Director, Business Development - Europe

Zone 5 Technologies • Arlington, VA

5d

About The Position

Zone 5 Technologies is seeking a Director of Business Development to lead Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) pursuit activities across Europe. The role focuses primarily on the RUSTY DAGGER precision deep-strike weapon and WHITE SPIKE counter-UAS interceptor and ground and surface-attack missile, with PEACEMAKER and ECLIPSE as part of the broader portfolio. The Director serves as the company’s executive lead for Europe and primary interface with U.S. interagency partners, partner-nation Ministries of Defense, armaments agencies, military services, and NATO bodies. The role leads engagement from initial country contact through actionable FMS and DCS milestones, with an expectation to advance priority pursuits toward accepted LORs for LOA and signed DCS contracts and build a qualified pipeline across priority countries.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Business Development, the Director owns the regional pipeline, country engagement plans, and partner-nation relationships, and may recommend in-region presence, teaming, and industrial participation strategies. The role requires deep knowledge of FMS and DCS processes, an established network across relevant U.S. agencies and European stakeholders, and working knowledge of NATO and European initiatives shaping procurement. Prior military operational experience in strike aviation, air defense, or counter-UAS within the last five years is strongly desired.

The Director works with portfolio, capture, proposal, program, contracts, pricing, legal, and trade compliance teams to develop tailored and compliant offerings. The role includes extensive international engagement and travel, strategic market intelligence, executive reporting, and strict compliance with export-control, anti-corruption, sanctions, and information-protection requirements.

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 partner-nation experience and a network beyond U.S. agencies or commands.
• Expertise across the FMS lifecycle, including case initiation, P&A, LOA development, and case execution, and knowledge of 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 European Ministry of Defence, armaments agency, national air force, air defense, and strike-command officials.
• Working knowledge of NATO capability development, the NDPP, ESSI participation, and allied air force weapons integration and certification roadmaps.
• Experience operating in or alongside foreign embassies, with U.S. or foreign defense attachés, and with in-country SCOs.
• Exceptional writing skills and demonstrated ability to produce persuasive technical prose, proposal volumes, white papers, capability statements, and senior-level correspondence with minimal editing; writing samples will be requested.
• Ability to work across the listed priority countries and maintain engagement awareness across them as priorities evolve.
• Working knowledge of and demonstrated adherence to ITAR, EAR, AECA, FCPA, OFAC requirements, and foreign disclosure procedures; no history of export compliance violations.
• Active U.S. Secret clearance and U.S. citizenship required for clearance eligibility and access to ITAR-controlled technical data.
• Ability to travel 25–50%, primarily internationally with some domestic travel, and a valid U.S. passport.
• Ability to protect classified, controlled unclassified, and proprietary information and comply with foreign-contact and foreign-travel reporting obligations.

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 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 European defense procurement organizations, including Poland’s Armament Agency; Germany’s BAAINBw; the UK’s DE&S; the Netherlands’ COMMIT; Sweden’s FMV; Norway’s FMA; Denmark’s DALO; or the Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command.
• Experience with industrial participation, offset, and co-production arrangements in European procurements.
• Prior operational military experience employing or defending against precision-strike weapons, UAS, or counter-UAS systems; strongly desired, particularly within the last five years.
• 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 relevant 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 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 discipline in the enterprise CRM system.
• Develop country-level engagement plans aligned with company capabilities, partner-nation requirements and budget cycles, and U.S. security cooperation priorities.
• Represent Zone 5 Technologies at relevant European defense industry events, exhibitions, and bilateral forums, including DSEI, Eurosatory, MSPO, ILA Berlin, the Paris Air Show, and NATO industry forums.
• Establish and sustain senior-level relationships with partner-nation Ministries of Defence, procurement and armaments agencies, military service headquarters, and, when required, Ministries of Commerce and Finance.
• Engage foreign embassies, defense attachés, 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, U.S. government procedures and timelines, and TAA, MLA, and export-license sequencing.
• Serve as the company’s primary advocate within the U.S. interagency, particularly DoS, DSCA, and OUSW(P) offices focused on Europe and NATO.
• Build and maintain relationships with Country Directors, Regional Affairs Officers, EUCOM J5, and in-country 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, and European defense-industrial policy affecting FMS and DCS timelines or case viability.
• Provide leadership with intelligence on European defense budgets, procurement priorities, political developments, alliance initiatives, and competitor activity.
• Contribute to long-range strategic planning by identifying emerging requirements, policy shifts, and market-entry opportunities, and recommending in-region presence, teaming, and industrial participation approaches.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments, including AECA Section 36(b) notifications and Congressional holds, that may affect case progress.
• Partner with capture, proposal, and program teams to develop FMS- and DCS-compliant offerings and technically credible solutions tailored to partner-nation requirements.
• Coordinate with contracts, pricing, legal, and trade compliance teams to ensure alignment with FMS regulations, ITAR, EAR, offset and industrial participation obligations, and partner-nation procurement regulations.
• Report pipeline status, country engagement progress, required decisions, and interagency relationship health to executive leadership.
• Conduct partner-nation and foreign-national engagement in compliance with ITAR, EAR, AECA, DDTC authorizations, approved TAA and MLA scopes, and ITAR Part 130 reporting requirements.
• Comply with FCPA, OFAC sanctions, anti-boycott regulations, and company policies on gifts, hospitality, agents, and consultants; conduct due diligence on in-country representatives and teaming partners.
• Protect classified, controlled unclassified, and proprietary information in accordance with National Disclosure Policy, program security guidance, and clearance obligations, including foreign-contact and foreign-travel reporting.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefit package options, including medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
• 401(k) with company match.
• Three weeks of paid time off each year.
• 40 hours of sick time.
• 12 annual company holidays.
• Career growth and opportunities for professional development and advancement.
• Eligibility for variable performance bonuses in addition to base salary; bonuses are not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director