Director, Business Development - Middle East & North Africa

We are seeking a seasoned Director of Business Development to lead Foreign Military Sales (FMS) pursuit activities across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. This senior role serves as Zone 5's primary interface with U.S. interagency partners, partner-nation Ministries of Defence, military services, and sovereign government stakeholders — driving engagement from initial country contact through to actionable FMS milestones.

The Director will leverage deep expertise in the FMS process and an established network across the Department of State (DoS), Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (OuSD(P)), and relevant foreign embassies to open doors, shape requirements, and advance Zone 5 opportunities toward Letters of Request for Pricing & Availability (LOR for P&A) and Letters of Request for Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOR for LOA).

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

FMS Business Development & Pipeline

• Identify, qualify, and develop FMS opportunities across UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Morocco, Jordan, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) or other nations (a/r).
• Build and sustain a robust opportunity pipeline from initial country engagement through LOR for P&A and LOR for LOA, coordinating with Zone 5 portfolio program leadership and marketing throughout.
• Develop tailored country-level engagement plans that align Zone 5 capabilities with identified requirements and U.S. security cooperation priorities.
• Represent Zone 5 at key industry events, defense exhibitions, and bilateral forums relevant to MENA security cooperation markets.

Partner-Nation Stakeholder Engagement

• Establish and sustain senior-level relationships with partner-nation Ministries of Defence, military service headquarters, and — where required — Ministries of Commerce and Finance.
• Engage foreign embassies and defense attachés assigned to the United States, and the US corollaries inside partner nation, to build awareness of Zone 5 capabilities and facilitate early case development.
• Guide sovereign stakeholders through the FMS process from requirements identification through case initiation, acting as a trusted advisor on U.S. government procedures and timelines.

U.S. Interagency Engagement & Advocacy

• Serve as Zone 5's primary advocate within the U.S. interagency, with particular focus on DoS (PM Bureau, NEA), DSCA, and OuSD(P).
• Build and maintain working-level and senior relationships with Country Directors, Regional Affairs Officers, and Security Cooperation Officers to support responsive case processing.
• Monitor and actively engage on Qualitative Military Edge (QME) adjudications, ensuring assessments are informed by accurate, complete information and are, where possible, favorably influenced for Zone 5 platforms.
• Track and interpret evolving security cooperation policy, Congressional notifications, and end-use monitoring requirements that may affect FMS timelines or case viability.

Market Intelligence & Strategic Planning

• Provide leadership with timely intelligence on partner-nation defense budgets, procurement priorities, political developments, and competitor activity across the MENA region.
• Contribute to Zone 5's long-range strategic planning by identifying emerging requirements, shifts in security cooperation policy, and new market entry opportunities.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments — including Section 36(b) notifications and Congressional holds — that may affect FMS case progress.

Internal Coordination

• Partner with capture, proposal, and program teams to develop FMS-compliant offerings and technically credible solutions tailored to partner-nation requirements.
• Coordinate with contracts, pricing, and legal teams to ensure positions are consistent with FMS regulations, ITAR, and EAR requirements.
• Report regularly to executive leadership on pipeline status, country engagement progress, and interagency relationship health.

 

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in International Relations, Political Science, Business, Engineering, or related field; advanced degree strongly preferred.
• 5+ years of progressively responsible experience in defense business development, security cooperation, or government service directly supporting FMS.
• Demonstrated expertise across the FMS life cycle: case initiation, P&A, LOA development, and case execution.
• Established, verifiable relationships with DoS, DSCA, and OuSD(P) personnel at working and senior levels.
• Proven ability to engage and build trust with senior officials in partner-nation Ministries of Defence and military services across the MENA region.
• Experience operating in or alongside foreign embassies, with U.S. or foreign defense attachés.
• Working knowledge of QME policy frameworks and the U.S. interagency adjudication process.
• Active U.S. Secret clearance required
• Ability to travel internationally approximately one week per month; valid U.S. passport required.

 

PRIORITY COUNTRY FOCUS

UAE  ·  Qatar  ·  Bahrain  ·  Oman  ·  Kuwait  ·  Morocco  ·  Jordan  ·  KSA

 

Country prioritization may be adjusted based on evolving security cooperation policy, country team guidance, and emerging opportunities. The Director is expected to maintain engagement awareness across all listed countries regardless of current priority ranking.

 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Prior U.S. military (uniformed or GS), DoS Foreign Service, or DSCA service in roles directly supporting MENA security cooperation or FMS case management.
• Direct experience managing or supporting high-value FMS cases (>$100M) from P&A through LOA signature.
• Informal Arabic language and cultural familiarity.
• Familiarity with U.S. arms transfer policy including AECA Section 3 and related SAMM provisions.
• Experience with Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) structures complementary to FMS programs.
• Existing relationships with In-Country Security Cooperation Organizations (SCOs) in one or more priority countries.

 

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Strategic relationship management — cultivates and sustains influence at senior government and military levels across both U.S. and partner nations.
• FMS process expertise — thorough command of the FMS life cycle from requirements generation through case closure.
• Political acumen — navigates complex U.S. interagency dynamics and partner-nation sensitivities with skill and discretion.
• Executive communication — synthesizes complex security cooperation issues for senior internal and external audiences.
• Initiative and autonomy — self-directed, capable of managing a complex multi-country portfolio with limited day-to-day oversight.
• Integrity and discretion — operates with the highest ethical standards in a sensitive government-adjacent environment.

This role will also be eligible for annual bonus in addition to the base salary.