Director/Manager-Defense Business Development & Capture
Alexandria, Virginia
Job ID: 5559
CALIBRE Systems, Inc., an employee-owned Management Consulting and Digital Transformation company, is seeking a Director, Defense Business Development & Capture to accelerate growth across the Department of Defense market. This highly networked, externally focused leader will bring established customer relationships, market insight, and hands-on capture expertise to create actionable pipeline, shape opportunities before solicitation release, and lead priority pursuits through contract award.
The successful candidate will work directly with Defense and corporate leadership and collaborate with operations, solution architects, pricing, contracts, recruiting, proposal professionals, and industry partners. This position reports to the Vice President, Defense.
Key Responsibilities
· Leverage and expand relationships with Defense decision-makers, mission owners, program leaders, acquisition stakeholders, influencers, and industry partners.
· Identify customer priorities, mission challenges, acquisition direction, funding considerations, and emerging requirements through direct engagement and market intelligence.
· Create, qualify, and mature an actionable pipeline aligned with CALIBRE capabilities, past performance, strategic priorities, and realistic positions to win.
· Develop account plans, opportunity roadmaps, customer call plans, relationship maps, competitive assessments, and measurable next actions for priority customers.
· Own priority pursuits from qualification and early shaping through solicitation, proposal, evaluation, and contract award.
· Develop and execute capture plans, win strategies, competitive positioning, solution approaches, teaming strategies, milestone schedules, and customer engagement plans.
· Lead opportunity validation, Black Hat assessments, gate reviews, price-to-win activities, staffing and transition strategies, risk mitigation, and evidence-based bid decisions.
· Build and lead cross-functional capture teams and manage pursuit schedules, budgets, resources, risks, actions, and executive reporting.
· Identify and engage strategic teammates; recommend prime or subcontract approaches; and lead partner role, workshare, and teaming negotiations in coordination with leadership, contracts, and legal.
· Provide strategic direction to proposal teams and ensure alignment among customer intelligence, solution, staffing, pricing, win themes, and proposal execution.
· Participate in color-team and executive reviews, oral presentations, customer meetings, RFIs, white papers, and capability briefings.
· Maintain credible pipeline and forecast data, brief leadership on investment and bid recommendations, mentor growth personnel, and remain accountable for converting qualified opportunities into awards.
Strategic Market Focus
Candidates should bring customer access, market knowledge, and relevant growth experience in one or more of the following areas:
· Army modernization; training and mission command; readiness and force management.
· Cyber operations, cyber readiness, and mission assurance.
· Financial management, audit readiness, and business systems modernization.
· Logistics, sustainment, supply chain, and installation readiness.
· Data analytics, enterprise data platforms, data modernization, digital transformation, and AI-enabled decision support.
· Program management and mission support services.
Required Skills
What Success Looks Like
· Expands CALIBRE access, relevance, and trusted relationships across priority Defense organizations.
· Creates and matures a qualified, actionable pipeline aligned with CALIBRE capabilities and growth objectives.
· Shapes priority opportunities before solicitation release and establishes evidence-based positions to win.
· Leads disciplined captures, converts qualified opportunities into awards, and improves collaboration between growth and operations.
required Experience
· Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution; additional directly relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
· 10 or more years of Defense business development, capture management, strategic account leadership, growth leadership, or closely related experience.
· Demonstrated ability to build and sustain productive relationships with Defense customers, acquisition stakeholders, mission owners, program leadership, and industry partners.
· Demonstrated history of creating and maturing qualified opportunities through customer engagement, strategic account management, market insight, and early opportunity shaping.
· Proven success leading competitive Department of Defense pursuits through the full lifecycle, from identification and qualification through capture, proposal, and award.
· Ability to lead multiple concurrent pursuits and matrixed cross-functional teams while managing schedules, budgets, resources, risks, and executive expectations.
· Strong knowledge of Federal acquisition processes, FAR and DFARS, source selection, task-order competitions, IDIQs, GWACs, GSA vehicles, and common contract types.
· Experience with capture plans, call plans, competitive analysis, teaming, solution and staffing strategies, price-to-win, proposal strategy, and executive reviews.
· Working knowledge of basis-of-estimate development, indirect rates, cost and price strategy, and the financial implications of proposed solutions.
· Strong executive communication, presentation, negotiation, analytical, collaboration, and relationship-building skills; high ethical standards and sound business judgment.
· Ability to travel as required and meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.
Preferred Qualifications
· Active Secret clearance; TS/SCI preferred.
· Shipley Capture Management certification or equivalent formal training.
· Prior military or Federal civilian service, or significant experience supporting Defense mission organizations.
· Established relationships within Army modernization, training and mission command, logistics, cyber, financial management, readiness, data analytics, or Defense business systems communities.
· Experience pursuing business as both a prime contractor and strategic subcontractor; experience with alternative acquisition pathways is a plus.
CALIBRE is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, marital status, pregnancy, genetic information, or other legally protected status. For our EEO Policy statement, please click here. If you would like more information on your EEO rights under the law, please click here.
If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website of need assistance completing the application process, please contact accommodations@calibresys.com or call 703.797.8732. Please note this contact information is for accommodations only.
