Director, Business Development - Europe

Zone 5 Technologies • Arlington, VA

6d • $138,000 - $178,000

About The Position

Zone 5 Technologies is seeking a senior business development leader to direct Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) pursuits across Europe. The role emphasizes the RUSTY DAGGER (AGM-188) precision deep strike weapon and WHITE SPIKE counter-UAS interceptor and ground and surface-attack missile, while also supporting the PEACEMAKER and ECLIPSE counter-UAS and multi-mission UAS portfolio. The Director serves as the company’s executive lead for Europe and primary interface with U.S. interagency partners, European partner-nation governments and military organizations, and NATO bodies. Reporting to the Senior Director of Business Development, the role owns the regional pipeline, country engagement plans, and partner-nation relationships, and may recommend regional presence, teaming, and industrial participation strategies.

The Director is expected to advance pursuits from initial country contact toward actionable FMS milestones, including Letters of Request (LORs) for Pricing and Availability (P&A) and Letters of Request for Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOAs), as well as signed DCS contracts. The role requires expertise in FMS and DCS processes and established relationships across U.S. government security cooperation organizations and European defense stakeholders. It also requires knowledge of NATO and European defense initiatives, export-control and compliance obligations, and the political and regulatory factors affecting arms transfers. The position involves substantial international travel, with travel estimated at 25 to 50 percent.

The role is eligible for variable performance bonuses in addition to base salary. The listed base salary range is $138,000–$178,000, and the listed range with eligible performance bonuses is $241,500–$311,500; bonuses are not guaranteed. Zone 5 Technologies offers medical, dental, vision, and life insurance options, a company-match 401(k), three weeks of paid time off, 40 hours of sick time, and 12 annual company holidays. The company also describes an innovative and collaborative work environment and opportunities for professional development and career advancement.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in International Relations, Political Science, Business, Engineering, or a related field.
• At least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in defense business development, security cooperation, or government service directly supporting FMS or DCS, including at least one director-level or equivalent leadership role.
• Demonstrable experience and a network within partner nations, not solely with U.S. agencies or commands.
• Expertise across the FMS life cycle, including case initiation, P&A, LOA development, and case execution, as well as the DCS licensing process.
• Established, verifiable working- and senior-level relationships with DoS, DSCA, and OUSW(P) personnel.
• Ability to engage and build trust with senior officials in European defense ministries, armaments agencies, and national air force, air defense, and strike commands.
• Working knowledge of NATO capability development, the NATO Defence Planning Process, ESSI participation, and allied air force weapons integration and certification roadmaps.
• Experience working in or alongside foreign embassies, with U.S. or foreign defense attachés, and with in-country SCOs.
• Exceptional writing skills, including the ability to produce clear, precise, persuasive technical prose and senior-level correspondence with minimal editing; writing samples will be requested.
• Ability to work across the listed priority countries: Poland, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Italy, and Greece, while maintaining awareness across them as priorities evolve.
• Working knowledge of and demonstrated adherence to ITAR, EAR, AECA, FCPA, OFAC requirements, and foreign disclosure procedures in prior international defense roles, with no history of export compliance violations.
• Active U.S. Secret clearance required; U.S. citizenship required for clearance eligibility and access to ITAR-controlled technical data.
• Ability to travel 25 to 50 percent, primarily internationally with some domestic travel, and possession of a valid U.S. passport.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree.
• Prior U.S. military (uniformed or civilian), Foreign Area Officer (Europe and Eurasia), DoS Foreign Service, or DSCA service directly supporting European security cooperation or FMS case management.
• Prior assignment on a NATO staff, at EUCOM, or in an in-country ODC or SCO.
• Professional proficiency in one or more listed European languages and cultural familiarity with the region.
• Prior experience living or working in Europe, including military, embassy, ODC, SCO, NATO, or industry assignments.
• Existing relationships with the Polish Armament Agency; German BAAINBw; UK Ministry of Defence DE&S; Netherlands COMMIT; Swedish FMV; Norwegian FMA; Danish DALO; or Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command.
• Experience with industrial participation, offsets, and co-production arrangements in European procurements.
• Prior operational military experience employing or defending against precision strike weapons, UAS, or counter-UAS systems; this is strongly desired.
• Direct experience managing or supporting FMS cases valued above $100 million from P&A through LOA signature.
• Familiarity with U.S. arms transfer policy, including CAT policy, AECA Section 3, and related SAMM provisions.
• Experience with DCS structures complementary to FMS programs, including hybrid case structures.

Responsibilities

• Identify, qualify, and develop FMS and DCS opportunities for RUSTY DAGGER, WHITE SPIKE, PEACEMAKER, and ECLIPSE across priority European countries and other nations as required.
• Build and maintain the regional opportunity pipeline from initial country engagement through LOR for P&A and LOR for LOA, coordinating with portfolio program leadership and marketing and maintaining Pwin and milestone information in the enterprise CRM system.
• Develop country-level engagement plans aligned with company capabilities, national requirements and budget cycles, and U.S. security cooperation priorities.
• Represent Zone 5 Technologies at relevant European defense exhibitions, industry events, bilateral forums, and NATO industry forums.
• Establish and sustain senior-level relationships with partner-nation defense ministries, armaments and procurement agencies, military headquarters, and other relevant government ministries.
• Engage foreign embassies and defense attachés in the United States and U.S. counterparts in partner nations to build awareness and facilitate early case development.
• Guide sovereign stakeholders through FMS and DCS processes, including requirements identification, case initiation, and relevant agreement and export-license sequencing.
• Advocate for Zone 5 Technologies within the U.S. interagency, particularly with DoS, DSCA, OUSW(P), EUCOM, and related security cooperation organizations.
• Build and maintain relationships with U.S. country directors, regional affairs officers, EUCOM J5, ODCs, and SCOs to support case processing.
• Engage the U.S. Mission to NATO, NSPA, and NCIA on multinational procurement and framework opportunities.
• Support Ukraine-related pursuits through USAI, PDA, and coalition mechanisms as directed by executive leadership.
• Track and interpret security cooperation policy, congressional notifications, third-party transfer and re-export decisions, end-use monitoring requirements, and European defense-industrial policy that may affect pursuits.
• Provide leadership with intelligence on European defense budgets, procurement priorities, political developments, alliance initiatives, and competitor activity.
• Contribute to long-range strategy by identifying emerging requirements, policy changes, and European market-entry opportunities, including recommendations on regional presence, teaming, and industrial participation.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments, including AECA Section 36(b) notifications and congressional holds.
• Coordinate with capture, proposal, and program teams to develop compliant offerings and technically credible solutions tailored to partner-nation requirements.
• Coordinate with contracts, pricing, legal, and trade-compliance teams on FMS regulations, ITAR, EAR, offset and industrial participation obligations, and partner-nation procurement rules.
• Report pipeline status, country engagement progress, decisions required, and interagency relationship health to executive leadership.
• Conduct foreign and partner-nation engagement in compliance with ITAR, EAR, AECA, DDTC authorizations, approved TAA and MLA scopes, and applicable reporting requirements.
• Comply with FCPA, OFAC sanctions, anti-boycott rules, and company policies on gifts, hospitality, agents, and consultants; conduct due diligence on local representatives and teaming partners.
• Protect classified, controlled unclassified, and proprietary information; meet applicable security, clearance, foreign-contact, and foreign-travel reporting obligations.

Benefits

• Competitive total compensation package, including eligible performance bonuses in addition to base salary; bonuses are variable and not guaranteed.
• Medical, dental, vision, life, and other benefit options.
• 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