Manager, Business Development - Land Systems

Kearfott Corporation

Pine Brook (NJ)

On-site

USD 140,000 - 180,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Medical, prescription, dental, vision,

Life and disability insurance

401(k) with company match

Tuition assistance

Paid vacation and sick days

Paid holidays

9/80 work week with every other Friday

Job summary

Kearfott Corporation, a global leader in precision motion control and inertial navigation, seeks a Land Systems Business Development Manager in New Jersey to lead capture and market penetration across advanced guidance and stabilization systems for ground platforms.

The role focuses on building strategic relationships with the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, primes, and OEMs, driving opportunities from early pursuit through contract awards, and aligning technical solutions with customer requirements.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Military Science, or related field.
Strategic thinking, business acumen, market savvy, and credibility with technical teams and customers.
Strong leadership, persuasive communication, and ability to drive timely RFP responses.
Ability to develop business approaches for capturing opportunities and growing the business.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; gravitas in written and verbal form.
10+ years performing Business Development activities, especially in airborne systems.
Solid relationships within industry and DoD; hunter mentality.
Familiar with DoD budgeting processes and procurement.
Military experience is a plus; experience with GPS-denied navigation and sensor fusion.

Responsibilities

Drive business development and capture activities for land system technologies such as INS, IMUs, and LOS.
Develop strategic relationships with the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, foreign military customers, primes, and OEMs.
Identify and pursue opportunities across MBTs, IFVs, artillery, ground-based air defense, and UGVs.
Lead opportunity shaping, customer engagement, and capture strategy from pursuit to award.
Coordinate with engineering, program management, operations, and leadership to align solutions with requirements.
Support proposal development, pricing, competitive analysis, and technical positioning.
Develop and execute strategic growth plans aligned with defense modernization priorities.
Maintain awareness of evolving land warfare technologies and Army initiatives.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Leadership

DoD knowledge

Relationship building

Hunt/BD focus

Presentation skills

Cross-functional

Military experience

GPS-denied navigation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Founded in 1918, Kearfott Corporation, a global Aerospace and Defense supplier for over 100 years, is a leader in the design and manufacture of precision motion control products and inertial navigation components. Kearfott has a very long history of innovation and excellence and is the go-to brand for many of our global clients. Kearfott is trusted, respected, and plays a vital role in the success of America’s aerospace and defense industries. With over a century of expertise & experience, Kearfott is dedicated to providing quality, reliability, and cutting-edge technology to customers worldwide to meet their sea, land, air, and space navigation and guidance requirements.

We are looking for talented individuals who want to be part of a world-class workforce. Join Kearfott and become part of a company that is recognized for technical expertise and respected worldwide as a ‘full service’ provider.

Business Development Manager – Land Systems

Overview

The individual will be part of a customer-facing team responsible for business development, strategic capture, and market penetration for advanced Guidance, Navigation, Motion Control, and Stabilization Systems with a primary focus on land-based defense applications. The role supports Kearfott’s portfolio of inertial navigation systems, indirect fire systems, stabilized line-of-sight systems, motion control technologies, precision actuators, sensors, and integrated fire control solutions utilized across armored vehicles, artillery, radar, autonomous platforms, and tactical ground systems.

Preference is for a candidate with a background in land combat systems, precision navigation technologies, fire control systems, stabilized weapon/sensor platforms, or vehicle motion and actuation systems supporting U.S. DoD and allied defense programs.

The successful candidate must be a motivated, strategic thinker capable of identifying, developing, and capturing opportunities across OEMs, prime contractors, integrators, and government customers in support of next-generation land warfare and tactical mobility programs.

Desired Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate combines strong defense business development expertise with technical credibility in land navigation, stabilization, motion control, or fire control technologies. The candidate should understand the operational requirements of modern ground combat platforms and be capable of engaging both engineering teams and senior military stakeholders.

This individual will play a key role in expanding Kearfott’s presence across advanced land warfare, precision navigation, and battlefield stabilization markets while supporting long-term strategic growth initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Drive business development and capture activities for Kearfott land system technologies, including:
- Inertial Navigation Systems (INS)
- Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs)
- Land Navigation Systems
- Stabilized Line‑of‑Sight (LOS) Systems
- Indirect Fire & Artillery Navigation Systems
- Motion Control & Electromechanical Actuation Systems
- Precision Sensors, Motors, and Position Feedback Devices
- Assured PNT and GPS‑denied navigation solutions
Develop and maintain strategic relationships with:
- U.S. Army
- U.S. Marine Corps
- Foreign Military customers
- Prime defense contractors
- Ground vehicle OEMs and system integrators
Identify and pursue opportunities associated with:
- Main Battle Tanks
- Infantry Fighting Vehicles
- Artillery & Indirect Fire Platforms
- Ground‑based Air Defense Systems
- Counter‑UAS Systems
- Autonomous Ground Vehicles (UGVs)
- Radar and Sensor Platforms
- Tactical Command & Control Systems
Lead opportunity shaping, customer engagement, and capture strategy development from early pursuit through contract award.
Coordinate internally with engineering, program management, operations, and executive leadership to align technical solutions with customer requirements.
Support proposal development, pricing strategies, competitive analysis, and technical solution positioning.
Develop and execute strategic growth plans aligned with company objectives and emerging defense modernization priorities.
Maintain awareness of evolving land warfare technologies, Army modernization initiatives, precision navigation requirements, and emerging autonomous and networked battlefield capabilities.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Military Science, or related field.
Strategic thinking, business acumen, market savvy, product/technical depth, presentation skills, credibility with technical teams and customers.
Strong leadership, persuasive communication skills, and the ability to drive timely RFP response from cross‑functional teams.
Ability to develop business approaches and strategies that will have a high probability of success in capturing opportunities, leading to sustainable and profitable growth of Kearfott.
Excellent interpersonal, communications, and gravitas (written and verbal).
Drives for results, action oriented.
10+ years performing Business Development (sales, marketing, capture, proposal) activities, especially in airborne systems.
Strong technical background, preferably in inertial navigation systems.
Existing solid industry and DOD relationships.
Hunter mentality and strong understanding of the customer decision‑making process, quickly building strong relationships with targeted individuals.
Must understand the DoD budgeting process and how targeted opportunities become a Program of Record.
Previous military experience a plus.
Familiar with DCS, FMS, FMF, OTA, and other procurement processes.
Experience in pursuing and capturing International aerospace and defense business opportunities.
Formal training in the Shipley or equivalent capture process is strongly desired.
Prior military service or direct experience supporting combat vehicle programs.
Familiarity with:
- GPS‑denied navigation
- Sensor fusion
- Autonomous vehicle navigation
- Stabilized targeting systems
- Tactical fire control architectures

In compliance with pay transparency requirements, the salary range for this role in New Jersey is $140,000 - $180,000 Annually. This is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, as the final offer amount may vary based on factors including but not limited to job‑related knowledge and skills, experience, and internal consistency.

Additionally, we offer following benefits: