Senior Director Business Development 2 - Strategic Customer Engagement Leader
Northrop GrummanDescription
At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.Northrop Grumman Mission Systems (NGMS) is seeking a Senior Director of Business Development 2 to lead our Strategic Customer Engagement team within the Business Development & Capture Excellence organization. This highly visible, results-oriented leader directs the end‑to‑end customer engagement strategy for NGMS and is accountable for building and executing strategic growth plans that translate sector priorities into measurable pipeline, win‑rate, and revenue outcomes. The Senior Director leads a high‑performing team, optimizes resources and budget, and positions NGMS as the partner of choice for domestic and international defense customers.
The preferred location is Linthicum, MD, however McLean or Falls Church, VA will be considered for the right candidate. This position will report to the Vice President, Business Development & Capture Excellence.
This position may require up to 25% travel, depending upon candidate location and direction of the Vice President, Business Development & Capture.
Key responsibilities include:
Team Leadership and Performance Management: Build, lead, and develop a high‑impact Strategic Customer Engagements team; set clear objectives, coach for excellence, and instill a win‑focused, customer‑centric culture. Establish and track KPIs (e.g., pipeline growth, qualification velocity, win rate, engagement effectiveness) and drive continuous improvement.
Strategic Growth Planning: Architect multi‑year strategic engagement plans aligned to NGMS sector strategy, Annual Operating Plan/Long Range Strategic Plan, and growth priorities; translate plans into specific campaigns, investments, and executive actions. Define account‑level growth strategies and competitive plays for priority customers and partners, ensuring clear value propositions and measurable outcomes.
Budget Ownership and Investment Optimization: Manage the Strategic Customer Engagements budget; allocate people, events, and travel to highest‑return opportunities. Track ROI on campaigns and engagements; adjust allocations to maximize pipeline creation, qualification throughput, and win probability while meeting Annual Operating Plan targets.
Strategic Account Leadership: Direct all phases of the account‑management lifecycle—from early opportunity identification and solution shaping through proposal, award, and post‑award growth. Priority accounts include USAF, USN, USMC, Army, SOCOM, International, prime contractors, and restricted customers.
Unified NGMS Value Proposition: Rapidly align NGMS programs, products, and capture efforts into cohesive, differentiated customer strategies that accelerate partnerships and industry engagement.
Executive Enablement and Trusted Advisor: Serve as a trusted advisor to the Sector President, Executive Leadership Team, and other senior leaders; deliver precise, timely intelligence and executive‑ready materials for high‑stakes engagements. Lead executive engagement preparation for the MS Sector President and Sector ELT, integrating division content and corporate equities to drive decisive action.
Stakeholder Mobilization: Identify and coordinate internal and external stakeholders; design and execute Customer/Stakeholder Engagement Plans that secure buy‑in and advance sector and enterprise priorities at pace.
Capture Collaboration: Partner closely with Capture Leadership, Corporate Government Relations and Legislative Affairs, operating divisions, and P&L owners to shape and execute strategies across all BAP phases.
Pipeline Acceleration and Opportunity Qualification: Aggressively generate and sustain a high‑value, sector‑aligned pipeline; lead disciplined, expedited qualification and readiness to enable seamless transition to capture and maximize win rates.
Customer Insight Integration: Capture and synthesize customer feedback and competitive insights to inform product roadmaps, R&D priorities, and sector strategy.
Enterprise and Cross‑Division Integration: Collaborate with operating division counterparts to align on customer priorities, understand division equities, and integrate content for senior‑level engagements. Coordinate sector customer engagement with corporate and enterprise priorities in partnership with Government Relations and Legislative Affairs.
Executive Communication and Strategic Insight: Leverage deep understanding of senior executive customer priorities to provide sector leadership with forward‑looking awareness and actionable strategic insight.
Success in this role will be measured by pipeline growth aligned to sector strategy, qualification velocity, improved win rate, efficient use of budgeted resources with demonstrable ROI, and strengthened executive relationships that translate into sustained, profitable growth.
Basic Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree and 10+ years of defense‑sector business development/capture experience or relevant military experience or a Master's degree and 8+ years of defense‑sector business development/capture experience or relevant military experience.
5+ years leading large, multi‑disciplinary teams to deliver win‑focused outcomes.
Deep knowledge of DoW operational and/or acquisition processes.
Ability to translate service requirements and market intelligence into agile, winning strategies.
Proven track record of leading high performing teams.
Exceptional executive‑level communication and briefing skills; experience influencing senior government officials and corporate leadership.
Executive Communication and Strategic Insight experience: Leverage deep understanding of senior executive customer priorities to provide sector leadership with forward‑looking awareness and actionable strategic insight.
U.S. Citizenship.
Current/Active Secret clearance with the ability to obtain and maintain a SAP clearance after starting.
Preferred Qualifications:
Owning full‑cycle account management and improving win rates.
Foreign Military Sales and Direct Commercial Sales experience; cultural agility and strong international stakeholder management capabilities.
Knowledge of export, and releasability processes.
Top Secret Clearance.
Advanced degree or MBA.
#MPR
Primary Level Salary Range: $231,100.00 - $363,100.00The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.