Senior Director, Customer Programs

Zachary Piper Solutions; Virginia (MN); Hybrid; USD 200,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

PTO

Sick Leave

Flexible schedule

Unlimited growth opportunities

Job summary

Zachary Piper Solutions seeks a Senior Director - Customer Programs for a federal program based in Tyson's Corner, VA, on a hybrid basis. You will oversee three teams—Sales Engineering, Bid & Proposal, and Account Management—and shape a high-impact customer operations function across federal and commercial opportunities.

You will recruit and develop leaders, drive cross-functional collaboration, and position the function as a strategic driver of growth through disciplined processes, forecasts,

Qualifications

• 12+ years in commercial, business development/capture management, or program management within satellite/space/defense tech.
• Experience leading multi-functional commercial teams spanning presales, proposals, and account management.
• Deep familiarity with US federal contracting (FAR/DFARS, RFP processes).
• Track record building/scaling commercial operations in growth-stage tech.
• Experience managing long-term customer relationships with technical/contractual complexity.

Responsibilities

• Recruit, develop, and retain teams across Sales Engineering, Bid & Proposal, and Account Management.
• Foster a culture of commercial rigor, customer focus, and cross-functional collaboration.
• Establish career paths and connect individual work to commercial outcomes.
• Position the function as a strategic growth driver with executive visibility.
• Maintain strong senior relationships with federal/commercial customers via Strategic Account Managers.
• Drive upsell and contract expansion in coordination with sales leadership.
• Partner with BD to ensure engaged pursuits and clear roles in capture efforts.
• Define interfaces between BD-led capture and proposal execution; ensure seamless handoffs.
• Oversee proposal quality, compliance, and strategic positioning across US federal and commercial vehicles.
• Operate Sales Engineering, Bid & Proposal, and SAM as shared resources across US Federal, Rest of World, and Commercial sales.

Skills

Leadership

Presales

Account Management

FAR/DFARS knowledge

Program Management

Defense/space domain

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