Senior Director, Customer Programs

Piper Companies; Georgia; Hybrid; USD 200,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive Benefits

Flexible working schedule

Unlimited growth opportunities

Job summary

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking a Senior Director - Customer Programs to join a Federal Program located in Tyson's Corner, VA, on a hybrid basis. The Senior Director - Customer Programs will oversee three functional teams — Sales Engineering, Bid & Proposal Management, and Account Management.

The responsibilities include recruiting and developing high-performing teams, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and positioning the function as a strategic contributor to the company's growth.

Qualifications

• 12+ years in commercial, business development/capture management, or program management roles within the satellite, space, defense technology, or adjacent sectors.
• Experience leading multi-functional commercial teams spanning technical presales, proposals, and account management.
• Deep familiarity with US federal government contracting, including FAR/DFARS, RFP processes, and federal program structures; experience with IC, DoW, NOAA, NGA, or similar agencies preferred.
• Track record of building and scaling commercial operations or enablement functions in a growth-stage technology company.
• Experience managing complex, multi-year customer relationships involving both technical and contractual complexity.

Responsibilities

• Recruit, develop, and retain high-performing teams across three distinct functional disciplines
• Foster a culture of commercial rigor, customer focus, and cross-functional collaboration
• Establish clear career development paths within each team, ensuring individual contributors understand how their work connects to Spire's commercial outcomes
• Position the function as a strategic contributor to Spire's growth — not a support function — by building internal visibility and credibility for the teams
• Ensure Strategic Account Managers maintain strong, senior-level relationships across Spire's existing federal and commercial customer base
• Drive upsell and contract expansion within existing accounts, working in close coordination with sales leadership to define territory boundaries and opportunity ownership
• Partner with Business Development to ensure Sales Engineering and Bid & Proposal teams are engaged at the right pursuit stage, with clear roles and accountabilities
• Define the organizational interface between BD-led capture and proposal execution, ensuring smooth handoffs and no gaps in competitive intelligence or solution development
• Oversee proposal quality, compliance, and strategic positioning across federal (U.S. FAR/DFARS) and commercial contract vehicles
• Operate Sales Engineering, Bid & Proposal Management, and Strategic Account Management as shared commercial resources supporting US Federal Sales, Rest of World Sales, and Commercial sales team

Skills

Leadership

Commercial teams

Presales

Proposals

Account management

FAR/DFARS

Federal contracting

Capture management

Strategic thinking

Job description

Zachary Piper Solutions is seeking an Senior Director - Customer Programs to join a Federal Program located in Tyson's Corner, VA, on a hybrid basis. The Senior Director - Customer Programs will oversee three functional teams — Sales Engineering, Bid & Proposal Management, and Account Management.

Responsibilities of the Senior Director - Customer Programs:

• Recruit, develop, and retain high-performing teams across three distinct functional disciplines
• Foster a culture of commercial rigor, customer focus, and cross-functional collaboration
• Establish clear career development paths within each team, ensuring individual contributors understand how their work connects to Spire's commercial outcomes
• Position the function as a strategic contributor to Spire's growth — not a support function — by building internal visibility and credibility for the teams
• Ensure Strategic Account Managers maintain strong, senior-level relationships across Spire's existing federal and commercial customer base
• Drive upsell and contract expansion within existing accounts, working in close coordination with sales leadership to define territory boundaries and opportunity ownership
• Partner with Business Development to ensure Sales Engineering and Bid & Proposal teams are engaged at the right pursuit stage, with clear roles and accountabilities
• Define the organizational interface between BD-led capture and proposal execution, ensuring smooth handoffs and no gaps in competitive intelligence or solution development
• Oversee proposal quality, compliance, and strategic positioning across federal (U.S. FAR/DFARS) and commercial contract vehicles
• Operate Sales Engineering, Bid & Proposal Management, and Strategic Account Management as shared commercial resources supporting US Federal Sales, Rest of World Sales, and Commercial sales team

Qualifications of the Senior Director - Customer Programs:

• 12+ years in commercial, business development/capture management, or program management roles within the satellite, space, defense technology, or adjacent sectors
• Demonstrated experience leading multi-functional commercial teams spanning technical presales, proposals, and account management
• Deep familiarity with US federal government contracting, including FAR/DFARS, RFP processes, and federal program structures; experience with IC, DoW, NOAA, NGA, or similar agencies preferred
• Track record of building and scaling commercial operations or enablement functions in a growth-stage technology company
• Experience managing complex, multi-year customer relationships involving both technical and contractual complexity

Compensation for the Senior Director - Customer Programs:

• Salary Range: $200,000+ *flexible based on experience*
• Comprehensive Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, PTO, and Sick Leave as required by law
• Flexible working schedule
• Unlimited opportunities for growth

Key Words: business development, capture management, management, manager, far, dfar, federal, government, cleared, ts/sci, dow, ic, noaa, nga, bid, proposal, sales, engineering, bd, capture, strategic account, account managers, revenue management