Director, Business Development - Commercial 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 defense and commercial platforms, fuels profitable growth through strategic segment leadership, and ensures customer-centric execution from concept (TRL 4) through validation (TRL 7).

Key Responsibilities

1. 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).

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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.

1. 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.

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.