Sr. Director of Strategic Partnerships

BAE Systems•McLean, VA

1d•$173,023 - $294,137

About The Position

BAE Systems Intelligence & Security (I&S) is seeking a Sr. Director of Strategic Partnerships to lead and elevate our relationships with key technology partners—beginning with one flagship partner and expanding across a portfolio of emerging and mid-tier technology innovators. This is not a passive alliance management role. We are building a partnership engine that materially shapes our market position, capture strategy, solution offerings, and long-term competitive differentiation. We need a leader who sees around corners, operates with executive presence, and blends the DNA of modern technology companies with large defense primes or national security organizations. If you've sat on both sides of that table, understand how value flows across ecosystems, and know how to turn partnerships into measurable business impact—you’ll thrive here. A relationship-driven strategist with deep operational discipline. A builder who treats partnerships as strategic assets—not marketing logos. Someone who can translate between goals, roadmaps, projects and outcomes leveraging relationships not authority to drive success. The Sr. Director of Strategic Partnerships will lead the execution for our highest-priority technology partnership while also architecting a repeatable partnerships model for the entire sector. This role reports to the Chief Innovation & Strategy Officer and regular will engage with senior sector executive leadership as well as leadership of our key partners. The opportunity is to shepherd accelerated technology adoption, expand jointly addressable markets, and drive differentiated offerings into pursuits and programs.

Requirements

15+ years in technology, defense, or dual-industry roles spanning partnerships, strategy, solutions, BD, or engineering leadership.
Proven success leading strategic alliances or enterprise-level partner relationships with major technology companies (e.g., Microsoft, AWS, Google, Palantir).
Experience working within or closely alongside a large defense prime or major federal integrator—deep familiarity with DoD, IC, and national security missions.
Strong understanding of cloud architectures, AI/ML ecosystems, enterprise software, open architectures, and modern engineering practices.
Demonstrated track record influencing senior executives and shaping business outcomes across complex organizations.
Exceptional organizational discipline; able to manage ambiguity, multiple stakeholders, and cross-functional initiatives.
Ability to obtain and maintain security clearance.
Bachelor’s degree required

Nice To Haves

Experience in an Innovation Lab, Corporate R&D, Cybersecurity Program Office, or a Corporate Strategy environment.
Certifications such as PMP or Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.
Familiarity with engineering workflow tools (Jira).
Master’s degree preferred

Responsibilities

Build and execute the multi-year strategy for our primary technology partner—including joint value propositions, market alignment, and investment areas.
Assess and manage a portfolio of smaller tech partners, including prioritization, tiering, and resource allocation.
Conduct ongoing analysis of partner ecosystems, technology shifts, competitive alliances, and whitespace opportunities.
Create partnership “win strategies” aligned to capture, solution architecture, and enterprise transformation priorities.
Translate partnerships into measurable outcomes: pipeline acceleration, capture discriminators, solution enhancements, and program performance improvements.
Shape major pursuits by integrating partner capabilities into technical solutions, price-to-win strategies, and evaluation-aligned narratives.
Identify areas where partners can unlock mission value through AI/ML, cloud, modeling/simulation, data architectures, DevSecOps accelerators, and other next-gen technologies.
Act as the primary executive interface with partner leadership teams—managing rhythms, governance, strategic planning, and conflict resolution.
Develop trusted relationships across technology, business winning, partner management, and delivery organizations on both sides.
Coordinate partner engagement into key captures, prototypes, or technology pilots.
Establish governance structures (QBRs, tech syncs, roadmap exchanges, co-invest processes, and data-sharing workflows).
Ensure compliance with security, data exchange, and export control constraints.
Build partnership playbooks, templates, and engagement mechanisms that scale across additional technology partners.
Lead internal cross-functional working groups to ensure alignment across Business Winning, Solutions Architecture, Technology, Contracts, Legal and Programs.
Brief executives and senior leaders across BAE Systems and partner organizations on strategy, risks, opportunities, and performance metrics.
Craft compelling written materials that communicate strategic intent, capture value, and influence decision-makers.
Represent BAE at joint industry events, technology forums, and government engagements alongside partner leadership.