VP of Business Development

Position Overview

Firehawk Aerospace is looking for a Vice President of Business Development & Strategy to drive growth initiatives and maintain a robust pipeline of new opportunities. In this role, you will collaborate with executive leadership and cross-functional teams to expand our impact in all relevant markets. This role is responsible for developing and implementing the company-wide business strategy. This includes development and review of growth initiatives, diversification, and financial business plans.

This is your chance to shape the future of defense innovation with a dynamic and forward-thinking organization.

Firehawk Aerospace is looking for a Vice President of Business Development & Strategy to drive growth initiatives and maintain a robust pipeline of new opportunities. In this role, you will collaborate with executive leadership and cross-functional teams to expand our impact in all relevant markets. This role is responsible for developing and implementing the company-wide business strategy. This includes development and review of growth initiatives, diversification, and financial business plans.

This is your chance to shape the future of defense innovation with a dynamic and forward-thinking organization.

• Strategic Account Management:
  Build and manage relationships with key stakeholders across the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and other DoD agencies, as well as major prime contractors and international partnerships.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to DoD customers, aligning Firehawk’s propulsion solutions with critical defense needs.
• Identify and pursue opportunities within the missile defense, tactical weapons, and hypersonic propulsion sectors.
• Expand Firehawk’s footprint beyond R&D contracts into larger production and sustainment programs.
• Sales Execution:
  Own the full sales cycle, from lead generation through contract negotiation and award.
• Drive revenue growth by securing SBIR Phase II & III contracts and transitioning them into larger agreements.
• Target larger DoD contracts such as IDIQs, direct DoD procurements, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) opportunities.
• Production-scale solid rocket motor contracts as Firehawk moves from R&D into full-rate production.
• Meet and exceed aggressive sales targets, ensuring a strong multi-year pipeline of revenue-generating programs and execution strategies for near-term contractual awards within 18 months.
• Market & Industry Insight:
  Maintain a deep understanding of DoD funding mechanisms, Program Objective Memorandum (POM) cycles, and Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) priorities to proactively position Firehawk.
• Track defense industry trends, congressional funding cycles, and emerging DoD propulsion needs to align Firehawk’s go-to-market strategy with mission-critical requirements.
• Work cross-functionally with Firehawk’s engineering, finance, and executive teams to develop compelling proposals tailored to DoD needs.
• Maintain active competitive database of direct competitors, technology developments, and global missile systems economics.
• Development & Capture Strategy:
  Lead capture efforts for major DoD propulsion programs, developing winning strategies across SBIR, OTAs, and full-scale production contracts.
• Develop and execute long-term 5-Year Strategic Growth plans to position Firehawk for inclusion in DoD program of record and international opportunities.
• Work closely with DoD contracting offices and prime contractors to structure agreements that accelerate Firehawk’s integration into critical defense programs.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent or formal training
• Minimum of 15+ years of experience in business development with at least 10 years supporting aerospace or Department of Defense programs
• 10+ years of experience as a manager or people leader
• Prior experience in support of Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) and/or Missile Defense System (MDS) programs
• Ability to work on high-visibility aspects of a given program
• Ability to travel over 50% to domestic and international customers, conferences, etc.
• Proven success securing DoD contracts across multiple funding pathways, OTA agreements, and large-scale…