Business Development Manager

About the role

This is a new position created to drive growth and strategic expansion of the company's defense chemicals portfolio. You will be the commercial front door to the defense market: identifying new opportunities, building relationships with government program offices and prime contractors, and converting those relationships into long-term supply agreements and contract awards.

Responsibilities

• Identify and pursue new business opportunities across defense and military chemical markets, including finished products supplied from existing energetic materials capacity.
• Develop and execute growth strategies aligned to company objectives.
• Monitor global defense spending trends, procurement programs, and emerging requirements.
• Map key stakeholders across the Department of War, allied Ministries of Defense, armed forces, and defense prime contractors.
• Target and develop Army program offices, including those at Picatinny Arsenal, and soldier weapons and combat systems organizations.
• Build and maintain relationships with defense agencies, procurement bodies, and defense contractors.
• Serve as the primary commercial interface for defense customers.
• Lead negotiations for long-term supply agreements and strategic partnerships.
• Identify and track RFPs, RFIs, and defense tenders through customer relationships, SAM.gov, GovWin, and related tools.
• Cook up cross-functional teams — engineering, production, regulatory, quality, and finance — through proposal development.
• Prepare commercial product proposals that comply with defense standards and export and security protocols.
• Identify and analyze emerging technologies and potential acquisition or partnership targets.
• Support product qualification, testing, and approval processes with defense authorities.
• Conduct market research on defense chemicals, energetic materials, and specialty defense formulations.
• Ensure compliance with ITAR, export control regulations, hazardous materials handling requirements, and defense certifications.
• Support leadership with business forecasts, pipeline reporting, and strategic planning.

Requirements

• 5–10 years in business development, sales, or program management.
• Minimum 5 years in defense chemicals, energetic materials, propellants, explosives, or a closely related sector.
• Experience with defense procurement processes and government contracting, including larger, complex contracts.
• Working understanding of military specifications (MIL-STD).
• Knowledge of energetic materials, specialty chemicals, and hazardous materials compliance.
• Familiarity with export control laws and defense regulations, including ITAR.
• Strong negotiation and contract management skills.
• Strategic thinking and market analysis capability.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• High integrity and the judgment to handle sensitive information.
• Able to operate effectively in a complex regulatory environment.
• Project management and cross-functional leadership skills.
• Willingness to travel 30–50%, primarily domestic.
• Must be a USC.

Skills

• Experience selling into both government and commercial defense markets.
• Background with a defense prime or energetics manufacturers.
• Established relationships with Army program offices to include combat ammunition, close combat systems, and joint services organizations.
• Hands-on experience using CAD/PAD or similar energetic device product lines.
• Experience with GovWin, SAM.gov, and P-form budget data in pursuit planning.
• Already based in or willing to relocate to the Tampa Bay area.

Benefits

Base salary: $130,000 – $175,000, depending on experience and level (Manager or Senior Manager). 10% individual contributor bonus target. 4 weeks paid time off. Relocation assistance up to $10,000–$15,000, typically structured as a sign-on bonus, plus temporary hotel coverage for the first couple of weeks. Travel expenses covered.