Vice President of Business Development

The Vice President of Business Development will develop and execute strategic growth initiatives for Ravelin Defense Inc. across aerospace and defense government and commercial industrial markets from an onsite base in Chandler, AZ. This role is focused on driving sustainable revenue growth through securing contracts for products and manufacturing services supporting mission-critical defense and naval programs.

Strategic Responsibilities

• Identify strategic opportunities, cultivate customer relationships, lead capture activities, and expand the company’s market position.
• Build and maintain a robust pipeline of qualified opportunities across government and commercial defense markets.
• Represent the company at industry conferences, trade associations, customer meetings, and government events.
• Establish and maintain executive-level relationships with prime aerospace and defense contractors.
• Establish and maintain executive-level relationships with shipbuilders and maritime vessel engineering and manufacturing specialists.
• Establish and maintain executive-level relationships with Tier I and Tier II defense suppliers.
• Establish and maintain executive-level relationships with government procurement organizations and U.S. Department of Defense agencies, including U.S. Navy program offices.
• Serve as the primary executive contact for strategic customer accounts.
• Lead opportunity identification, qualification, and capture efforts from early pursuit through contract award.
• Collaborate with engineering, operations, estimating, program management, and finance teams to align opportunities with operational capabilities and develop winning proposals.
• Support contract negotiations and transition to contract award efforts.
• Develop strategic alliances with prime contractors, OEMs, and complementary manufacturing partners.
• Identify teaming opportunities that expand company capabilities and market reach.
• Manage third-party sales representatives for international and domestic pursuits and opportunities.

Required Qualifications

• Must be a US Citizen.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Manufacturing, or a related field.
• MBA preferred.
• Minimum 10–15 years of progressive business development or capture management experience in a manufacturing environment focused on metal fabrication, machining, welding, and assembly for defense applications.
• Demonstrated success winning complex manufacturing contracts supporting defense and naval customers.
• Established network within the defense industrial base, including prime contractors and naval programs.
• Excellent executive communication, negotiation, and presentation skills.
• Ability to travel approximately 30–50%.
• Proficient in MS Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word).

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience supporting U.S. Navy shipbuilding and submarine programs.
• Familiarity with defense manufacturing quality systems, including AS9100, ISO 9001, NAVSEA standards, and military specifications.
• Experience with FAR/DFARS requirements and government procurement regulations.
• Existing relationships with major defense contractors such as Huntington Ingalls Industries, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, RTX, BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, and others.

Key Competencies

• Executive Presence
• Business Acumen
• Customer Relationship Management
• Opportunity Qualification
• Capture Strategy
• Government Contracting
• Negotiation
• Market Intelligence
• Communication & Presentation
• Results Orientation

Performance Metrics

• Revenue growth
• New contract awards and additions to backlog
• Qualified opportunity pipeline value
• Customer retention and satisfaction
• Strategic account growth
• New customer acquisition
• Market expansion into targeted sectors
• Achievement of annual business development objectives

Role Details

• Location: Chandler, AZ (onsite)
• Compensation: USD 150,000 - 200,000 per year
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Manufacturing or related field (MBA preferred)
• Required Experience: Minimum 10 years
• Technology: MS Office (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)