Director, Customer Partner, Kyndryl Federal Defense

Kyndryl • Washington, DC

12d • $177,720 - $319,800

About The Position

The Director, Customer Partner, Kyndryl Federal Defense is a senior Federal growth executive responsible for building Kyndryl Federal’s Defense business, initially focused on creating growth in underpenetrated markets rather than managing a mature portfolio. The role establishes senior customer relationships, identifies mission and technology priorities, develops account-entry strategies, originates qualified pipeline, shapes complex opportunities, builds partner ecosystems, and converts opportunities into new business.

The position develops and executes growth strategies across targeted Military Departments, Defense Agencies, Combatant Commands, and other Defense mission organizations. It engages senior mission, technology, program, acquisition, contracting, and executive stakeholders before formal procurements, connecting customer priorities with Kyndryl’s consulting, integration, managed services, infrastructure, cloud, cybersecurity, data, AI, and partner capabilities.

The role personally originates opportunities and leads complex pursuits from early customer engagement through qualification, capture, proposal, negotiation, award, and transition to delivery. As the Defense portfolio grows, the position evolves into senior Customer Partner leadership, with responsibility for customer strategy, account growth, revenue, profitability, customer satisfaction, operational performance, and continued portfolio expansion. The role follows a build-win-lead progression: establish relationships, market presence, partner ecosystem, account-entry strategies, and pipeline; win strategic opportunities and establish customers and backlog; then lead the resulting portfolio and long-term account strategy.

Requirements

• 10+ years of relevant Federal market experience, including significant experience supporting the Department of War.
• Established relationships and demonstrated credibility across Military Departments, Defense Agencies, Combatant Commands, or related Defense mission organizations.
• Personal track record of originating, shaping, and converting substantial Federal technology, consulting, systems integration, or managed services opportunities, including opportunities created before formal solicitation.
• Strong understanding of the Federal and Defense acquisition lifecycle, appropriations and budget processes, contract vehicles, acquisition pathways, and competitive procurement strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to identify where mission priorities intersect with funded programs, contract access, and realistic procurement timelines.
• Success winning in Defense accounts where the organization began with limited incumbent position, including developing differentiated account-entry strategies and competing against established Federal contractors.
• Extensive executive customer engagement and relationship-management experience.
• Experience leading high-value business development, capture, and deal activities end-to-end, including origination, qualification, competitive strategy, teaming, solution shaping, proposal development, pricing, negotiations, and closure.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams across sales, consulting, solutioning, delivery, finance, pricing, contracts, and partner organizations.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen, including experience driving signings and revenue while managing margin expectations and business risk.
• Knowledge of technology and market trends relevant to Defense modernization, and executive presence to translate technology capabilities into mission outcomes.
• Ability to meet applicable Kyndryl Federal and customer security requirements.
• Active security clearance appropriate to the targeted Defense market; final level and access requirements will be confirmed based on assigned accounts and customer requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree.
• Experience with complex, multi-offering or multi-tower technology solutions.
• Experience developing strategic alliances, teaming arrangements, contract-access strategies, and partner-led go-to-market strategies in the Defense market, including OEMs, Federal systems integrators, and small-business partners.
• Demonstrated success operating in a build-stage or entrepreneurial Federal environment with limited existing account infrastructure, incumbent position, or pipeline.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute growth strategies across targeted Military Departments, Defense Agencies, Combatant Commands, and other Defense mission organizations.
• Build and maintain qualified pipeline coverage to support annual Defense growth objectives, emphasizing opportunities originated before formal procurement activity.
• Translate Defense mission priorities, funding requirements, appropriations and budget signals, acquisition strategies, modernization triggers, and technology needs into differentiated Kyndryl solutions.
• Originate and lead complex opportunities from early customer engagement and qualification through capture, proposal development, negotiation, closure, and handoff to delivery.
• Establish measurable account penetration, pipeline, signings, revenue, and backlog objectives and drive commercially sound outcomes.
• Develop customer-specific growth and pursuit strategies covering decision makers, mission priorities, acquisition pathways, contract access, competitive and incumbent position, partners, pricing, and probability-of-win actions.
• Establish and maintain trusted relationships with senior Defense mission, technology, acquisition, program, contracting, and executive stakeholders.
• Engage customers before active procurements to understand emerging requirements, funding priorities, modernization needs, and acquisition pathways.
• Position Kyndryl’s capabilities, technology partnerships, intellectual property, and delivery expertise in relation to Defense priorities.
• Lead senior customer negotiations and help define pricing and commercial strategies for complex, multi-offering opportunities.
• Build customer advocacy and long-term relationships that create access, credibility, repeatable opportunity flow, and sustainable growth.
• Shape value propositions and account-entry strategies that address customer mission, market, security, acquisition, and incumbent dynamics.
• Lead cross-functional teams through origination, qualification, capture strategy, competitive assessment, teaming, solution development, pricing, proposal preparation, executive reviews, negotiations, and closure.
• Orchestrate Kyndryl and partner capabilities to develop integrated solutions across consulting, managed services, systems integration, cloud, infrastructure, cybersecurity, data, artificial intelligence, and other relevant technologies.
• Balance growth, profitability, customer value, delivery feasibility, and business risk using sound financial and commercial judgment.
• Maintain accountability for effective handoff to delivery and remain engaged to support customer outcomes and satisfaction.
• Establish Kyndryl Federal’s presence, credibility, and go-to-market strategy across the Defense market, including areas with limited incumbent position or pipeline.
• Develop strategic OEM, technology partner, Federal systems integrator, small-business, contract-vehicle, and other teaming relationships.
• Provide market insight and leadership to strengthen Kyndryl Federal’s Defense strategy, offerings, partnerships, contract access, and competitive position.
• As the portfolio matures, assume broader responsibility for customer strategy, account growth, profitability, operational performance, customer satisfaction, and financial outcomes while contributing to a collaborative, accountable, growth-oriented culture.

Benefits

• Medical and dental coverage
• Disability benefits
• Retirement benefits
• Paid leave
• Paid time off
• Eligibility for Kyndryl’s discretionary annual bonus program, based on performance and subject to applicable plan terms; sales commission-eligible roles participate in a sales commission plan in lieu of the annual discretionary bonus program.
• Employee learning programs and access to industry certifications, including Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Skillsoft.
• Company-wide volunteering and giving platform.

What This Job Offers

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