Strategic Business Development Account Manager – Department of Air Force (DAF)

Description

Athenix Solutions Group is seeking a Strategic Business Development Account Manager – DAF to lead growth activities across the Department of the Air Force (DAF), United States Air Force (USAF), United States Space Force (USSF), and associated Air and Space commands, acquisition organizations, laboratories, and mission partners.

This position will serve as a growth owner for assigned United States Air Force and Space Force accounts and geographic markets, responsible for developing customer relationships, identifying and shaping opportunities, building qualified pipeline, establishing strategic industry partnerships, and advancing opportunities through the business development and capture lifecycle.

The ideal candidate combines established Air Force and/or Space Force customer relationships with a strong understanding of the federal acquisition environment and the ability to translate customer mission challenges into actionable growth opportunities.

This is a hands-on business development position for an individual comfortable moving between customer engagement, market strategy, opportunity qualification, teaming, solution development, and early-stage capture.

Success will be measured by the development of a sustainable and qualified Air and Space Force pipeline, expansion of customer access, quality of opportunity intelligence, progression of opportunities into capture, and ultimately new business wins.

Key Responsibilities:

Air & Space Force Account Strategy and Growth

• Develop and execute strategic growth plans across assigned USAF, USSF, and Air/Space Command accounts.

• Identify priority customers, mission organizations, commands, program offices, acquisition organizations, laboratories, contract vehicles, and emerging requirements aligned with ASG capabilities.

• Develop account strategies spanning both national-level organizations and key regional customer concentrations.

• Build, maintain, and own an actionable opportunity pipeline with clear customer, competitive, acquisition, budget, and timing intelligence.

• Establish short-, mid-, and long-term growth objectives across assigned Air and Space Force markets.

• Identify whitespace opportunities where ASG capabilities can address emerging mission requirements.

• Maintain awareness of DAF, USAF, and USSF budgets, acquisition priorities, mission initiatives, technology investments, and organizational changes that may create new business opportunities.

Geographic Market Development

Develop and expand ASG's presence within strategic Air and Space Force markets and customer concentrations, including:

• National Capital Region (NCR) – Department of the Air Force headquarters, Pentagon organizations, acquisition leadership, and national-level Air and Space Force mission organizations.

• San Antonio, Texas – Air Force cyber, intelligence, information warfare, training, mission support, and associated acquisition organizations.

• Colorado Springs, Colorado – Space Force, space operations, missile warning, command and control, cyber, intelligence, and other space-related mission organizations.

• Huntsville, Alabama – Space, missile, defense, engineering, research and development, systems integration, and acquisition organizations.

• Dayton, Ohio – Air Force acquisition, research, development, engineering, intelligence, digital modernization, and Wright-Patterson AFB-associated organizations.

• Rome, New York – Air Force research, cyber, command and control, communications, information technologies, artificial intelligence, and AFRL-related mission organizations.

• Other Air Force and Space Force locations as required by ASG's growth strategy and customer priorities.

The Account Manager will develop customer and partner networks within these markets and establish repeatable engagement strategies for priority organizations and opportunities.

Customer Engagement

• Develop and maintain trusted relationships with USAF and USSF mission leaders, program offices, acquisition organizations, laboratories, contracting organizations, operational commands, and other key stakeholders.

• Conduct regular customer engagement to understand mission priorities, operational challenges, technology requirements, acquisition strategies, and future requirements.

• Develop relationships across operational, technical, acquisition, and contracting communities to provide a comprehensive understanding of customer requirements.

• Position ASG capabilities against specific customer mission needs rather than relying on generalized capability marketing.

• Coordinate technical and executive engagement with customers to strengthen ASG's position within strategic accounts.

• Represent ASG at relevant Air Force, Space Force, defense industry, customer, and professional events.

Opportunity Identification and Qualification

• Identify new opportunities through customer engagement, market intelligence, contract vehicle activity, industry relationships, acquisition forecasts, and budget analysis.

• Qualify opportunities based on strategic fit, customer access, competitive position, contract accessibility, solution alignment, funding, timing, and probability of win.

• Develop opportunity assessments and recommendations supporting pursuit and Bid/No-Bid decisions.

• Maintain accurate opportunity information, milestones, customer intelligence, competitive intelligence, and next actions within ASG's CRM and growth processes.

• Build sufficient pipeline coverage to support annual Air and Space Force bookings and revenue objectives.

• Balance pursuit of strategic, long-duration opportunities with rapidly moving IDIQ, BPA, and task-order opportunities.

Opportunity Shaping and Capture

• Lead early-stage opportunity shaping before formal capture begins.

• Develop customer call plans, opportunity strategies, stakeholder maps, competitive assessments, acquisition intelligence, and initial win themes.

• Identify customer hot buttons, mission gaps, incumbents, competitors, potential teammates, and likely acquisition approaches.

• Identify potential teaming partners and capability gaps and develop appropriate teaming strategies.

• Coordinate with Capture, Solutions, Operations, Contracts, Pricing, Recruiting, and Proposal teams as opportunities mature.

• Support capture managers in developing differentiated solutions and win strategies based on direct customer and market intelligence.

• Ensure effective transition of qualified opportunities from business development into formal capture and proposal execution.

• Remain engaged throughout capture and proposal development to preserve customer and competitive intelligence through submission.

Strategic Partnerships

• Develop relationships with large and small business partners that expand ASG's access, capabilities, contract vehicles, and competitive position within USAF and USSF markets.

• Identify subcontracting, prime contracting, mentor-protégé, joint venture, and other strategic teaming opportunities.

• Develop partner strategies around major Air Force and Space Force contract vehicles, IDIQs, BPAs, recompetes, and emerging acquisition programs.

• Establish regional industry relationships within San Antonio, Colorado Springs, Huntsville, Dayton, Rome, the NCR, and other priority markets.

• Maintain awareness of competitor positioning, incumbents, and likely teaming behavior across priority pursuits.

Target Customers and Organizations

The Strategic BD Account Manager will develop opportunities across the broader Department of the Air Force ecosystem, including:

• United States Air Force (USAF)

• United States Space Force (USSF)

• Department of the Air Force Headquarters

• Air Force Major Commands (MAJCOMs)

• Space Force Field Commands and associated organizations

• Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC)

• Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)

• Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC)

• Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (AFIMSC)

• Air Force cyber and information warfare organizations

• Air and Space Force intelligence organizations

• Program Executive Offices (PEOs) and program offices

• Operational and mission support commands

• Air and Space Force acquisition and contracting organizations

• Relevant Combatant Command and joint organizations with Air and Space Force mission requirements

Target Capability and Mission Areas

The Strategic BD Account Manager will pursue opportunities aligned with ASG's capabilities and growth strategy, including:

• Cyber Operations and Cybersecurity

• Intelligence and Mission Operations

• Zero Trust and Enterprise Security

• Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR)

• Mission IT and Digital Modernization

• Software and Systems Engineering

• Cloud and DevSecOps

• Data Analytics

• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

• Mission Software Development and Integration

• Training, Readiness, and Workforce Development

• Special Missions and Operational Support

• Space Mission Systems and Mission Support

• Research, Development, Test, and Evaluation (RDT&E)

• Modeling, Simulation, and Mission Engineering

• Emerging Technology Integration

Would consider candidates from San Antonio, TX, Huntsville, AL, and Colorado Springs, CO. 

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience supporting the Department of Defense, with significant experience in business development, capture, account management, program management, operations, or customer-facing roles supporting the USAF, USSF, or associated Air and Space organizations.

• Active TS/SCI (with ability to maintain)

• Demonstrated understanding of Department of the Air Force mission organizations, acquisition processes, and contracting environments.

• Established professional relationships within the Air Force, Space Force, government acquisition, or supporting defense industry communities.

• Demonstrated ability to identify, qualify, shape, and advance federal opportunities.

• Understanding of the federal business development lifecycle from market identification and opportunity shaping through capture and proposal.

• Ability to translate customer mission requirements into actionable business opportunities and solution concepts.

• Strong executive communication, customer engagement, relationship development, and presentation skills.

• Ability to work effectively across technical, operational, capture, proposal, contracts, recruiting, and executive leadership teams.

• Experience using CRM and federal market intelligence platforms.

• Ability and willingness to travel regularly to customer locations and strategic markets, including San Antonio, Colorado Springs, Huntsville, Dayton, Rome, NY, and the National Capital Region.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Existing relationships across Air Force and/or Space Force mission, acquisition, cyber, intelligence, digital modernization, R&D, software, space, or technology organizations.

• Established relationships within one or more strategic geographic markets, particularly San Antonio, Colorado Springs, Huntsville, Dayton, or Rome, NY.

• Experience developing and managing a substantial qualified federal opportunity pipeline.

• Experience with major Air Force and Space Force IDIQs, GWACs, BPAs, OTAs, and other strategic contract vehicles.

• Experience supporting both long-duration strategic captures and rapidly moving task-order opportunities.

• Understanding of Shipley or comparable federal capture methodologies.

• Experience developing teaming strategies with large and small government contractors.

• Familiarity with USAF MAJCOMs, USSF Field Commands, AFRL, AFLCMC, PEO structures, and emerging Air and Space Force technology initiatives.

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disability and protected veteran status.