Manager, Defense Business Development

Polaris•Medina, MN

3d•Onsite

About The Position

This role leads business development and capture activities focused on U.S. and allied military customers, with a primary emphasis on Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and U.S. security-assistance channels. The position involves building relationships across the U.S. security-assistance enterprise, including USASAC, Security Assistance Management Directorates (SAMDs), Offices of Defense Cooperation (ODCs), Security Cooperation Organizations (SCOs), Combatant Commands, military organizations, and partner-nation stakeholders. The individual will translate customer capability gaps, funding availability, and acquisition timelines into executable capture strategies, helping to shape growth opportunities across Polaris Defense. This is an opportunity to influence defense market growth, support mission-critical customers, and expand Polaris solutions across U.S. and allied military organizations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in a related field or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
Minimum of 10 years of military, defense industry, security cooperation, government acquisition, or related business development experience.
Demonstrated understanding of the U.S. Army, military operational organizations, acquisition environment, and security-assistance enterprise.
Practical knowledge of the Foreign Military Sales lifecycle, including pre-LOR engagement, LOR development, Price and Availability processes, Letters of Offer and Acceptance, case-development stakeholders, and case execution.
Experience engaging organizations such as USASAC, Army SAMDs, ODCs/SCOs, Combatant Commands, Army program or requirements organizations, and international military customers.
Proven ability to qualify opportunities, develop capture strategies, shape requirements, and support complex government proposals.
Ability to interpret military operational requirements and communicate how vehicle, accessory, training, and sustainment solutions address customer needs.
Strong written, verbal, presentation, relationship-building, negotiation, and executive communication skills.
Ability to operate independently while effectively leading matrixed teams.

Nice To Haves

Prior service in the U.S. Armed Forces is preferred.
Experience in security assistance, international programs, operations, logistics, acquisition, requirements development, or capability integration is preferred.
Experience with tactical wheeled vehicles, ultra-light mobility platforms, off-road vehicles, logistics, sustainment, or related military ground systems is preferred.
Graduate degree in Business, International Relations, National Security, Acquisition, or a related field is preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute growth strategies for U.S. and allied military customers across Foreign Military Sales (FMS), U.S.-funded security assistance programs, and domestic defense opportunities.
Identify, qualify, and prioritize opportunities based on operational need, funding, procurement pathway, product fit, competition, timing, risk, and probability of success.
Build and maintain a qualified opportunity pipeline and provide accurate inputs to forecasts, annual plans, long-range plans, and product investment decisions.
Develop customer and stakeholder engagement plans while monitoring customer priorities, force structure changes, budgets, policy developments, acquisition plans, competitor activity, and market trends.
Recommend pursuit and bid/no-bid decisions supported by customer insight, competitive positioning, resource requirements, risk assessment, and expected return.
Identify follow-on opportunities for vehicles, parts, accessories, training, and lifecycle support.
Serve as the subject matter expert for Foreign Military Sales and U.S. security-assistance activities.
Build productive relationships across the U.S. security-cooperation and defense enterprise, including USASAC, SAMDs, ODCs/SCOs, Combatant Commands, service components, operational organizations, advisory organizations, and partner-nation representatives.
Engage customers during the pre-LOR phase to understand capability gaps, help define requirements, and position appropriate Polaris solutions.
Clarify anticipated procurement methods, funding sources, timing requirements, and pathways to actionable Letters of Request.
Support requests for information, ROM estimates, Price and Availability requests, Letters of Offer and Acceptance, amendments, modifications, and related case-development activities.
Coordinate customer visits, product demonstrations, industry events, trade shows, and delegation engagements that support qualified pursuits.
Lead capture planning activities, including customer analysis, competitive assessments, win strategies, partner strategies, influence plans, resource planning, and risk mitigation.
Serve as capture manager for assigned pursuits, coordinating cross-functional teams and partnering with proposal leaders to support successful proposal development and execution.
Provide the voice of the customer into product, pricing, forecasting, and investment decisions while ensuring commitments remain aligned with cost, schedule, capability, and compliance requirements.