Director, Business Development - Land Warfare & Air Defense

Zone 5 Technologies • Fort Worth, VA

5d • $138,000 - $178,000

About The Position

Zone 5 Technologies is seeking a technically grounded Director of Business Development to lead its domestic land warfare and air defense business for ground forces, including counter-UAS, short-range air defense (SHORAD), close air support (CAS), and precision ground attack. The portfolio includes the WHITE SPIKE counter-UAS interceptor and ground and surface-attack missile, PEACEMAKER counter-UAS and multi-mission UAS, and ECLIPSE counter-UAS and multi-mission UAS.

The position is designed for a U.S. Army or U.S. Marine Corps ground-combat or attack-aviation professional, or a counter-UAS and air-to-ground weapons acquisition and test leader, with firsthand operational, engineering, or fielding experience. The Director will engage U.S. Army and USMC requirements owners, program offices, joint counter-UAS organizations, operational and test organizations, and government-funded R&D organizations. They will serve as the portfolio's senior technical sales authority and customer point of contact as relationships progress into substantive capability and integration discussions.

The Director owns the land warfare and air defense pipeline, including probability-of-win and probability-of-go assessments, pursuit priorities, and bid/no-bid recommendations to executive leadership. As capture lead, the Director directs assigned proposal and technical staff and ensures that capture strategies and technical narratives are accurate, credible, and compelling. The role requires sustained coordination across portfolio, engineering, marketing, and international sales teams.

Within 24 months, the Director is expected to advance at least one WHITE SPIKE, PEACEMAKER, or ECLIPSE pursuit to a funded program-of-record transition or production contract with the U.S. Army or USMC, and secure Zone 5 Technologies' participation in at least one JIATF-401, Army, or USMC counter-UAS, air defense, or attack-aviation experimentation or live-fire campaign. The position supports international business development with senior technical expertise and may require domestic and international travel of 25–50%. An active U.S. Secret clearance is required.

Requirements

• Prior U.S. Army or USMC service, uniformed or civilian, in a land-warfare or attack-aviation role with direct counter-UAS, SHORAD, CAS, or air-to-ground missile exposure. Relevant backgrounds include ADA, field artillery, maneuver, FSO, JTAC, FAC, AH-64, AH-1Z, Gray Eagle weapons employment, MAWTS-1 WTI, or counter-UAS/air-to-ground weapons program office, test and evaluation, systems engineering, or operational fielding roles.
• Deep technical understanding of counter-UAS detect-track-identify-defeat chains; SHORAD and maneuver-force air defense; CAS and joint fires; precision ground attack with AGM-114 Hellfire and JAGM-class weapons; kinetic, EW, HPM, and DE effectors; and integration with FAAD C2, IBCS, and TAK.
• Working knowledge of weapons integration and certification standards, including MIL-STD-1760, MIL-STD-1553, MIL-STD-3014, MIL-STD-1316, MIL-STD-2105, MIL-STD-882, MIL-STD-810, MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-6016, Link 16, Cursor-on-Target messaging, and the Army and USMC rotary-wing and UAS airworthiness-release process.
• Ability to communicate credibly with engineers, program managers, and operators about system performance, integration, and employment, and to brief general officers and SES leaders.
• Exceptional writing skills, including the ability to produce clear, precise, persuasive technical prose for proposals, white papers, capability statements, and senior-leader correspondence with minimal editing. Writing samples will be requested.
• Experience leading or writing technical content for proposals, capture efforts, or government-facing technical documentation.
• Familiarity with OTA, MTA, and traditional FAR and DFARS acquisition pathways.
• Ability to travel 25–50% domestically and internationally for client engagement, demonstrations, and industry events.
• Active U.S. Secret clearance required.

Nice To Haves

• Operational employment experience in combat or large-force exercises.
• Top Secret/SCI clearance.
• Direct engineering, test, or operational experience with fielded land-force counter-UAS, SHORAD, and air-to-ground systems such as M-LIDS, MADIS, L-MADIS, Coyote, FAAD C2, IFPC, M-SHORAD, Stinger-based systems, AGM-114 Hellfire, JAGM, Gray Eagle, or Apache weapons integration; or with loitering-munition and OWA systems.
• Operational deployment experience defending ground forces or fixed sites against Group 1 through 3 UAS and OWA threats, or delivering CAS and precision ground attack in support of maneuver forces.
• Graduate of the MAWTS-1 WTI course, Army Aviation Tactics Instructor course, Joint Firepower Course, ADA Captains Career Course, U.S. Army Experimental Test Pilot program, or U.S. Navy Test Pilot School.
• Experience engaging government-funded R&D organizations, service laboratories, FFRDCs, or UARCs on emerging weapons-system requirements.
• Experience supporting international or FMS engagements alongside a business development team.
• Bachelor's degree in engineering, systems, or physical science; advanced degree is a plus.
• Previous DIU employment focused on counter-UAS or UAS systems.
• Previous employment in relevant U.S. Army operational, test, or rapid-acquisition organizations or units.
• Previous employment in relevant USMC operational units, commands, program offices, or the MADIS integration enterprise.
• USSOCOM SOF CUxS enterprise or Army Special Operations ground-force protection experience.

Responsibilities

• Own the land warfare and air defense opportunity pipeline, probability-of-win and probability-of-go assessments, pursuit priorities, capture strategy, and bid/no-bid recommendations.
• Serve as the subject matter expert on counter-UAS, SHORAD, CAS, and precision ground attack for ground forces, translating the company's products into terms relevant to customer requirements, concepts of operations, tactics, force-protection and maneuver-force air defense, weapons integration, and program-of-record pathways.
• Engage U.S. Army requirements, acquisition, test, operational, and research stakeholders, including relevant joint organizations, program offices, commands, laboratories, and test organizations.
• Engage USMC requirements, acquisition, test, operational, and research stakeholders, including relevant program offices, commands, units, and experimentation organizations.
• Engage joint and special operations stakeholders, government-funded R&D organizations, service laboratories, FFRDCs, and UARCs to identify emerging requirements and shape opportunities.
• Build and sustain relationships that establish Zone 5 Technologies as a credible, informed partner.
• Track and interpret adversary threats, doctrine, force design, and acquisition strategies relevant to land-force counter-UAS, SHORAD, attack aviation, and precision ground attack.
• Provide senior technical sales expertise to the international business development team for partner-nation land-force and army-aviation engagements, including LOR, RFP, and integration discussions.
• Partner with international sales to tailor technical positioning to partner-nation requirements, threat environments, and export considerations.
• Lead technical volume development, win themes, and discriminator articulation for domestic and international proposals.
• Direct proposal writers and technical contributors as capture lead, ensuring technical accuracy and consistency across proposals, white papers, RFIs, and RFP responses.
• Lead technical exchange meetings, capability briefings, and government stakeholder demonstrations, including live-fire, operational assessment, and joint counter-UAS experimentation events.
• Coordinate with portfolio and engineering leadership to align business development activity with product maturity, roadmap, and technical constraints.
• Partner with marketing to develop technically accurate capability collateral, briefing materials, and messaging.
• Coordinate technical engagement strategy with international sales leadership and country-level pursuit plans.
• Advance at least one product pursuit to a funded program-of-record transition or production contract with the U.S. Army or USMC within 24 months.
• Secure company participation in at least one JIATF-401, Army, or USMC counter-UAS, air defense, or attack-aviation experimentation or live-fire campaign within 24 months.

Benefits

• Performance bonuses in addition to base salary; bonus components are variable and not guaranteed.
• Comprehensive benefit package options, including medical, dental, vision, life, and other benefits.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Three weeks of paid time off each year.
• 40 hours of sick time.
• 12 annual company holidays.
• Professional development and career advancement opportunities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: No Education Listed