Business Development & Capture Manager

General Tool Company; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Ownership for All

Job summary

GTC, a precision aerospace and defense supplier, is seeking a Business Development & Capture Manager in Reading, OH. You will lead strategic accounts, own capture strategy, and drive proposals from qualification through contract award to execution.

You will build executive-level relationships, coordinate cross-functional bid teams, and develop commercial terms to win defense and aerospace programs. Ownership for All provides an employee ownership stake from day one.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, or related discipline; engineering/manufacturing background preferred.
• Minimum seven years in aerospace/defense or complex manufacturing fields.
• Experience in cost estimating, bids/proposals, capture activities.
• Strong cross-functional leadership in customer-facing, high-stakes environments.

Responsibilities

• Own capture strategies from qualification to contract award.
• Develop bid strategies, win themes, Price-to-Win analyses.
• Lead cross-functional bid teams across Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, Contracts, and PM.
• Drive early customer engagement to shape requirements and competitive position.
• Communicate Voice of the Customer to gain competitive advantage.
• Support negotiations through contract award.
• Handoff pursuit wins to Program Management.

Skills

Strategic account management

Capture leadership

Executive communication

Proposal development

Pricing strategy

Cross-functional leadership

FAR/DFARS knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/engineering or related discipline

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Business Development & Capture Manager

Full-time Regular Reading, OH, US

4 days ago Requisition ID: 1234

Business Development & Capture Manager — Aerospace & Defense
Full-Time | Reports to CCO | Strategic Accounts | Capture Leadership

Win the Business. Own the Growth.

At GTC, we build precision aerospace and defense components for programs that demand the best — and the Business Development & Capture Manager is the person who makes sure we're in the room when those programs are awarded. From qualifying the right opportunities to owning capture strategy to closing contracts and handing them off cleanly to program execution, you'll be the commercial leader who turns GTC's capabilities into wins.

This isn't a relationship maintenance role. It's a pursuit leadership role — one where you develop strategy, build executive-level customer relationships, lead cross-functional bid teams, and drive the kind of commercial discipline that makes GTC increasingly competitive with every proposal we submit.

And through our Ownership For All program, the growth you drive here builds something that's genuinely yours. Every eligible full-time employee receives an ownership stake in GTC. From day one, you're not just joining a team. You're becoming an owner. Your wins aren't just good for the company. They're good for you.

What You'll Do

Strategic Account Management

• Serve as the primary business development and capture representative for assigned strategic customer accounts — the face of GTC in those relationships
• Develop and maintain strategic account plans that drive profitable growth, proactively identify opportunities to improve commercial and contractual terms, and deliver accurate short- and long-range order intake forecasts that inform business, capacity, and financial planning
• Build executive-level customer relationships and consistently identify opportunities to expand existing programs and capture new ones
• Capture and communicate Voice of the Customer back into the organization — turning customer insight into competitive advantage

Bid, Capture & Commercial Leadership

• Own capture strategies for assigned opportunities from qualification all the way through contract award — you're accountable for the outcome
• Develop bid strategies, win themes, Price-to-Win analysis, and commercial approaches that maximize both win probability and profitability
• Lead the development of competitive, compliant proposals through cross-functional integration of Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, Contracts, and Program Management
• Drive early customer engagement to shape requirements, influence the competitive landscape, and strengthen GTC's position before the RFP drops
• Develop commercial strategies that address pricing, contract terms, risk mitigation, execution approach, and negotiation — nothing left to chance
• Ensure technical, pricing, contractual, supply chain, schedule, and execution risks are fully understood and reflected in every bid strategy
• Support customer negotiations through contract award

Program Transition

• Lead the handoff from pursuit through contract award into program execution — establishing the As-Sold position clearly and transferring it to Program Management without losing a thing
• Ensure all customer commitments, pricing assumptions, contractual obligations, risks, and execution strategies are successfully transitioned
• Support contract kickoff and establish the As-Sold baseline that sets the program up to deliver

What You Bring

• Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, or a related discipline — an engineering or manufacturing background with demonstrated commercial aptitude is strongly preferred
• Minimum of seven years of experience in engineering, estimating, manufacturing, program management, or business development within aerospace, defense, or complex manufacturing
• Demonstrated experience preparing manufacturing cost estimates, leading competitive bids and proposals, or supporting capture activities
• Proven success leading cross-functional teams in a customer-facing, high-stakes environment
• Strong technical aptitude — you understand complex manufacturing processes, machining, fabrication, assembly, and engineering requirements well enough to lead a commercial conversation about them
• Demonstrated ability to develop manufacturing cost estimates, bills of material, labor standards, and basis of estimate documentation
• The analytical instincts to evaluate manufacturing methods, should-cost drivers, capacity constraints, and technical risk — and translate that into a competitive commercial strategy
• Strong command of pricing strategy, Price-to-Win methodologies, commercial negotiations, and government contracting including FAR/DFARS
• Exceptional executive communication skills — you can walk a customer or a senior leadership team through a complex position and make it land
• Sound business judgment that balances customer requirements, competitiveness, profitability, and execution risk without losing sight of any of them
• Highly organized, with the ability to manage multiple complex pursuits simultaneously without dropping the thread on any of them
• Leadership presence, professionalism, and the interpersonal range to represent GTC at every level of a customer organization

Why GTC

A capture leadership role with real commercial authority and organizational visibility. A direct line to the CCO and a seat at the table where growth strategy is made. Work at the intersection of precision manufacturing and high-stakes defense contracting — where your wins have real programs and real consequences attached to them. A culture that values commercial discipline, customer relationships, and people who take ownership of results. And through Ownership For All, a genuine stake in the company you're helping to grow. From day one, you're not just a business development manager here. You're an owner.

GTC is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V. All applicants are considered based on experience and knowledge, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, ancestry, marital status, disability, or veteran status. We are committed to a workplace free from discrimination and harassment.