Director, Strategy and Mergers & Acquisitions
About The Position
This opportunity is located within our Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Company business, a global leader of mission-critical hardware and systems solutions including precision energetics systems and innovative explosive solutions. At Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense (EBAD), we’ve been innovating for nearly 200 years , delivering mission-critical technologies that protect lives and advance exploration. As we prepare to double in size over the next 3–5 years, we’re investing in our people and culture to support this transformation. We’re seeking a dynamic Director of Strategy and M&A who will partner with the General Manager, President and leadership team to drive enterprise-wide strategic planning, shape our product portfolio, and lead all aspects of mergers and acquisitions. This is a high-impact role, directly influencing the future of a rapidly growing $800M aerospace and defense business with significant acquisition capacity. EBAD’s business provides critical systems that are vital to our national defense and the exploration of space. With rapid growth and a long-term mindset, EBAD is creating this newly established role to strengthen its strategic capabilities and accelerate both organic and inorganic growth. The Director of Strategy and M&A will serve as a strategic advisor to the Business Unit President and senior leadership, driving disciplined strategy formulation and execution. This role leads the end-to-end M&A strategy, from identifying high-impact growth opportunities to structuring complex transactions and orchestrating seamless post-merger integration. Success in this position requires exceptional strategic ability, financial acumen, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to influence outcomes without direct authority. This is an exciting opportunity for a strategic leader to shape the portfolio, build sustainable growth, and directly impact the trajectory of a rapidly growing company with strong investment capacity.
Requirements
- Strategic Thinking: Able to synthesize complex inputs, market trends, customer needs, and internal capabilities into clear strategies that align with long-term goals.
- M&A Expertise: Proven success leading all phases of acquisitions including sourcing, due diligence, valuation, negotiations, deal structuring, and post-close integration.
- Financial Acumen: Strong ability to build and interpret financial models, conduct valuations, and assess investment opportunities with discipline and clarity.
- Collaborative Influence: Builds trust across executive leadership and cross-functional teams, driving alignment without direct authority.
- Executive Presence & Communication: Confidently represents strategy and deal rationale to senior leaders, the board, and external partners.
- Continuous Improvement Mindset (Kaizen): Brings structure, discipline, and a drive to improve strategic processes and decision-making frameworks.
- Results Orientation: Operates with urgency, sets clear objectives, and consistently delivers measurable outcomes.
- Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or Business
- 10+ years of relevant experience in M&A, FP&A, investment banking or strategic consulting.
- Proven experience driving corporate strategy in a complex engineering or manufacturing environment; aerospace & defense strongly preferred
- Demonstrated track record of leading successful M&A transactions end-to-end, including sourcing, due diligence, financial modeling, negotiations, and post-close integration
- Strong analytical and financial modeling skills with the ability to develop actionable insights, evaluate portfolio opportunities, and guide investment decisions
- Deep understanding of portfolio strategy, including evaluation of product and market expansion opportunities.
- Highly collaborative, able to influence without direct authority across multiple stakeholders.
- Strong executive presence and communication skills; credible with executive leadership, boards, and external partners.
- Skilled in continuous improvement, performance metrics, and problem-solving through EBOS, Lean, and Kaizen practices
Nice To Haves
- MBA preferred.
Responsibilities
- Lead Strategy
- Drive Growth
- Shape the Future
- Drive enterprise-wide strategic planning
- Shape our product portfolio
- Lead all aspects of mergers and acquisitions
- Serve as a strategic advisor to the Business Unit President and senior leadership, driving disciplined strategy formulation and execution
- Lead the end-to-end M&A strategy, from identifying high-impact growth opportunities to structuring complex transactions and orchestrating seamless post-merger integration
Benefits
- Base Salary : $200k – $250k plus annual bonus
- Executive Relocation : Comprehensive support for a seamless transition
- Additional Enhancements : Potential sign-on incentives and tailored rewards based on experience
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
Number of Employees
1,001-5,000 employees
