Director, Business Development - Commercial Space Segment

Key Responsibilities Market Development & Sales Strategy The Director, Business Development – Technical Sales serves as the primary interface between Engineering, R&T, Business Development, Marketing, and Operations. This role drives the insertion of AEC’s emerging composite material technologies into commercial space platforms, fuels profitable growth through strategic segment leadership, and ensures customer-centric execution from concept (TRL 4) through validation (TRL 7).

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Segment & Technical Leadership
• Define and execute a tailored business development strategy for assigned segments (defense, commercial, or other verticals), grounded in deep market and technical insight.
• Act as the technical lead for composite structures, capturing new opportunities and guiding application developments with both new and existing customers.
• Lead customer-facing and internal initiatives to accelerate adoption of AEC’s technologies, including funded development projects (TRL 4–7).
• Client Engagement & Relationship Development
• Manage inbound and outbound interactions, qualify leads, and convert prospects into high-value pipeline opportunities.
• Cultivate strong, lasting relationships with key customer stakeholders—engineering, procurement, and senior leadership—to surface needs where AEC’s differentiating technology offers clear solutions.
• Represent AEC at industry events, trade shows, and technical forums to elevate brand presence and thought leadership.
• Technical Scoping, Proposals & Pricing
• Develop detailed technical scopes of work and proposals that articulate AEC’s value proposition and technical differentiation.
• Establish directional production pricing targets and competitive pricing models to maximize margin without compromising win potential.
• Provide hands-on technical guidance and mentorship to project engineers during execution, ensuring alignment to scope, schedule, and quality objectives.
• Cross-Functional Enablement & Alignment
• Partner with Marketing to craft segment-specific campaigns, collateral, and thought-leadership content.
• Collaborate with Product Management and R&T to influence roadmap priorities based on customer insights and emerging market trends.
• Coordinate with Operations and Delivery teams to ensure solution readiness, scalability, and customer success.
• Business Development Capability Ownership

Embed and mature the following capabilities within your segment to ensure repeatable, scalable growth:

• Sales (Inbound & Outbound): Manage incoming inquiries and leads; run targeted outbound prospecting to build a robust pipeline.
• Sales Enablement: Develop and maintain playbooks, collateral, training, and battle cards that equip sales teams for technical engagements.
• Sales Operations: Optimize territory design, quota setting, and incentive plans; analyze performance and refine processes.
• Pipeline & Lead Management: Implement CRM best practices for lead scoring, opportunity tracking, and timely follow-up to maximize conversion.
• Pricing Strategy: Design segment-aligned pricing models and discount structures to balance competitiveness and profitability.
• Business Segment Expertise: Champion deep segment knowledge—regulatory, procurement cycles, and competitive landscape—to inform all go-to-market efforts.
• Performance Tracking & Reporting
• Define segment KPIs—revenue attainment, pipeline velocity, win/loss rates, capability maturity—and build dashboards for real-time visibility.
• Present regular executive briefings on segment health, project status, risks, and strategic recommendations.
• Leadership, Culture & Safety
• Model AEC’s values: Albany Wins Together, Count on Each Other, Own Your Actions, Care About Each Other, Share Your Enthusiasm.
• Prioritize safety at all times—ensuring every project decision upholds our “never compromise on safety” commitment.
• Mentor peers and junior staff in both technical and business development disciplines, fostering a collaborative and high-performance culture.

Shift Day

Experience/Education/Skills Qualifications

• 7+ years of B2B business development or sales leadership, ideally within composite materials, advanced manufacturing, or aerospace/defense sectors.
• Proven track record of driving technology adoption from concept through low-rate production (TRL 4–7).
• Strong analytical and strategic planning skills, with hands-on experience in pricing strategy, pipeline analytics, and sales operations.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management abilities—comfortable interacting with C-suite and technical audiences alike.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or Business; advanced degree (MBA or Master’s in materials/composites) preferred.

Strategic Value to the Business This director-level role serves as a driving force behind segment growth, ensuring alignment with broader sales and marketing goals, and contributing to strategic decision-making through customer intelligence and market expertise.

Location: Position can be fully remote, up to 75% travel required.