Business Development Director

Overview

The Director, Strategic Accounts (DSA) is responsible for owning and growing Frontgrade’s business within RTX and BAE Systems . This role serves as the single commercial owner for all customer engagement, revenue growth, and strategic relationship management activities across assigned accounts. The DSA ensures Frontgrade meets its Annual Operating Plan (AOP) bookings targets for both Strategic Business Units (SBUs) represented within each account, while driving long-term growth, customer satisfaction, and partnership alignment. This position leads a dedicated account team - including Account Managers (AMs) and an Inside Sales Manager (ISM) - to deliver on near-term objectives and strategic initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Account Leadership & Ownership: Own the overall commercial relationship and total bookings target for RTX and BAE Systems.
• Serve as the single point of accountability for all customer engagement, strategy, and communications.
• Lead the development and execution of detailed Strategic Account Plans (SAPs) outlining growth strategy, key pursuits, and customer engagement activities.
• Align account strategies and financial objectives to both Frontgrade’s Annual Operating Plan (AOP) and long-term growth goals.
• Represent Frontgrade as the senior commercial contact for negotiations, program escalations, and executive-level interactions.
• Revenue & Financial Performance: Drive attainment of assigned bookings, revenue, and margin goals for both SBUs within each account.
• Manage and forecast all pipeline opportunities in CRM, ensuring accuracy and visibility to leadership.
• Identify and capture new programs, follow-on opportunities, and cross-technology sales within the account.
• Partner with SBU leadership to align forecasts, resolve issues, and ensure mutual accountability for account performance.
• Report progress, risks, and mitigations during quarterly reviews and AOP performance meetings.
• Team Leadership & Development: Lead a cross-functional account team consisting of Account Managers (AMs) and Inside Sales Manager (ISM).
• Provide coaching, guidance, and performance feedback to ensure account-level efficiency and responsiveness.
• Delegate transactional activities and follow-on opportunities to the AMs and ISM, maintaining overall accountability for customer satisfaction.
• Foster collaboration and skill development within the account team, promoting best practices in customer engagement and pipeline management.
• Customer Engagement & Relationship Management: Build and maintain trusted relationships at all levels of the customer organization — from program and procurement through executive leadership.
• Serve as the executive liaison between Frontgrade and the customer, ensuring unified messaging and consistent communication across all engagements.
• Partner with Solution Architects and Strategic Pursuits teams to shape early-stage opportunities and position Frontgrade’s differentiated capabilities.
• Conduct regular customer meetings, business reviews, and executive updates to reinforce partnership value.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Operations, Program Management, Finance, Contracts, and the Chief Technology Organization to ensure coordinated delivery, issue resolution, and future opportunity alignment.
• Collaborate with Growth Operations for quoting, forecasting, and CRM process adherence.
• Participate in Bid/No-Bid governance, proposal reviews, and pricing discussions to ensure competitive and compliant submissions.
• Partner with other Director, Strategic Accounts peers to share best practices and align strategies across primes.
• Governance & Reporting: Maintain accurate forecasts, account plans, and pipeline data within CRM.
• Conduct Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with account teams and internal leadership.
• Track and report account performance metrics, including bookings, forecast accuracy, pipeline health, and customer satisfaction.
• Present strategic account summaries and growth plans to the Senior Director and VP of Sales during executive reviews.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Achievement of total bookings targets (by account and by SBU)
• Year-over-year revenue and share-of-wallet growth
• Customer satisfaction and relationship depth metrics
• Account Plan execution rate and milestone completion
• Team performance (AM/ISM responsiveness and development progress)

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, or related field required;
• 10+ years of progressive experience in defense, aerospace, or high-technology sales and business development.
• Proven track record managing multi-million-dollar strategic accounts within the U.S. defense or government ecosystem.
• Experience leading account teams and working collaboratively across business units or product lines.
• Demonstrated success meeting or exceeding bookings and growth targets.
• Ability to travel regularly to customer sites, program offices, and Frontgrade locations as required (approximately 50%).

Additional Information

• This position requires access to technology, materials, software or hardware that is controlled by either ITAR or EAR U.S. export laws. As a condition to this job offer, in order to be employed in this position, you must be able to obtain an U.S. Government export license(s), as required by law.
• Pay Range: $172,500 - $220,000 annually. Applicable pay within the posted range may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, geographical location, job function of the position, education, and experience of the successful candidate.