Director of Business Development

Director of Business Development

Hepburn and Sons LLC is a trusted advisor to the American maritime industry and a warfighter-focused small business. We bridge R&D and technology transition, delivering advisory services, naval engineering, mission systems support, and advanced technology development to the DoD (especially NAVSEA), other agencies, and maritime partners.

Reporting directly to the CEO, this supervisorial position drives organic growth by developing and executing winning capture strategies and securing government contract awards. The role supports strategic expansion across all three divisions of Advisory Services, Mission Systems, and Technology Development with a dotted-line relationship to the Division Directors for strategic direction and bid/no-bid approvals. It is supported by two mid-level BD Analysts as direct reports.

Working at Hepburn means applying a passion for meaningful work with intellectual rigor to help solve the leading issues of today. We honor handshakes as rigorously as contracts. We keep trust at the forefront of every decision we make and customer we serve! We believe there is no greater principle in business than that of building a solid foundation of trust. We hold one another to the highest levels of integrity and ethics. We cherish every opportunity given to us by our clients. We believe in collaboration, mutual respect, open communication, and opportunity for growth.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute capture strategies (win themes, teaming, price-to-win, competitive positioning) to maximize win probability
• Build and grow a robust multi-year pipeline aligned with company competencies, focused on NAVSEA, other DoD, and maritime opportunities
• Lead the full proposal lifecycle from opportunity identification through award, ensuring compliant, compelling submissions in collaboration with SMEs, Program Managers, and pricing teams
• Plan and lead Gate Reviews; deliver clear executive briefings to senior leadership on pipeline health, capture progress, and recommendations
• Represent Hepburn at Industry Days, conferences, and customer meetings to build relationships, gather intelligence, and position the company for future opportunities
• Provide guidance on technical, pricing, contractual, and compliance matters throughout capture and proposals
• Collaborate cross-functionally in fast-paced, deadline-driven environments and translate technical concepts into persuasive proposals and briefings
• Supervise and mentor BD/proposal staff, fostering a high-performance, growth-oriented culture
• Contribute to strategic growth plans to expand market share and revenue in priority sectors
• Conduct opportunity analysis and support end-to-end proposal development from initiation to award
• Partner with Division Directors on strategic priorities, opportunity qualification, and bid/no-bid decisions

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Economics, Marketing, Communications, Engineering, or related field
• 15+ years of progressive experience in business development, capture management, and/or proposal development in federal government contracting (defense or maritime preference)
• Proven success winning government contracts exceeding $25M in value (individual awards or portfolio contributions)
• Deep knowledge of the federal acquisition process, FAR/DFARS, contract vehicles (e.g., IDIQ), and types (FFP, T&M, Cost-Plus)
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills for proposals and executive briefings
• Strong leadership, collaboration, and interpersonal skills with cross-functional teams and senior leaders
• Detail-oriented with a commitment to compliance, quality, and ethics
• Ability to thrive in fast-paced, multi-tasking environments with tight deadlines
• Up to 10% travel

Preferred

• Master's degree (MBA or technical)
• Direct experience with NAVSEA, NAVAIR, ONR, or maritime DoD programs
• Active Secret clearance or ability to obtain one
• Small business govcon experience, including teaming strategies and set-asides
• APMP or PMP certification
• Proficiency with GovWin, SAM.gov, and proposal/CRM tools

Why Join Hepburn?

Play a pivotal role shaping growth at a respected small business that lives its values of trust, integrity, and warfighter support. We offer meaningful work, significant autonomy, professional development, and a collaborative culture where your contributions directly impact our mission and success.