📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Senior Director Business Development - Strategic Growth
🔹 Company: Northrop Grumman
🔹 Location: Linthicum, MD; Northern Virginia
🔹 Job Type: Full-Time
🔹 Category: Business Development
🔹 Date Posted: May 13, 2025
🔹 Experience Level: 10+ years
🔹 Remote Status: On-site
🚀 Job Overview
Key aspects of this role include:
- Driving customer engagement activities and ensuring adherence to customer engagement processes.
- Building and maintaining strong, enduring relationships with customers, both domestic and international.
- Developing and executing customer engagement plans and messaging to maintain strong relationships and grow the business pipeline.
- Collaborating with various teams, including Strategy, Business Development, Legislative Affairs, and Communications, to achieve growth objectives.
- Leading all preparation for engagements with senior-level USG and DOD officials.
ASSUMPTION: This role requires a high level of strategic thinking, communication, and relationship-building skills. It also demands a deep understanding of USG/DOD budget processes, export processes, and competitive positioning.
📋 Key Responsibilities
✅ Works with various leaders to develop and execute customer engagement plans and customer messaging.
✅ Builds and maintains strong relationships with other Northrop Grumman sectors, Legislative Affairs, Corporate Customer Lead Executives, and the Corporate Global Business Office.
✅ Coordinates messaging and logistics for customer site visits and ensures the Sector President and MS ELT are well-prepared for customer meetings.
✅ Serves as the conduit for messaging and information flow between Government Relations, Legislative Affairs, and the Sector.
✅ Leads all preparation for engagements with senior-level USG and DOD officials.
✅ Maintains and enforces sector adherence to the Mission Systems Customer Engagement process.
✅ Builds, maintains, and expands executive-level relationships to position the company as a trusted partner and solution provider.
✅ Engages early in the acquisition lifecycle to understand customer needs, influence requirements, and position offerings for competitive advantage.
ASSUMPTION: This role involves frequent travel (25% of the time) and requires the ability to work effectively in a diverse team environment.
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s degree with STEM, Business management, or international focus
Experience: 12+ years of related experience in Defense Acquisition / Military / Business Development / Capture Management
Required Skills:
- Proven experience briefing at the executive level.
- Strong customer domain knowledge and a proven track record of sustained business growth.
- Strong understanding of defense acquisition processes and procurement cycles.
- FMS/DCS experience.
- Demonstrated multi-disciplinary global business development, strategy development, and capture experience.
- Able to obtain US Passport.
- US citizenship with current and active Secret clearance or DoE equivalent.
Preferred Skills:
- Master’s Degree with preference given for those with Engineering / Mathematics / Business Management / Marketing/ or related discipline(s).
- 10+ years of USG acquisition experience.
- 5+ years of international acquisition experience.
- Demonstrated leadership skills; direct and indirect leadership of large teams; ability to work effectively in a diverse team environment.
ASSUMPTION: Due to the nature of the role, candidates must be US citizens with an active Secret clearance or DoE equivalent.
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $224,400.00 - $352,600.00
Benefits:
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Life Insurance
- Disability Insurance
- Savings Plan
- Paid Holidays
- Paid Time Off
Working Hours: Full-time, typically 40 hours per week, with occasional travel (25% of the time).
ASSUMPTION: The salary range provided is an estimate based on industry standards for similar roles. The actual offer may vary based on the candidate's experience, education, and current market conditions.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry: Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company, specializing in innovative systems, products, and services in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, space, and strike.
Company Size: Northrop Grumman has 2-10 employees in this specific sector, with a total of approximately 90,000 employees worldwide.
Founded: Northrop Grumman was founded in 1994, following the consolidation of Northrop and Grumman.
Company Description:
- Northrop Grumman is committed to delivering innovative solutions that meet the needs of its customers worldwide.
- The company's Mission Systems sector provides advanced technologies and capabilities to support defense, intelligence, and commercial customers.
- Northrop Grumman is dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment, where employees can grow and thrive.
Company Specialties:
- Defense and Intelligence Systems
- Autonomous Systems
- Cyber and ISR Systems
- Space Systems
Company Website: Northrop Grumman
ASSUMPTION: Northrop Grumman's size and global presence offer employees opportunities for growth and exposure to diverse projects and customers.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: This role is at the senior director level, reporting directly to the Vice President of Northrop Grumman Mission Systems Strategic Growth.
Reporting Structure: The Senior Director will oversee and manage various teams and resources to achieve strategic growth objectives.
Work Arrangement: This role is on-site, with occasional travel (25% of the time) to engage with customers and stakeholders.
Growth Opportunities:
- Potential career progression to Vice President or other senior leadership roles within the organization.
- Opportunities to work on diverse and innovative projects, driving business growth and customer satisfaction.
- Exposure to international customers and markets, fostering global business acumen.
ASSUMPTION: This role offers significant growth potential for the right candidate, with opportunities to make a substantial impact on the company's strategic growth initiatives.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Northrop Grumman's Linthicum, MD office is a modern, collaborative workspace designed to foster innovation and productivity.
Office Location(s): Linthicum, MD; Northern Virginia
Geographic Context:
- The Linthicum office is located near Baltimore, MD, offering easy access to major transportation networks and cultural attractions.
- Northern Virginia is home to numerous defense and technology companies, providing ample networking and collaboration opportunities.
- Both locations offer a mix of urban and suburban living options, with access to quality education, healthcare, and recreational facilities.
Work Schedule: The work schedule is typically Monday through Friday, with occasional travel (25% of the time) and potential flexibility for remote work when needed.
ASSUMPTION: The Linthicum and Northern Virginia offices provide a dynamic and engaging work environment, with ample opportunities for collaboration and professional growth.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process:
- Phone or video screen with the hiring manager or a member of the talent acquisition team.
- In-depth behavioral and situational interviews with key stakeholders, focusing on the candidate's strategic thinking, communication, and relationship-building skills.
- Final interview with the Vice President of Northrop Grumman Mission Systems Strategic Growth.
Key Assessment Areas:
- Strategic thinking and analysis skills.
- Communication and presentation skills, particularly when briefing at the executive level.
- Relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
- Understanding of defense acquisition processes, export processes, and competitive positioning.
Application Tips:
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience in business development, defense acquisition, and customer engagement.
- Demonstrate your understanding of Northrop Grumman's mission and values, and how your skills and experience align with the company's strategic growth objectives.
- Prepare examples of your ability to build and maintain strong customer relationships, drive business growth, and influence requirements.
ATS Keywords: Business Development, Strategic Growth, Customer Engagement, Defense Acquisition, Executive Briefing, Relationship Management, International Acquisition, Defense Acquisition Processes, Export Processes, Competitive Positioning
ASSUMPTION: Northrop Grumman's application process is designed to assess the candidate's strategic thinking, communication, and relationship-building skills, as well as their understanding of defense acquisition processes and competitive positioning.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
- Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
- Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software (e.g., Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics)
- Project management tools (e.g., Microsoft Project, Asana, Trello)
- Defense acquisition and procurement databases (e.g., FedBizOpps, beta.SAM.gov)
ASSUMPTION: The specific tools and technologies required for this role may vary depending on the candidate's assigned projects and teams.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values:
- Performance with Purpose: Deliver excellence in everything we do.
- People-Focused: Foster an inclusive environment that enables our employees to thrive.
- Innovation with Purpose: Create transformative solutions for our customers.
Work Style:
- Collaborative: Northrop Grumman values teamwork and encourages employees to work together to achieve common goals.
- Agile: The company fosters a culture of adaptability and continuous improvement.
- Customer-focused: Northrop Grumman is committed to delivering innovative solutions that meet the needs of its customers worldwide.
Self-Assessment Questions:
- How do your personal values align with Northrop Grumman's company values?
- Describe a time when you had to adapt to a significant change in your work environment or customer needs. How did you approach this challenge, and what was the outcome?
- How do you build and maintain strong, enduring relationships with customers, both domestic and international?
ASSUMPTION: Northrop Grumman seeks candidates who are aligned with the company's values and work style, and who demonstrate a strong commitment to customer focus and performance excellence.
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Frequent travel (25% of the time) may present challenges for candidates with personal or family commitments.
- The role requires a high level of strategic thinking, communication, and relationship-building skills, which may be challenging for candidates without extensive experience in business development and defense acquisition.
- The defense industry is subject to frequent changes in regulations, budget priorities, and customer needs, which may require the candidate to adapt quickly and effectively.
- The role involves working with senior USG and DOD officials, which may require the candidate to navigate complex political and bureaucratic environments.
ASSUMPTION: These challenges can be mitigated by effective time management, strong communication and relationship-building skills, and a deep understanding of the defense acquisition process and competitive positioning.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
- This role differs from other business development positions in its focus on driving customer engagement activities and ensuring adherence to customer engagement processes.
- Unlike other roles in the defense industry, this position requires a deep understanding of USG/DOD budget processes, export processes, and competitive positioning.
- Career progression in this role may lead to senior leadership positions within the organization, offering significant growth potential for the right candidate.
ASSUMPTION: This role offers unique opportunities for candidates with extensive experience in business development, defense acquisition, and customer engagement, particularly those with a strong understanding of USG/DOD budget processes, export processes, and competitive positioning.
📝 Sample Projects
- Developing and executing a customer engagement plan for a major defense acquisition program, resulting in a significant increase in customer satisfaction and business growth.
- Building and maintaining strong relationships with international customers, leading to the successful execution of export and releasability efforts.
- Engaging early in the acquisition lifecycle to understand customer needs, influence requirements, and position offerings for competitive advantage, resulting in a successful bid for a major defense contract.
ASSUMPTION: These sample projects demonstrate the candidate's ability to drive business growth, build and maintain strong customer relationships, and engage effectively with senior-level USG and DOD officials.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- Can you describe the company's strategic growth priorities for the next 1-3 years, and how this role contributes to achieving those objectives?
- How does the company support the professional development and growth of its employees, particularly those in senior leadership roles?
- Can you provide examples of how the company has adapted to changes in the defense industry or customer needs, and how this role has contributed to that process?
- How does the company measure the success of its business development efforts, and how is that information used to inform strategic decision-making?
- What is the company's approach to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment, and how does that contribute to its success?
ASSUMPTION: These questions demonstrate the candidate's interest in the company's strategic growth objectives, commitment to professional development, and understanding of the defense industry and customer needs.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
To apply for this position:
- Submit your application through the Northrop Grumman careers website.
- Tailor your resume and cover letter to highlight your relevant experience in business development, defense acquisition, and customer engagement.
- Prepare examples of your ability to build and maintain strong customer relationships, drive business growth, and influence requirements.
- Follow up with the hiring manager or a member of the talent acquisition team one week after submitting your application to inquire about the status of your application.
⚠️ This job description contains AI-assisted information. Details should be verified directly with the employer before making decisions.
