Head of Sales & Business Development

Location: Huntsville, AL
Work Arrangement: On-Site
Employment Type: Direct Placement
Experience Level: Senior Leadership
Industry: Defense Technology
Clearance: Active Secret Clearance Required

Position Overview

We are recruiting a Head of Sales & Business Development for a confidential direct placement opportunity with a defense technology organization in Huntsville, Alabama.

This executive-level role will lead and scale the organization’s sales and business development function while remaining directly involved in identifying, pursuing, and closing new customer opportunities.

The Head of Sales & Business Development will be responsible for developing sales strategy, expanding customer relationships, building a qualified opportunity pipeline, improving forecasting and sales execution, and driving measurable revenue growth across defense markets.

This position requires an experienced defense industry sales leader who can combine strategic leadership with hands-on business development and deal execution.

Responsibilities

Sales Strategy & Leadership

• Achieve quarterly and annual orders objectives to drive profitable growth.
• Define and execute sales strategy aligned with revenue targets and broader business objectives.
• Personally identify, pursue, and secure sales with targeted new customers.
• Build and strengthen relationships across government, defense, industry, and prime contractor communities.
• Identify and pursue new customers, products, mission areas, and market opportunities.
• Align sales activity with product readiness, operational capability, and corporate priorities.
• Position the organization effectively in qualified customer opportunities and competitive pursuits.

Pipeline Management & Revenue Execution

• Build, manage, and scale a qualified sales pipeline.
• Drive opportunities from prospecting and qualification through proposal support, negotiation, close, and revenue capture.
• Lead disciplined pipeline reviews, forecasting, and deal strategy.
• Improve pipeline velocity, conversion rates, win rates, and forecast accuracy.
• Support both rapid-turn opportunities and longer-term defense programs.

Team Leadership & Organizational Development

• Build, lead, coach, and hold accountable a high-performing sales, account, and capture-support team.
• Lead by example in developing and closing new business opportunities.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop sales and business development talent.
• Establish clear performance metrics and accountability standards.
• Create a collaborative, results-oriented culture focused on execution and win success.
• Drive cross-functional alignment among Sales and Business Development, Engineering, Operations, Finance, and Program Management.
• Implement scalable sales processes while maintaining the agility required to respond to evolving market opportunities.

Customer & Market Engagement

• Strengthen engagement with government, defense, industry, and prime contractor stakeholders.
• Leverage established industry relationships to create access to new opportunities.
• Drive sales positioning that strengthens visibility, credibility, and win probability.
• Influence customer perception and support requirement shaping.
• Position solutions early in customer decision and acquisition cycles.
• Advance qualified opportunities through the sales process.

Executive Engagement

• Serve as the organization’s senior sales leader.
• Present sales strategy, pipeline health, forecasts, customer priorities, and revenue risks to executive leadership.
• Advocate for sales priorities, customer needs, product development, and resources required to accelerate growth.
• Influence internal stakeholders and external customers to advance strategic opportunities.

Required Qualifications

• Proven experience as a Head of Sales, VP of Sales, Director of Sales, or senior Sales and Business Development leader within defense, aerospace, or a closely related sector.
• Demonstrated success personally identifying, pursuing, and winning new customer sales within defense technology markets.
• Strong network of government, defense industry, and prime contractor relationships.
• Track record of building qualified pipelines, managing rapid-turn business cycles, and closing complex defense sales opportunities.
• Experience leading sales within high-growth, evolving, or transitional organizations.
• Knowledge of government acquisition and defense procurement cycles.
• Experience with strategic market planning, opportunity identification, and stakeholder engagement.
• Strong capabilities in pipeline management, forecasting, revenue management, sales team leadership, and executive communication.
• Ability to lead sales teams while remaining personally involved in developing and closing strategic opportunities.
• Active Secret-level security clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting advanced defense technology products and solutions.
• Experience with both quick-turn opportunities and long-term programs of record.
• Prior leadership experience within organizations undergoing technology, product, or market transition.
• Advanced degree in Business, Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience shaping customer requirements and influencing acquisition strategies.
• Established relationships that enable effective engagement with government customers, prime contractors, and key defense stakeholders.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role will be measured by:

• Achievement or exceedance of quarterly and annual orders objectives.
• Identification and capture of significant opportunities with new customers.
• Sustained qualified pipeline growth.
• Improved win rates and forecast accuracy.
• Expanded presence and credibility across targeted defense markets.
• Stronger engagement with government, defense industry, and prime contractor customers.
• Development of a high-performing sales organization with clear accountability and execution discipline.
• Strong executive alignment and confidence in sales strategy and execution.

About the Opportunity

This is a confidential direct placement search for an established defense technology organization in Huntsville, Alabama.

The position offers a senior defense sales leader the opportunity to shape sales strategy, expand customer relationships, develop new markets, build a high-performing sales organization, and personally influence significant new business opportunities.

Due to the confidential nature of the search, additional information about the organization, products, and specific market focus will be shared with qualified candidates at the appropriate stage of the recruiting process.