Director - Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicle

Hanwha Defense USA Inc • Arlington, VA

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Director – Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MUSV) will lead efforts to expand our presence in the U.S. defense MUSV market, enabling advanced technology exchanges across U.S. Department of WAR (DOW), industry, and research centers. As a U.S.-based defense company with the strength of a global parent organization, we are seeking a seasoned leader with deep expertise in DOW weapon programs, weapon architectures, defense acquisition, and government contracting. The ideal candidate will bring proven experience within the Army, Marines, Navy, and Special Operations community, and a strong network of relationships to position the company for long-term success in the U.S. defense ecosystem.

Requirements

• 15+ years of relevant experience in U.S. defense technology leadership role within missiles and/or munitions.
• Deep familiarity with Navy weapon programs, research laboratories, and FFRDCs/UARCs.
• Prior experience with MUSV, LUSV, prototyping programs, or Fleet experimentation initiatives.
• In depth understanding of the U.S. government acquisition and contracting processes, including FAR/DFARS, IDIQs, OTAs, and SBIRs.
• Strong, active network across the defense industry; ability to access decision-makers and influence requirements early in the acquisition lifecycle.
• Must be able to obtain a SECRET level Security Clearance
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related fields.
• Expertise in the U.S. defense acquisition system and ability to navigate complex program requirements.
• Strong business acumen and understanding of competitive dynamics in the defense sector.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to brief senior leaders across internal and external stakeholders.
• Technically conversant in maritime weapon systems and able to articulate company capabilities to a range of audiences.

Nice To Haves

• Prior military or civilian DOW service strongly preferred; experience working with or within DOW R&D or acquisition communities is a plus.
• Advanced Degree (MBA, MS, or equivalent)

Responsibilities

• Serve as the lead for U.S. MUSV programs, acting as the company’s primary interface with DOW offices within OSW R&E, ONR, PMS 406, NSWC, PEO IWS, PEO Ships, PAE RAS, PAE Munitions, USMC, DIU, DARPA and others.
• Develop, enhance, and execute technology roadmap for technology transfer, internal investment, or partner collaboration that aligns with company’s growth strategies.
• Build, manage, and maintain a robust engagement plan with U.S. and international customer stakeholders.
• Support strategic capture and proposal efforts for the delivery of affordable, rapid, disruptive systems to DOW.
• Foster and maintain trusted relationships with key government technology decision-makers, primes and integrators to ensure the company maintains a robust performance of delivering credible, capable and trusted systems.
• Collaborate with internal functional teams (legal, compliance, engineering, program management, supply chain and finance) to execute programs.
• Represent the company at relevant technical conferences, industry events, and customer meetings to promote capabilities and expand industry presence.
• Provide regular briefings to senior leadership on portfolio status and technical risks associated to proposals and on-going programs.
• Drive the maturing of the engineering lifecycle (from requirements to definition to product support and deployment), with a focus on agile risk management within the company’s processes and procedures.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees