Director/Manager-Defense Business Development & Capture

Caliber Systems Inc.; Alexandria (VA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

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Job summary

CALIBRE Systems, Inc. seeks a Director of Defense Business Development & Capture to accelerate growth across the Department of Defense market. The role requires senior leadership to shape opportunities, build pipelines, and lead priority pursuits from qualification through award.

The successful candidate will partner with Defense and corporate leadership, coordinating with operations, pricing, contracts, and proposal teams to drive capture strategies and winning outcomes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent; relevant experience considered in lieu of degree.
• 10+ years in Defense business development, capture management, strategic account leadership, or related roles.
• Proven track record building and maturing qualified opportunities with Defense customers and industry partners.
• Experience leading full lifecycle DoD pursuits from qualification to award.
• Ability to manage multiple pursuits and cross-functional teams across schedules and budgets.
• Strong knowledge of Federal acquisition processes, FAR/DFARS, and contract types.
• Excellent executive communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Expand Defense decision-maker relationships and drive priority pursuits.
• Identify customer priorities and funding opportunities through market insight.
• Create and mature an actionable pipeline aligned with capabilities and growth goals.
• Develop account plans, roadmaps, and partner engagement strategies.
• Lead captures from qualification through proposal, evaluation, and award.
• Guide cross-functional teams and manage schedules, budgets, risks, and reporting.
• Engage prime or subcontract strategies with leadership and legal on teaming.

Skills

Defense BD

Capture Management

Strategic Account Leadership

Growth Leadership

Executive Communication

Relationship Building

Proposal Strategy

FAR/DFARS Knowledge

Cost/Price Strategy

Travel Capability

Team Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Shipley Capture Management (cert)

Job description

CALIBRE Systems, Inc., an employee-owned Management Consulting and Digital Transformation company, is seeking a Director, Defense Business Development & Capture to accelerate growth across the Department of Defense market. This highly networked, externally focused leader will bring established customer relationships, market insight, and hands‑on capture expertise to create actionable pipeline, shape opportunities before solicitation release, and lead priority pursuits through contract award.

The successful candidate will work directly with Defense and corporate leadership and collaborate with operations, solution architects, pricing, contracts, recruiting, proposal professionals, and industry partners. This position reports to the Vice President, Defense.

Key Responsibilities

• Leverage and expand relationships with Defense decision-makers, mission owners, program leaders, acquisition stakeholders, influencers, and industry partners.
• Identify customer priorities, mission challenges, acquisition direction, funding considerations, and emerging requirements through direct engagement and market intelligence.
• Create, qualify, and mature an actionable pipeline aligned with CALIBRE capabilities, past performance, strategic priorities, and realistic positions to win.
• Develop account plans, opportunity roadmaps, customer call plans, relationship maps, competitive assessments, and measurable next actions for priority customers.
• Own priority pursuits from qualification and early shaping through solicitation, proposal, evaluation, and contract award.
• Develop and execute capture plans, win strategies, competitive positioning, solution approaches, teaming strategies, milestone schedules, and customer engagement plans.
• Lead opportunity validation, Black Hat assessments, gate reviews, price‑to‑win activities, staffing and transition strategies, risk mitigation, and evidence‑based bid decisions.
• Build and lead cross‑functional capture teams and manage pursuit schedules, budgets, resources, risks, actions, and executive reporting.
• Identify and engage strategic teammates; recommend prime or subcontract approaches; and lead partner role, workshare, and teaming negotiations in coordination with leadership, contracts, and legal.
• Provide strategic direction to proposal teams and ensure alignment among customer intelligence, solution, staffing, pricing, win themes, and proposal execution.
• Participate in color‑team and executive reviews, oral presentations, customer meetings, RFIs, white papers, and capability briefings.
• Maintain credible pipeline and forecast data, brief leadership on investment and bid recommendations, mentor growth personnel, and remain accountable for converting qualified opportunities into awards.

Strategic Market Focus

Candidates should bring customer access, market knowledge, and relevant growth experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Army modernization; training and mission command; readiness and force management.
• Cyber operations, cyber readiness, and mission assurance.
• Financial management, audit readiness, and business systems modernization.
• Logistics, sustainment, supply chain, and installation readiness.
• Data analytics, enterprise data platforms, data modernization, digital transformation, and AI‑enabled decision support.
• Program management and mission support services.

What Success Looks Like

• Expands CALIBRE access, relevance, and trusted relationships across priority Defense organizations.
• Creates and matures a qualified, actionable pipeline aligned with CALIBRE capabilities and growth objectives.
• Shapes priority opportunities before solicitation release and establishes evidence‑based positions to win.
• Leads disciplined captures, converts qualified opportunities into awards, and improves collaboration between growth and operations.

required Experience

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution; additional directly relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• 10 or more years of Defense business development, capture management, strategic account leadership, growth leadership, or closely related experience.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain productive relationships with Defense customers, acquisition stakeholders, mission owners, program leadership, and industry partners.
• Demonstrated history of creating and maturing qualified opportunities through customer engagement, strategic account management, market insight, and early opportunity shaping.
• Proven success leading competitive Department of Defense pursuits through the full lifecycle, from identification and qualification through capture, proposal, and award.
• Ability to lead multiple concurrent pursuits and matrixed cross‑functional teams while managing schedules, budgets, resources, risks, and executive expectations.
• Strong knowledge of Federal acquisition processes, FAR and DFARS, source selection, task‑order competitions, IDIQs, GWACs, GSA vehicles, and common contract types.
• Experience with capture plans, call plans, competitive analysis, teaming, solution and staffing strategies, price‑to‑win, proposal strategy, and executive reviews.
• Working knowledge of basis‑of‑estimate development, indirect rates, cost and price strategy, and the financial implications of proposed solutions.
• Strong executive communication, presentation, negotiation, analytical, collaboration, and relationship‑building skills; high ethical standards and sound business judgment.
• Ability to travel as required and meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active Secret clearance; TS/SCI preferred.
• Shipley Capture Management certification or equivalent formal training.
• Prior military or Federal civilian service, or significant experience supporting Defense mission organizations.
• Established relationships within Army modernization, training and mission command, logistics, cyber, financial management, readiness, data analytics, or Defense business systems communities.
• Experience pursuing business as both a prime contractor and strategic subcontractor; experience with alternative acquisition pathways is a plus.