Associate Director, Strategic Planning

Peskind Executive Search; Costa Mesa (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

A defense technology firm in Costa Mesa, CA, is seeking an Associate Director to drive revenue strategy and improve operational efficiency. In this role, you will manage long-range planning processes, tackle complex challenges, and lead cross-functional teams to support business objectives. The ideal candidate has over 6 years of experience in a technology company and strong analytical skills. A U.S. Secret security clearance eligibility is required.

Qualifications

• 6+ years experience in an operating role at a high-growth technology company.
• Exceptional problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly across diverse roles.
• Strong proficiency in data analytics.
• Ownership mentality with a natural bias to assume responsibility.

Responsibilities

• Manage and improve long-range and annual planning processes.
• Tackle ambiguous questions with rigor and independence.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to drive strategic decisions.
• Craft high-quality executive presentations and materials.

Skills

Problem-solving

Analytical skills

Financial modeling

Data analytics

Cross-functional leadership

Job description

About Our Client

Our client is a fast-growing defense technology company focused on transforming U.S. and allied military capabilities through advanced systems and software. Their core platform integrates autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and real-time networking into a unified operating system that powers critical command and control capabilities. Known for delivering complex defense solutions in months, not years, they apply modern technology and business models to reshape how military systems are designed, built, and deployed.

About the Role & Team

The Associate Director, based in Costa Mesa, CA, will join the Revenue Strategy & Corporate Operations team—responsible for driving revenue through operational efficiency, post-merger integration, and strategic planning. This role tackles high-impact, ambiguous challenges and plays a central part in managing long-range planning, shaping business strategy, and aligning execution across teams. Success requires the ability to move fast, earn trust quickly, and drive cross-functional results in a dynamic environment.

What You'll Do

• Manage and improve long-range and annual planning processes. Scope the work, define work streams, and serve as the overall project quarterback

• Tackle hard, ambiguous questions with rigor and independence, owning projects from problem definition to execution

• Partner with cross-functional teams to drive strategic decisions by framing a problem space, evaluating potential paths, surfacing key tradeoffs, and operationalizing

• Craft and develop high-quality executive presentations and materials

Required Qualifications

• 6+ years experience in an operating role at a high-growth technology company

• Exceptional problem-solving and analytical skills, financial modeling capabilities (e.g., Excel), and the ability to build simple but impactful presentations for executive audiences

• Demonstrated ability to translate and articulate thoughts clearly and simply across a wide range of roles (finance partners, engineering, cross-functional leadership, and executives)

• Consistent track record of cross-functional leadership among diverse individuals with different goals

• Strong proficiency in data analytics, with the ability to interpret complex datasets and extract actionable insights that support business objectives

• Ownership mentality with a natural bias to assume responsibility. Our client empowers their team to quickly take on high levels of responsibility and actively own projects

• Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance