Director, Corporate Business Development & Strategy

L3Harris; City Of London; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defense technology company in the UK seeks a Director for Corporate Business Development and Strategy. This role focuses on leading growth initiatives, managing strategic partnerships, and driving market strategies. Candidates should have over 15 years of experience in business development, particularly within the defense sector, alongside skills in negotiation and communication. This position is based in London and requires a strong understanding of UK defense customer requirements.

Benefits

Flexible working hours

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Private medical insurance

Pension scheme with employer contribution

Life Assurance

Group income protection

Employee assistance program

Qualifications

• Minimum of 15 years experience in business development within defence and security sectors.
• Proven experience with international customers and diverse business cultures.
• Deep understanding of UK defence customer requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead business development initiatives in the UK.
• Collaborate with senior leadership and key stakeholders.
• Develop strategies to expand customer base in the UK.

Skills

Business development

Strategic growth initiatives

Market assessment

Negotiation skills

Executive-level communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Graduate degree

Job description

Overview

L3Harris is dedicated to recruiting and developing high-performing talent who are passionate about what they do. Our employees are unified in a shared dedication to our customers’ mission and quest for professional growth. L3Harris provides an inclusive, engaging environment designed to empower employees and promote work-life success. Fundamental to our culture is an unwavering focus on values, dedication to our communities, and commitment to excellence in everything we do.

L3Harris Technologies is the Trusted Disruptor in the defense industry. With customers’ mission-critical needs always in mind, our employees deliver end-to-end technology solutions connecting the space, air, land, sea and cyber domains in the interest of national security.

Job Title: Director, Corporate UK Business Development and Strategy

Job Location: L3Harris UK Corporate Office, London

About this opportunity and L3Harris UK

From 11 UK sites, our team of nearly 1,000 people delivers unique capabilities across space, air, land, sea and cyber for military, security and commercial customers across the UK and worldwide.

This senior-level role is responsible for leading business development, sales, and strategic growth initiatives for L3Harris across the UK. As a key member of the Corporate International Government and Customer Relations team, the role focuses on identifying new market opportunities, managing strategic partnerships, and shaping corporate strategy to position L3Harris as a leader in the aerospace and defence sector. It requires close collaboration with senior leadership, UK government agencies, and industry partners to ensure alignment with customer needs, regulatory requirements, and evolving market trends.

Responsibilities:

• Lead new business development and growth initiatives for L3Harris in the United Kingdom.
• Partner with UK business segment and sector leadership, and landed businesses, to grow market share and support all business development and sales activities in line with Annual Operating Plans (AOP) and strategic objectives.
• Represent L3Harris with senior officials from MoD, GCHQ, other UK government agencies, and Members of Parliament demonstrating in-depth knowledge of L3Harris’ portfolios and capabilities.
• Develop and implement strategies to expand the UK customer base, driving profitable growth in line with company vision and business plans.
• Collaborate across the Corporate International team to align global best practices with UK market objectives.
• Enable regional business unit annual bookings, sales targets, and pipeline development goals.
• Serve as the ‘voice of the customer’ to inform future product and technology roadmaps.
• Demonstrate L3Harris values of Excellence, Integrity, and Respect.
• Establish and maintain KPIs to continuously improve business development processes and outcomes.

Essential Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 15 years, or graduate degree with at least 13 years of experience in business development and growth within the defence and security sectors.
• Proven experience engaging with international customers and navigating diverse business cultures.
• Deep understanding of UK defence and security customer requirements and user needs related to the L3Harris portfolio.
• Market-driven mindset with strong skills in market assessment, competitive analysis, and relationship development.
• Demonstrated success in designing and executing winning business development campaigns, capture plans, and complex sales closures.
• Ability and willingness to travel within the UK and internationally as needed.
• Established network of customer and industry contacts across all relevant UK defence domains.
• In-depth knowledge of UK capability acquisition programmes and associated procurement processes.
• Strong presence, negotiation skills, and executive-level communication abilities.
• Extensive experience working with UK Government, MoD, GCHQ, and related agencies, with up-to-date knowledge of UK defence sector priorities and procurement strategies.

A few of our employee benefits are:

• Half day finish on a Friday (flexible working hours available)
• 25 days holiday per year (plus bank holidays), increasing with long service and with the opportunity to buy/sell up to 5 days
• Private medical insurance with optional family cover
• Pension scheme of up to 7% employer contribution
• Life Assurance 4x salary (flexible up to 10x)
• Group income protection
• Flexible opt-in extras such as a health care cash plan, dental insurance, gym membership, critical illness cover and cycle to work scheme
• Employee assistance program providing mental health and wellbeing support

Important to know

Due to the nature of our work many our roles require a UK nationality and the ability to obtain a security clearance. Applicants who accept a conditional offer of employment must meet the requirement of right to work in the UK and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information and will be subject to government security checks.

L3Harris Technologies is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to maintaining a workplace that is free from unlawful discrimination and offers equal opportunities for all. Applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, and marriage and civil partnerships.