Vice President of Business Development

CMI Group; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 170,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

CMI Group (Cassavant Machining, Inc.) seeks a senior business development leader to drive new program wins in aerospace and defense. You will identify, pursue, and close opportunities with Tier 1 primes, OEMs, and strategic suppliers.

In this role, you will manage long-cycle pursuits, build data-driven pipelines, and coordinate with design, engineering, and operations to align capability stories with program needs. Experience with AS9100 or similar is preferred.

Qualifications

• 10–15+ years in business development or sales leadership in precision aerospace and defense manufacturing.
• Direct accountability for new program wins at Tier 1 primes or equivalent OEMs.
• Technical fluency to engage design/engineering before RFQ.

Responsibilities

• Identify and close net-new customer relationships with no prior production history at CMI.
• Develop new programs and parts across customers without prior manufacturing history.
• Build and manage a structured pursuit pipeline covering 12–36 months.
• Position CMI early with design, engineering, and supply chain teams at target primes.
• Coordinate price-to-win strategy, proposals, and post-bid analysis for major pursuits.
• Monitor market intelligence on defense and aerospace sectors.
• Report pipeline health and bookings to CEO and board.

Skills

Aerospace sales

Strategic account development

New program development

Pursuit pipeline management

Technical fluency in CNC aerospace

Education

Engineering degree

Job description

CMI Group (Cassavant Machining, Inc.) manufactures precision components for the most demanding aerospace and defense applications: engine hardware, auxiliary power units, fuel and hydraulic systems, and structural components. With multiple facilities across the Phoenix metropolitan area and deep capabilities in tight-tolerance CNC machining, CMI is a contracted supplier to leading prime contractors and Tier 1 integrators. The company is backed by Gallant Capital Partners and is actively investing in growth.

Primary responsibilities

• New customer acquisition — identify, develop, and close net-new customer relationships with no prior production history at CMI
• New program and part number development — across new and existing customers — for which no prior manufacturing history exists at the company
• Pipeline construction and management — build and maintain a structured, data-driven pursuit pipeline covering a 12–36 month horizon
• Early-cycle positioning — establish CMI’s presence with design, engineering, and supply chain organizations at target primes before formal RFQ
• Competitive positioning — partner with Operations, Engineering, and Quality to align CMI’s capability story with target program requirements
• Proposal leadership — own price-to-win strategy, proposal coordination, and post-bid win/loss analysis on major pursuits
• Market intelligence — monitor platform roadmaps, supply chain consolidation, and competitive movements across the defense and commercial aerospace sectors
• Executive and board reporting — present pipeline health, win/loss trends, and quarterly bookings performance to the CEO and board

Required

• 10–15+ years of business development or sales leadership in precision aerospace and defense manufacturing, with direct accountability for new program wins
• Demonstrated track record winning new programs at Tier 1 primes: Boeing, RTX, GE Aerospace, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, or equivalent OEMs — competitive wins, not sole-source extensions
• Technical fluency sufficient to engage design and engineering organizations at the component level, before formal RFQ — you understand what you’re selling and why it matters to the program
• Deep familiarity with precision CNC machining, tight-tolerance components, and aerospace materials common in the programs you’ve pursued (titanium, Inconel, high-strength aluminum, stainless)
• Direct experience managing pursuit cycles of 12–36 months in a mid-size manufacturer environment without large institutional BD infrastructure
• Established personal network within procurement, supply chain engineering, and design engineering at target prime customers
• Clear record of competitive displacement — programs where your company was not the incumbent and you won anyway

Preferred

• Experience operating in a PE-backed growth platform, including comfort with board-level reporting and performance accountability
• Experience building a BD function where none previously existed
• Familiarity with AS9100, NADCAP, and aerospace customer qualification processes as they affect pursuit timing and strategy
• Engineering degree or technical background that enhances credibility in early-cycle customer engagement

What this role does not include

Ownership of existing long-term agreements, delivery performance, pricing decisions on current programs, or ongoing customer satisfaction management for work already under contract. Those responsibilities belong to Program Management and Operations. BD’s mandate is exclusively forward-looking: winning business that does not yet exist in the portfolio.