Senior Director, Customer Programs & Growth

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 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,