Director of Growth - Missile Systems

Dimensions IT Services; Addison (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Firehawk in Addison, TX is seeking a Director of Growth for Missile Systems to independently develop and execute the growth strategy for this business line. You will lead opportunities from market development through capture, proposal support, award, and transition, building pathways to enter new and existing weapon systems through government programs and partnerships.

The role requires senior leadership, cross-functional collaboration across engineering, programs, contracts, and executives, and

Qualifications

• Eight or more years of relevant experience in defense, including government acquisition, military operations, business or commercial growth, capture execution, program leadership, or a combination of these areas.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
• Active U.S. Government security clearance or the ability to obtain and maintain one.
• Ability to understand complex customer problems, translate capabilities into value, and create adoption or award paths.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute growth strategy for the missile systems business line across federal and commercial markets.
• Build and maintain a qualified pipeline across federal and commercial markets with clear values, timing, needs, and paths.
• Lead capture planning, teaming, pricing inputs, and proposal strategy; drive decisions to closure.

Skills

Strategic growth leadership

Capture management

Government contracting

Cross-functional leadership

Strategic communications

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Firehawk is a leading propulsion-focused aerospace and defense company located in Addison, TX. Our innovative approach empowers us to design and manufacture cutting‑edge solid and hybrid rocket motors and engines. We aim to push the boundaries of propulsion technology to serve both commercial and defense sectors.

Position Details

The Director of Growth for Missile Systems is Firehawk's business-line growth executive for missile, rocket, and related propulsion markets. Reporting to the Vice President of Federal Growth, this leader will independently develop and execute the business line's growth strategy and lead opportunities from initial market development through capture, proposal support, award, and transition. The role will build pathways for Firehawk capabilities to enter new and existing weapon systems through government programs, prime and integrator partnerships, and commercial relationships. This is a hands‑on growth leadership role for a builder who can create structure where it does not yet exist, operate effectively with limited infrastructure, and personally move opportunities from early customer discovery through capture and award. The Director will work across federal and commercial markets and will be accountable for qualified pipeline, bookings, revenue growth, win performance, strategic captures, and the business line's long‑term market position.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute Firehawk's growth strategy for the missile systems business line, translating company objectives and market conditions into prioritized customers, opportunities, partnerships, and investment recommendations.
• Build and maintain a disciplined, qualified pipeline across federal and commercial markets, with clear opportunity values, timing, customer needs, acquisition pathways, competitive position, probability of win, and next actions.
• Lead the full growth lifecycle, including market analysis, customer discovery, business development, opportunity shaping, capture planning, teaming, pricing inputs, proposal strategy, negotiations, and transition to execution.
• Own opportunity qualification and bid recommendations for the business line. Present clear investment cases, risks, resource requirements, and recommended actions to company leadership.
• Direct crossfunctional capture teams spanning engineering, program management, operations, finance, contracts, legal, and executive leadership. Establish capture cadence, assign actions, and drive decisions to closure.
• Partner closely with Firehawk's proposal manager to develop compliant, persuasive responses, white papers, requests for information, proposals, briefings, and other customerfacing materials. The Director owns the win strategy and substantive businessline inputs.
• Develop and manage durable relationships with government acquisition and operational stakeholders, commercial customers, primes, nontraditional defense companies, integrators, component producers, suppliers, investors, and other strategic partners.
• Create commercial and government partnership structures that accelerate qualification, market access, integration, production scale, and adoption of Firehawk capabilities.
• Maintain an informed view of customer priorities, budgets, acquisition strategies, policy developments, competitor activity, and industrialbase conditions; convert that intelligence into specific growth actions.
• Establish and report meaningful businessline metrics, including pipeline quality, bookings, revenue forecast, capture milestones, win rate, relationship development, and progress against strategic market objectives.
• Use external consultants selectively and effectively, defining clear objectives and integrating their work into a single accountable businessline growth plan.
• Represent Firehawk with credibility in senior customer meetings, industry engagements, conferences, demonstrations, partner discussions, and executivelevel reviews.

Market Scope

• Tactical missile, rocket, interceptor, launchassist, solidrocketmotor, propulsion, energetics, and related component and manufacturing opportunities.
• Army PEO Missiles and Space; Air Force weapons, munitions, and research organizations; Navy program offices, laboratories, and warfare centers; and other relevant requirements, test, and operational stakeholders.
• Domestic and allied commercial opportunities with missile primes, system integrators, nontraditional defense companies, component manufacturers, and suppliers.

Basic Qualifications

• Eight or more years of relevant experience in defense, including government acquisition, military operations, business or commercial growth, capture execution, program leadership, or a combination of these areas.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
• Active U.S. Government security clearance or the ability to obtain and maintain one.
• Demonstrated ability to understand complex customer problems, translate technical capabilities into operational and business value, and create an actionable path to adoption or award.
• Working knowledge of defense acquisition, budgeting, requirements, contracting, and programdevelopment processes, with the judgment to navigate both formal procurements and emerging acquisition pathways.
• Ability to independently build and operate a businessline growth function while coordinating contributors who do not report directly to the role.
• Strong capture judgment, including opportunity qualification, customer and competitor analysis, teaming, solution positioning, win strategy, pricing considerations, and proposal development.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to engage senior government, military, commercial, and industry leaders and to develop clear decisionquality materials.
• Comfort operating in a fastmoving growth company where priorities evolve, resources are finite, and leaders are expected to work at both strategic and detailed levels.
• Must be able and willing to travel 2550% to support customers, partners, technical demonstrations, industry events, and capture activities as required.

Relevant Domain Knowledge

• Understanding of missile or rocket systems, solid propulsion, energetics, qualification, integration, test, production, and relevant supply chains.
• Familiarity with Army, Air Force, or Navy weapons acquisition organizations, laboratories, warfare centers, test organizations, requirements communities, and operational stakeholders.
• Knowledge of the missile industrial base, including primes, integrators, nontraditional defense companies, component manufacturers, and critical suppliers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior government acquisition or program leadership related to missiles, weapons, propulsion, energetics, or industrialbase modernization.
• Operational military experience that provides direct understanding of missile, strike, airdefense, counterUAS, or related mission needs.
• Growth or partnership leadership in a defensetechnology company, component producer, supplier integrator, or other resourceconstrained organization.
• Experience creating new integration pathways, forming nontraditional partnerships, or moving emerging technology toward qualification, procurement, and scaled production.

Measures of Success

• A credible, prioritized businessline strategy connected to specific customer needs, market pathways, and investment decisions.
• A qualified pipeline that supports company bookings and revenue objectives and improves in quality, maturity, and forecast accuracy over time.
• Consistent progress on strategic captures, with clear milestones, accountable owners, timely decisions, and compelling win strategies.
• Stronger relationships and market access across government, commercial, and industrial partners.
• Effective use of internal resources, the proposal manager, and external consultants without diffusing accountability for results.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Work Environment And Physical Requirements

Employees in these positions must possess mobility to work in a standard office setting and to use standard office equipment, including a computer; stamina to sit and to maintain attention to detail despite interruptions; may occasionally lift/carry/push/pull up to 25 pounds; may require minimal walking, standing for extended amounts of time, climbing, crouching, and/or bending; and vision to read printed materials and a computer screen, and hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone. May require the ability to travel by air or auto. May require the use of personal protective equipment such as safety glasses, safety shoes, and shop coat.

Security Clearance

May be required to obtain and maintain a U.S. Security Clearance at the appropriate level. Requires U.S. Citizenship. Must also be able to satisfy federal government requirements for access to government information, and having dual citizenship may preclude you from being able to meet this requirement.

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement

Firehawk is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Firehawk is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.