Director, Business Development - Land Warfare & Air Defense

Zone 5 Technologies • Fort Worth, TX

6d • $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 is anchored by WHITE SPIKE, PEACEMAKER, and ECLIPSE. The role is intended for a U.S. Army or U.S. Marine Corps ground-combat, attack aviation, counter-UAS, or weapons acquisition and test professional with operational and engineering credibility. Experience employing counter-UAS systems or air-to-ground missiles in combat or large-force exercises is strongly desired.

The Director owns the domestic pursuit portfolio and pipeline, engages U.S. Army and USMC requirements owners, program offices, joint counter-UAS organizations, operational and test organizations, and government-funded R&D organizations, and serves as the senior technical sales authority and accountable customer point of contact for the portfolio. The Director develops capture strategies, sets probability-of-win and probability-of-go assessments, makes bid/no-bid recommendations to executive leadership, and leads assigned proposal and technical staff. Operational and engineering expertise is used to strengthen capture strategy and produce accurate, defensible, compelling technical narratives. The role requires sustained coordination across portfolio, engineering, marketing, and international sales teams.

The Director also provides senior technical sales support to international business development, particularly for substantive requirements, Letter of Request, request for proposal, and integration discussions. 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 requires prior U.S. Army or USMC service, uniformed or civilian, in a relevant land warfare, attack aviation, counter-UAS, or weapons role; an active U.S. Secret clearance; exceptional technical writing and communication skills; and willingness to travel 25 to 50 percent domestically and internationally. The position offers a base salary of $138,000–$178,000, with eligible variable performance bonuses. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life, and other benefit options; 401(k) with company match; three weeks of paid time off; 40 hours of sick time; and 12 annual company holidays.

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; qualifying 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.
• Deep technical understanding of counter-UAS detect, track, identify, and 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 directed-energy 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 Army and USMC rotary-wing and UAS airworthiness release processes.
• Ability to communicate credibly with engineers, program managers, and operators about system performance, integration, and employment, and to brief general officer and SES audiences.
• Exceptional writing skills, including the ability to produce clear, precise, persuasive technical prose for proposals, white papers, capability statements, and senior-level 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, FAR, and DFARS acquisition pathways.
• Ability to travel 25 to 50 percent, domestically and internationally.
• 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.
• Prior 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 within relevant U.S. Army operational units, operational or developmental test organizations, or rapid acquisition organizations.
• Previous employment within relevant USMC operational units, MCWL, CD&I, MARCORSYSCOM, PEO Land Systems GBAD, MAWTS-1, MCTOG, 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, including 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 product capabilities into terms relevant to Army and USMC requirements, concepts of operations, tactics, force protection, weapons integration, and program-of-record pathways.
• Engage directly with U.S. Army requirements, acquisition, test, operational, and R&D stakeholders, including relevant program offices, commands, centers, laboratories, and experimentation organizations.
• Engage directly with USMC requirements, acquisition, test, operational, and R&D stakeholders, including relevant program offices, commands, centers, laboratories, and experimentation organizations.
• Engage joint and special operations stakeholders, joint program offices, Defense Innovation Unit, and government-funded R&D organizations to identify emerging requirements and shape early opportunities.
• Build and sustain relationships with operational, technical, and program stakeholders, positioning Zone 5 Technologies as a credible and informed partner.
• Track and interpret adversary UAS and one-way attack munition threats, doctrine, force design, and acquisition strategy relevant to land-force counter-UAS, SHORAD, attack aviation, and precision ground attack.
• Provide senior technical sales expertise to international business development for partner-nation army, land-force, and army aviation engagements, including LOR, RFP, and integration discussions.
• Tailor technical positioning of WHITE SPIKE, PEACEMAKER, and ECLIPSE 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 to ensure technical accuracy, credibility, and consistency across proposals, white papers, RFI responses, and RFP responses.
• Lead technical exchange meetings, capability briefings, government stakeholder demonstrations, live-fire events, operational assessments, 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 for land warfare, air defense, and attack aviation audiences.
• Coordinate with international sales leadership to align technical engagement strategy with country-level pursuit plans and export posture.
• Within 24 months, 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 participation in at least one qualifying counter-UAS, air defense, or attack aviation experimentation or live-fire campaign.

Benefits

• Competitive total compensation package, including base salary of $138,000–$178,000 and eligibility for variable performance bonuses.
• Comprehensive benefit package options including medical, dental, vision, life, and more.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Three weeks of paid time off each year.
• 40 hours of sick time.
• 12 annual company holidays.
• Opportunities for professional development and career advancement.

What This Job Offers

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