Defense Mission Specialist – Business Development Manager

Jobtailor; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor in Ottawa, Canada is seeking a senior business development leader to identify and qualify federal defense opportunities, develop pursuit strategies, and engage CAF and defense partners.

You will build an opportunity pipeline, coordinate with defense systems integrators and the CTO to close gaps, and lead strategic engagements with senior executives.

Qualifications

• 10+ years military experience in Canada.
• Experience with CAF commands – Army, Air Force, Navy, CANSOFCOM, Joint Operations.
• Familiarity with Federal/defence acquisition and teaming norms.

Responsibilities

• Identify target verticals and pre-qualify potential federal defense clients.
• Develop and maintain business plans with the defence team to guide pursuit strategy, messaging, and partner/customer engagement.
• Deliver presentations to high-level executives and work with the VP of Sales to meet client business requirements.
• Maintain and expand relationships with existing clients.
• Identify and qualify new federal defense market opportunities aligned with company offerings.
• Build and maintain an opportunity pipeline with clear stages, targets, and next steps with Account Managers.
• Support capture activities through bid strategy inputs and customer/competitor insight.

Skills

Business Plan Development

Opportunity Pipeline Management

Capture Process Activities

Competitive Dynamics Understanding

KPI Tracking

Tools

MS Applications

ERP Software

CRM Software

Job description

• Identify target verticals and pre-qualify potential federal defense clients in partnership with the VP of Sales
• Develop and maintain business plans with the defence team to guide pursuit strategy, messaging, and partner/customer engagement
• Deliver presentations to high-level executives and work with the VP of Sales to meet client business requirements
• Maintain and expand relationships with existing clients
• Identify and qualify new federal defense market opportunities aligned with company offerings
• Research acquisition trends, prime/subprime landscapes, and contract vehicles to find emerging opportunities
• Build and maintain an opportunity pipeline with clear stages, targets, and next steps with Account Managers
• Support capture activities through bid strategy inputs and customer/competitor insight
• Develop strategic plans for major capital projects and provide input on minor capital projects
• Develop relationships with defence systems integrators and ecosystem partners to enable joint pursuits
• Partner with the Office of the Chief Technology Officer to identify technical gaps and provide strategic direction to close them
• Build stakeholder relationships to support meetings, introductions, and long-term trust
• Attend and represent the company at defense and contracting events, conferences, and briefings
• Capture learnings and follow-up actions after events
• Support proposal teams with customer research, competitive differentiation themes, and partner context
• Coordinate internally to gather information required to pursue opportunities
• Maintain accurate CRM records for leads, meetings, opportunities, and partner activities
• Provide updates on pipeline health, forecast assumptions, and progress against goals
• Track KPIs including meetings, qualified opportunities, partner engagements, and win rates

Requirements

• 10+ years military of Canada experience
• Experience with numerous CAF commands – Army, Air Force, Navy, CANSOFCOM, Joint Operations
• No restrictions on conducting business with CAF
• Existing contacts with Department of Defence and Solution Integrators
• Strong organisational, judgement and leadership skills
• Quick problem-solving skills with solutions that benefit both company and customer
• Strong multi-tasking and prioritization skills
• Excellent communication skills both internal and external
• Proficient in all MS Applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Familiarity with Federal/defence acquisition and teaming norms and exposure to capture process activities
• Understand competitive dynamics and what moves opportunities forward
• Comfortable working across different stakeholders, viewpoints, and processes
• Must have at least one (1) year elapsed since the end of CAF employment prior to the candidate’s start date
• ERP/CRM/Accounting Software experience is an asset
• Bilingualism (English and French) is an asset

Core Competencies

Demonstrates extensive experience in federal defense market engagement, including strategic planning, client relationship management, and capture process activities. Proficient in developing business plans and maintaining opportunity pipelines while leveraging strong communication and organizational skills.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• 10+ Years Military Experience
• Experience with CAF Commands
• Strong Organizational Skills
• Excellent Communication Skills
• Familiarity with Federal/Defense Acquisition

Hard Skills

• Business Plan Development
• Opportunity Pipeline Management
• Capture Process Activities
• Competitive Dynamics Understanding
• KPI Tracking

Soft Skills

• Leadership Skills
• Problem-Solving Skills
• Multi-Tasking Skills
• Prioritization Skills

Industry Keywords

• Federal Defense Market
• Department of Defence
• Defense Systems Integrators
• Joint Operations
• CANSOFCOM

Tools & Technologies

• MS Applications
• ERP Software
• CRM Software