Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives

Kearfott Corporation•Pine Brook, NJ

1d•$200,000 - $250,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives is a senior leadership role responsible for developing and executing enterprise-level strategic programs that accelerate growth, operational excellence, and competitive advantage across the organization. Reporting to the President of Kearfott, this position leads cross-functional initiatives that align with corporate strategy, customer priorities, and evolving aerospace and defense market demands. This role will identify emerging opportunities, lead transformational programs, drive business performance, and coordinate execution across engineering, operations, business development, finance, supply chain, and government stakeholders. This leader must thrive in a highly regulated environment while balancing strategic vision with disciplined execution.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree (Engineering, Business, Operations, Finance, or related field preferred).
15+ years of progressive leadership experience within military, aerospace, defense, government contracting, or advanced technology organizations.
Demonstrated success leading enterprise-wide strategic initiatives or transformational programs.
Experience working with Department of Defense customers and prime contractors.
Strong executive communication and presentation skills.
Proven ability to influence without direct authority across complex organizations.
Experience managing multi-million-dollar strategic initiatives and executive-level governance.
Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance as required.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.
Experience in avionics, navigation systems, defense electronics, autonomy, space systems, or mission systems.
Knowledge of defense acquisition processes, FAR/DFARS, and government contracting.
Experience supporting integration activities or strategic partnerships.
Familiarity with Lean, Six Sigma, Agile, or digital transformation methodologies.
Active Secret or Top Secret security clearance, or ability to obtain one.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of enterprise strategic initiatives aligned with corporate objectives.
Identify growth opportunities across defense, aerospace, intelligence, and adjacent markets.
Evaluate market trends, competitive positioning, customer priorities, and emerging technologies to inform strategic decisions.
Develop business cases, investment strategies, and implementation roadmaps for major initiatives.
Lead complex cross-functional initiatives involving multiple business units and executive stakeholders.
Drive organizational transformation, operational improvements, and process modernization.
Establish governance structures, performance metrics, and executive reporting for strategic programs.
Ensure initiatives deliver measurable business value and achieve targeted outcomes.
Partner with Business Development to evaluate strategic pursuits, partnerships, acquisitions, and new market opportunities.
Support strategic planning for major defense programs and customer engagements.
Assess potential mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and technology partnerships.
Contribute to long-range business planning and portfolio management.
Serve as executive sponsor for high-priority corporate initiatives.
Coordinate activities across engineering, manufacturing, operations, finance, contracts, quality, and supply chain.
Resolve organizational barriers and align stakeholders toward common objectives.
Present strategic recommendations to executive leadership and Board-level audiences.
Build trusted relationships with DoD, prime contractors, and strategic industry partners.
Represent the company during executive customer engagements and strategic reviews.
Monitor evolving defense priorities, acquisition strategies, and budget trends to identify business opportunities.
Develop KPIs and executive dashboards for strategic initiatives.
Monitor financial performance, schedule, risk, and execution milestones.
Ensure accountability through disciplined program governance and risk management.
Drive continuous improvement using data-driven decision making.
Mentor and develop high-performing teams and future leaders.
Foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and execution excellence.
Champion change management across the organization.