Senior Director, Business Operations

AeroVironment•Albuquerque, NM

23h

About The Position

The Senior Director, Business Operations serves as the principal operational and strategic partner to the Directed Energy Vice President. The role shapes portfolio performance, financial outcomes, discipline execution, and long-term growth strategy across Directed Energy programs and product lines. It partners in driving financial performance, program execution, proposal management, and enterprise alignment, while providing portfolio-wide visibility into performance trends, risk posture, and investment priorities. The position supports the Vice President and business unit in achieving key program-execution indicators. The role partners with the Vice President on business-unit revenue growth and financial performance; provides analysis of estimate-at-completion trends, cost drivers, and financial risks; and supports the Annual Operating Plan, long-range financial planning, and performance updates. It integrates functions across the business unit, establishes governance and operating rhythms, resolves escalated cross-program risks, and drives continuous improvement. It also partners with cross-functional teams and leadership on portfolio capabilities, investments, pursuit strategies, bid/no-bid decisions, proposal strategy, and customer engagements. The position requires the ability to work in office and manufacturing environments and to travel within and outside the continental United States as required. The role requires access to ITAR/EAR-controlled information and requires U.S.-person eligibility; the posting also states that U.S. citizenship is required for this role and that the employee must be willing to work on government contracts and able to obtain a security clearance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in finance, engineering, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
At least 15 years of relevant experience.
At least 7 years of experience in a leadership role.
Demonstrated experience supporting or managing P&L-driven businesses.
U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain or maintain a security clearance.
Strong background in long-range planning, annual operating plans, and executive business governance.
Proven ability to influence senior leaders and operate effectively as a deputy or executive officer.
Experience engaging executive-level customers and leading complex, cross-functional initiatives.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Strong analytical, critical-thinking, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to speak and write persuasively.
Demonstrated experience working with cross-functional teams and developing and maintaining trusted, professional internal and external relationships.
Ability to think beyond immediate circumstances, explore multiple potential paths, and adapt decision-making to the situation.
Ability to inspire, motivate, and empower people to deliver organizational goals while delivering value to employees.
Ability to bring organizational values to life and create a shared vision.
Ability to champion change, promote quick adaptation, and help others manage the effects of change.
Takes ownership and responsibility for assigned tasks.
Commitment to learning from mistakes and improving personal, team, and company performance.
Focuses on teamwork and puts team success above personal interests.
Ability to work in office and manufacturing environments.
Ability to sit and stand for long periods, talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard.
Ability to travel within and outside the continental United States as required.
Willingness to work on government contracts.

Nice To Haves

An advanced degree, MBA, or MS is highly preferred.
Prior experience supporting mergers and acquisitions activity is strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Partner with the Vice President to drive business-unit revenue growth and financial performance.
Provide enterprise-level analysis of estimate-at-completion trends, cost-performance drivers, and financial risk posture to inform executive decisions.
Facilitate portfolio trade-space discussions concerning performance, resource allocation, and investment priorities.
Support development and oversight of the Annual Operating Plan, long-range financial planning, and financial performance updates.
Identify structural performance improvements that strengthen predictability, scalability, and profitability.
Own business-unit integration across Program Management, Engineering, Finance, Contracts, Supply Chain, and Growth functions to support cohesive portfolio execution.
Establish and enforce operating rhythms, governance frameworks, and performance standards across the business unit.
Lead and direct resolution of escalated cross-program risks affecting cost, schedule, or technical performance.
Hold portfolio execution accountable to business-unit strategic priorities, financial objectives, and performance commitments.
Drive and oversee continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen execution discipline, scalability, and organizational effectiveness.
Partner with cross-functional teams and leadership to define and align portfolio capabilities, investment priorities, and pursuit strategies for strategic opportunities.
Inform bid/no-bid decisions through financial, technical, and capacity analysis.
Lead and shape proposal strategy, including pricing strategy, margin targets, risk positioning, execution-maturity assessments, and proposal reviews.
Support customer engagements with cross-functional teams, representing portfolio performance, operational readiness, and strategic roadmap.