, price‑to‑win integration, and agile decision‑making.
Prepare and enable senior executives (Sector President, Division General Managers, and Executive Leadership Team) with precise, timely briefs, call plans, talking points, and post‑engagement readouts; synthesize intelligence into concise, actionable decisions.
Coordinate and mobilize stakeholders: develop and execute integrated customer/stakeholder engagement plans; align sector engagements with Corporate Government Relations and Legislative Affairs to synchronize with enterprise and congressional priorities.
Capture and synthesize customer feedback and market intelligence to inform product roadmaps, IRAD/R&D priorities, and portfolio strategy; provide sector leadership with timely awareness of senior‑level customer priorities.
Collaborate with division business unit counterparts to represent customer needs, understand division equities, and integrate division content into executive packages and customer engagements.
Establish account rhythms and metrics (e.g., quarterly business reviews, pipeline and gate reviews, etc.); communicate status, risks, and recovery actions in a timely manner to sector and division leadership.
Uphold ethical conduct and compliance in all customer interactions and pursuit activities.