Director of Business Development

Korn Ferry has partnered with our client on their search for a role, Director of Business Development.

The Company

Imagine combining the excitement of building something new with the confidence of joining a company that already knows how to win. ArianeGroup is the industrial prime contractor for Europe’s Ariane 6 launcher, on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA), and for the M51 strategic missile on behalf of the French Defense Procurement and Technology Agency, DGA.

Internationally recognized for its innovative, competitive solutions, ArianeGroup has expertise in state-of-the-art technologies, from the chemistry of propellants and composite materials to liquid, solid, and electric space propulsion systems. ArianeGroup also offers a broad range of space, defense, and industrial equipment and services, both individually and together with its subsidiaries Sodern, Pyroalliance, Nuclétudes, and APP.

The defense business focuses on Strategic Missile Systems, Long-Range Strike Systems, and Critical Defense Infrastructure. ArianeGroup is the prime contractor for France’s M51 nuclear deterrent missile family and manages system design, development, production, through-life support, operational readiness, and future upgrades. The company is currently developing a long-range land-strike capability along with hypersonic and advanced propulsion technologies. Additionally, ArianeGroup develops ground systems for space security infrastructure, strategic command and control support, and launch and missile test facilities

ArianeGroup has come to Colorado with the creation of its subsidiary, Sodern America, to develop its space equipment manufacturing activity in the United States. Sodern America marks ArianeGroup’s first industrial presence on American soil to support the group’s fast-growing equipment manufacturing activity in this market and to strengthen the commercial foothold of ArianeGroup in the US market. Sodern builds sensors for the defense and space sectors and is a critical electronics manufacturer in the ArianeGroup portfolio. It opens strong growth prospects for several fast-growing activities at ArianeGroup and its subsidiaries.

ArianeGroup Holding is a 50/50 joint venture between Airbus and Safran. The company was created by combining the two firms’ space launch and missile activities and serves as Europe’s leading launcher and strategic missile prime contractor.

The Opportunity

The Director of Business Development for ArianeGroup Defense is a leadership position responsible for driving growth and market expansion within the US. This go-to-market leader will focus on identifying and capturing new business; they will be solution-oriented and work with ArianeGroup’s leadership to execute on the broader strategy. S/he will immediately focus on honing and expanding the dialogue about customer needs—the Director must be comfortable establishing a new market motion and being a feedback mechanism with the customer.

Entrepreneurial in spirit, this pivotal new leader will develop growth opportunities for ArianeGroup’s products, equipment, and services within the US defense sector, including nozzle throats and extensions, divert and attitude control systems and components, Ceramic Matrix Composite components and materials, variation thrusts, separation systems and equipment, igniters, energetic materials and many others. The role requires close functional follow-up with ArianeGroup program teams in France and Germany. Development opportunities may lead to the creation of production capacities to meet US needs.

The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of the changing defense acquisition landscape, requiring relevant agency touchpoints for long-term engagement alongside nimble positioning to capitalize on short-term, event-driven needs. S/he must possess, build, and maintain relationships with government and industry partners, and be responsive to how quickly buyer and market sentiment can shift.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify and quality market opportunities in the US defense sector; lead the business development strategy and close; stay current and relevant on defense requirements
• Provide contextual & “soft" inputs to support the bid effort, give recommendations on the winning strategy, support ArianeGroup and affiliates teams to understand all necessary information to prepare and submit technical and commercial proposals in response to tenders
• Coordinate with program teams in France and Germany to ensure compliance of proposals with US client requirements; align user requirements with platform capabilities, and be the voice of the customer and communicate frequently with internal teams and colleagues—tailor actions and solutions accordingly
• Maintain a trust-based relationship with US clients by providing rigorous project follow-up and addressing client-specific needs
• Develop a robust pipeline of government and defense contacts and decision makers; focus on maintaining and building relationships with DoD; COCOMs; Army, Navy, Marine Corps; and relevant PEO/PAEs
• Identify training and technical support needs of clients and coordinate with internal teams to address them
• Identify addressable market and competitive landscape, influencers, and sources of capital; develop use-cases; act as brand ambassador and spokesperson; represent firm at conferences and across industry
• Delivery of Key Performance Indicators: Number of Qualified Opportunities; Profitable Order Intake; Customer Intimacy (coverage and frequency); Win-Rate and Bid On-Time Delivery; Compliance to Contract Rules; and Customer Satisfaction
• Take ownership to build the team and introduce process and structure

Critical Success Objectives

• Establish [self] as the brand and customer-facing leader in defense; collaborate with leadership to drive and inform roadmap; stay abreast of acquisition and industry changes
• Synergize business development functions with leadership, sponsor, and peers; build a complementary relationship between the customer and technical team to craft the solutions platform
• Close on opportunities and set the conditions for sale(s) in domestic defense
• Build and organize the go-to-market framework; outline processes for demos, events, and milestones

Skills and Competencies

• Primary functional depth in a sales role and regulated environment with history of achieving revenue goals
• Minimum 5-8+ years’ sales experience in the missile systems defense sector with developed network
• Proven growth track record in a lightly resourced environment and growth stage firm; fixed-price agreement familiarity and understanding of prototype evolution through various stages of development
• Established and tested strategies to build crucial alliances; able to identify, engage, and manage new business and decision-making relationships; and familiarity with DoD acquisition and procurement
• An excellent negotiator and relationship builder with the ability to influence at senior levels
• Proficiency in sales management (CRM) tools and use of sales analytics
• Self-driven and agile, with the ability to lead cross-functional teams and [internally] collaborate
• Adaptability and flexibility to work with multi-national teams, including remote leadership
• Ability to travel and attend events—an unblemished level of integrity and professional representation
• US Citizenship or the legal right to work in the US is required

Education

A bachelor’s degree is required; Engineering degree or equivalent OR business degree, with a specialization in international business or military project management is preferred.

Benefits and Compensation

As Sodern America is the first ArianeGroup subsidiary in America, they will provide, on behalf of ArianeGroup, comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans; employee life, accidental death, and disability insurance with premiums paid by the company; and a 401(k) with employer matching, and other employee paid voluntary benefits.

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