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Vice President Defense Business Development Jobs

These markets include aerospace and defense, factory automation, air and water quality ... The Vice President, US Business Development (VP, USBD) will lead Teledyne FLIR Defense's US ...

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Vice President Defense Business Development information

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$62K

$160.6K

$263.5K

How much do vice president defense business development jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 4, 2026, the average yearly pay for vice president defense business development in the United States is $160,591.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $119,000.00 and $193,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How does a vice president defense business development typically collaborate with technical and operational teams to secure new contracts?

A Vice President of Defense Business Development plays a vital role in bridging the gap between clients, technical experts, and operational teams. They work closely with engineering, program management, and proposal teams to ensure that solutions proposed to clients are both competitive and feasible. This often involves leading strategy sessions, participating in client meetings, and overseeing the development of proposals to align technical capabilities with customer requirements. Effective collaboration ensures that all departments are aligned toward winning and successfully delivering new defense contracts.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a vice president defense business development, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Vice President of Defense Business Development, you need deep industry knowledge, a strong track record in sales or business development, and relevant academic credentials such as a bachelor's or master's degree in business, engineering, or a related field. Familiarity with CRM platforms, government contract management systems, and compliance certifications (such as ITAR or DFARS) is typically required. Exceptional leadership, negotiation, and relationship-building skills help you foster strategic partnerships and lead high-performing teams. These competencies are crucial for identifying growth opportunities, securing government contracts, and driving organizational success in a competitive defense market.

What does a vice president defense business development do?

A Vice President of Defense Business Development leads the strategy and execution of business growth initiatives within the defense sector. They identify new business opportunities, build relationships with government and military clients, oversee proposal development, and ensure alignment with organizational goals. This role typically requires deep knowledge of the defense industry, experience with government contracting, and strong leadership skills to manage teams and drive revenue growth. They also collaborate with internal departments to develop competitive solutions and stay informed about industry trends and regulations.
What cities are hiring for Vice President Defense Business Development jobs? Cities with the most Vice President Defense Business Development job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Defense Business Development jobs? The most popular types of Defense Business Development jobs are:
What states have the most Vice President Defense Business Development jobs? States with the most job openings for Vice President Defense Business Development jobs include:
Infographic showing various Vice President Defense Business Development job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 84% Full Time, 13% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 90% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 7% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $160,591 per year, or $77.2 per hour.

Vice President, Business Development for Defense Space

Science Applications International Corporation

CO • On-site, Remote

Full-time

Posted 23 days ago


SAIC rating

7.9

Company rating: 7.9 out of 10

Based on 79 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

76th of 221 rated it services


Job description


SAIC is looking for a growth minded inspirational leader to oversee Vice President, Business Development to within our Defense Space market. This position will report directly to the Senior Vice President of Strategy and Growth for the Air Force, Space and Intelligence Business Group. The individual performing in this position leads all SAIC efforts related to space business development with the US Space Force, US Air Force, and select DoD agencies with a primary space mission (e.g. Space Development Agency). Ideally this candidate would be located in Colorado Springs, CO, El Segundo, CA or Washington, DC.
POSITION DESCRIPTION:
As summarized above, this individual will focus on developing and implementing strategies to position SAIC's space lines of business for sustained growth and profitability. Specific areas of emphasis include:
Leadership and Internal Collaboration
The Defense Space BD Lead supervises and directs the in-place business development team to perform with excellence in all aspects of business development. The individual is empowered with authority to direct BD spending to meet goals and as a hiring manager. The individual works very closes with the Defense Space Account VP and develops the very strong internal relationships, both formal and informal, needed for success in SAIC's matrix organization of customer-facing Sectors and a cross-cutting Strategy, Growth and Innovation organization.
The Defense Space and Strategy BD Lead will personally run select, high priority captures and will be eligible for awards through SAIC's Business Development Incentive Plan.
BD Strategy
The Defense Space and Strategy BD Lead applies market analysis and related information to develop strategic plans and inform decision-making for investment priorities. The individual collaborates with counterpart BD lead for SAIC's Civil Space, Intelligence Space, and other SAIC accounts to develop enterprise-scale campaigns and otherwise drive SAIC's space strategy. The individual collaborates with the SAIC Strategy, Growth and Innovation organization's BD strategy and market assessment activities by integrating information gleaned from customers, industry experts, competitors, and other business leaders.
The individual influences corporate business strategy for entry and growth in new market areas through development of new business models, internal technology investment, acquisitions, mergers, joint venture agreements and development of new distribution channels. The executive works with SAIC Corporate Development in identifying and analyzing M&A candidates.
Customer Engagement and Market Positioning
This individual has a very high tempo of engagement with senior Defense Space Account customers, to sustain situational awareness of the space marketplace, influence customer perception of SAIC, and promote knowledge of how SAIC capabilities in Digital Transformation can help customers achieve better mission outcomes. The individual works with the entire Space BU BD team to drive connections to buyers of space-related services and products, providing seminars, forums, white papers, and conference participation, to strengthen SAIC's reputation as a trusted expert and increase the number of "franchise" new business opportunities in the pipeline.
The individual works closely with the SAIC organizations that include the Strategy, Growth and Innovation organization that delivers capabilities and business models, Government Affairs, Marketing and Communications, to develop and implement comprehensive strategies for growth.
Qualifications
  • 15+ years of experience in industry business development-related activities for space lines of business. The experience must include strategy, pipeline development, selling both services and solutions / services, front-end customer engagement, capture, and proposal development for US government opportunities.
  • 5+ years as a BD executive overseeing teams of business development and capture professionals.
    Bachelors degree or equivalent in a technical or business aligned field.
  • Existing network of customer contacts in the space community in the US Space Force, US Air Force, Space Development Agency, Space Rapid Capabilities Office, and other DoD agencies.
  • Outstanding record of success in leading teams in winning large ($500M+) new business opportunities and improving bid and program profitability, with emphasis on capture strategy and proposal development.
  • Demonstrated thought leadership role in space-related domains, as evidenced by participation on panels, media events, presentations, and white papers. Superior communication skills - oral and written - required.
  • Experience in responding to solicitations under the Federal Acquisition Regulation and proficiency in industry BD best practices (e.g., Shipley, BD-CMMI) to proposals for government clients.
  • Immediately eligible for Top Secret clearance.

Desired Qualifications:
  • Experience with Space Force and other DoD space agency special access program (SAP) activities.
  • Experience with business development for both differentiated solutions for Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) and actual space systems (e.g. satellites, ground systems).
  • Experience with application of Digital Engineering / Model Based Systems Engineering to space systems.
  • Advanced degree in a technical field with 5+ years of space-related experience as a program manager or technical contributor.

About Us
SAIC® is a premier mission integrator focused on advancing the power of technology and innovation to serve and protect our world. Our robust portfolio of offerings across the defense, space, intelligence, and civilian markets includes secure high-end solutions in mission IT, enterprise IT, engineering services, and professional services. We integrate emerging technology, rapidly and securely, into mission critical operations that modernize and enable critical national imperatives.
We are approximately 23,000 strong; driven by mission, united by purpose, and inspired by opportunities. SAIC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, SAIC has annual revenues of approximately $7.3 billion. For more information, visit saic.com. For ongoing news, please visit our newsroom.

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