Business Development Director, Commercial Programs

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.

At Aerospace, we are committed to providing an inclusive and diverse workplace for all employees to share in our common passion and aspiration – to carry out a mission much bigger than ourselves.

Building on The Aerospace Corporation's reputation as a trusted, impartial advisor with integrity and dedication to mission success, the Civil Systems Group (CSG) combines deep technical expertise with market-leading innovation to help our customers solve complex systems engineering and integration challenges. CSG is organized by core customer-facing lines of business to manage and grow programs within NASA, NOAA, and the NNSA, while extending our capabilities to other civilian federal government agencies fully integrated within Aerospace rules, regulations, processes, values, and behaviors.

The Civil Systems Group is seeking qualified individuals for the position of Systems Director as the Customer Support Account Manager to the Commercial Programs Division. The Division is responsible for providing full lifecycle independent assessment, systems engineering and integration (SE&I), and mission assurance to commercial sector customers across the space and related complex systems enterprise. The candidate selected for this position will be responsible for all dimensions of the division’s relationship with customers and customer community and managing and leading a team to deliver value with our customers.  This includes working with the division leadership to establish and evolve our growth strategy and plans aligned with customer needs, value propositions, long term opportunity identification and capture execution.

Work Model

This is a full-time position based in El Segundo, CA, Crystal City, VA, Chantilly, VA, or Greenbelt, MD, offering a hybrid work model that requires3-4 regular onsite workdays and remote flexibility as the business needs allow. 

What You’ll Be Doing

• Partner with line of business leadership defining future value growth strategies and plans
• Maintain and expand customer relationships across the commercial space industry landscape, and partner with program and project management to ensure customer needs are met
• Understand customer issues and requirements and be the voice of the customer to communicate these within the division leadership and Aerospace capture and proposal teams
• Lead the strategy, planning, development, pursuit, and capture of opportunities, consistent with corporate policies/practices, goals, and business development objectives
• Work as part of an integrated team consisting of account representatives, capture management, proposal management, program management, administrative, execution and technical experts
• Report and track: (1) growth against strategic plan goals; (2) Resource expenditure actuals vs. plan; (3) opportunity pipeline; and (4) Evolution of Account plans and (5) return on investment
• Think and act strategically and provide thought leadership to strategic planning cycle
• Engage Aerospace senior executives with customer’s leadership and act as “recognized face to the customer” in support of leadership
• Seek and identify opportunities for additional, expanded and new business and assists management in the evaluation, pursuit and capture of new opportunities
• Lead multiple concurrent opportunities through a structured capture process
• Support interfaces to Aerospace contracts, legal, and pricing for managing contract vehicles
• Review, update and maintain customer information and business development pipeline databases on a regular basis
• Participate with management in determining organization's structure and staffing
• Participate in budget planning and allocation of resources
• Implement practices, and operating processes and recommend improvements to management
• Conduct staff performance reviews and recommend performance improvement, career development, salary and promotion actions; establish staffing needs and recommend reassignments, training, transfers, and other staff deployments; assist other supervisors in evaluation and assignment of staff
• Monitor and direct organization's security processes, compliance, and safety awareness