Job Title: Director, Defense Sales
Location: Remote, ideally located in the Colorado Springs area
Schedule: Monday – Friday, Standard
Pay Range: $160-$180K/year
Job Description:
We are seeking a Director, Defense Sales to lead strategic growth initiatives and expand market presence within the Department of Defense (DoD) and prime contractor community. This executive-level role is responsible for driving business development, capture strategy, and customer engagement across the defense sector, with a focus on opto-electronic technologies and mission-critical defense solutions.
The Director, Defense Sales will play a key leadership role in shaping growth strategy, developing long-term customer relationships, and executing capture plans to secure high-value defense programs. The ideal candidate will bring deep industry knowledge, strong DoD relationships, and a proven track record of successfully capturing and closing $10M–$50M opportunities.
Military experience equivalency may substitute for some requirements.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead strategic growth initiatives within the DoD, prime contractor, and defense partner ecosystem
- Identify, qualify, and capture new business opportunities across assigned markets and territories
- Develop and execute short- and long-term business development strategies to drive sustained growth
- Maintain and manage a robust pipeline of opportunities and booking forecasts
- Lead capture strategy, pricing strategy, and proposal development efforts for strategic opportunities
- Support forecasting, investment planning, and budgeting for new business initiatives
- Develop and maintain executive-level relationships with DoD customers, military stakeholders, and prime contractors
- Understand customer funding cycles, acquisition strategies, and decision-making processes
- Influence and shape customer requirements and mission needs
- Promote existing and emerging product solutions to new and existing customers
- Manage assigned territory and customer base to meet or exceed quarterly and annual revenue goals
- Conduct market analysis, competitive intelligence, and opportunity prioritization
- Support strategic planning efforts, including SWOT analysis and growth strategy development
- Identify emerging market trends and develop new product opportunities aligned with defense requirements
- Collaborate with Technical Product Directors and engineering teams to shape product development initiatives
- Lead proposal development, capture planning, and new business reviews
- Manage opportunity lifecycle from identification through contract award
- Provide executive-level reporting on pipeline, forecasts, and capture status
- Participate in trade shows, conferences, and industry events to expand market presence
- Support marketing and branding initiatives including campaigns, publications, and collateral
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree in a Technical Field (MBA or advanced degree preferred)
- U.S. Citizenship required
- 15+ years of related experience in defense business development, sales, or capture management
- Experience within opto-electronic, defense electronics, or related technology sectors
- Proven ability to capture and close $10M+ opportunities
- Experience managing $25M+ annual sales portfolios
- Strong understanding of DoD acquisition processes and funding mechanisms
- Experience working with prime contractors, government customers, and defense stakeholders
- Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, capture management, and proposal development
- Strong forecasting, budgeting, and investment strategy experience
Preferred Qualifications:
- Established relationships within DoD, military branches, and prime contractor community
- Experience developing and executing long-term growth strategies
- Knowledge of product marketing, product management, and defense technology commercialization
- Experience influencing customer requirements and shaping programs
- Experience supervising, coaching, and developing business development teams
- Track record capturing opportunities valued between $10M–$50M+
- Excellent presentation and executive communication skills
***For consideration for this opportunity, please email your resume to info@uspro.net and include in your message the job title AND five-digit number that follows the job title***
Equal Opportunity Statement:
USPRO is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, disability and/or other protected categories. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodation(s) to qualified individuals with disabilities or needs, as required by law.
