Director of Business Development

KurzSolutions•Washington, DC

About The Position

Our company is seeking a Director of Business Development to lead and execute activities that drive growth in research, scientific, and educational initiatives aligned with our mission and 501(c)(3) guidelines. You will spearhead efforts to generate new business opportunities, convert prospects into impactful programs, and build our future trajectory. While focused on business development, this role will provide the opportunity to take on diverse responsibilities as part of a collaborative and dynamic team. We play a key role in managing and advancing large-scale research programs, particularly in collaboration with the Department of Energy (DOE). A significant part of our portfolio involves the management and operation of significant, vital establishments, as well as partnerships with other federal agencies like the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Department of Defense (DoD), and various academic institutions. These partnerships enable groundbreaking research in energy, space science, computational science, and other emerging fields. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker, results-oriented, and an effective communicator with a strong ability to foster partnerships with internal teams and external stakeholders, including universities, government agencies, and industry partners.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field.
10-15 years of experience in proposal development, grants, and federal contracts, with a strong understanding of 2CFR 200 and FAR-based acquisitions.
Proven experience in business development and grant/contract management, particularly with agencies such as DOE, DoD, NSF, or similar organizations.
Strong presentation, public speaking, and interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to lead teams in high-pressure environments.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications particularly Word and PowerPoint.
Excellent organizational skills with a detail-oriented, results-driven mindset.
Ability to establish and maintain professional relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.
Experience managing knowledge-sharing databases and tracking business development activities.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of business development strategy, aligning with organizational goals, bylaws, and strategic priorities.
Identify, evaluate, and pursue new program and funding opportunities to expand the business portfolio.
Collaborate with leadership and program managers to ensure the company's competitive positioning for procurement and acquisition opportunities.
Build organizational and partner capabilities to secure and manage grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts.
Gather and analyze market intelligence to share with relevant teams, ensuring proactive opportunity identification.
Cultivate and maintain relationships with the company's consortium universities, government agencies, and industry partners to enhance business development efforts.
Identify and engage key stakeholders and networks for strategic pre-positioning.
Develop and implement partner engagement strategies to support priority proposal opportunities.
Represent the company's mission and programs, building alliances, fostering collaboration, and ensuring consistent, strategic communication with partners.
Lead proposal development efforts, ensuring compliance with sponsor requirements and internal policies.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop high-quality proposals, incorporating problem analysis, staffing strategies, and partner roles.
Ensure proper staffing and cost-recovery measures are included in proposal budgets.
Maintain and manage a knowledge management system for tracking opportunities, maintaining templates, tools, and pre-award resources.
Support global business development efforts as needed.