Business Development Director - MEA UxS

Overview

Overview

The Business Development Director - Middle East is responsible for the identification and business development of prospective UAS customers in the Middle East region. This position is responsible for the direction of all strategic and tactical efforts as they relate to supporting existing business as well as capturing new business in the region. This includes recommending potential partnerships, joint ventures and / or representations, substantiated by research and due diligence results in the specifics of each campaign, to include factors relating to geopolitics, government requirements, and customer operational demands, and familiarity with regional cultures and customs.

Position Responsibilities

Responsibilities

Responsible for the Middle East major international market segments / regions with full responsibility for business strategy, capture plan development and execution, and progressive sales growth in alignment with AV strategic plans

Provides thought leadership and strategic guidance to the following areas :

Analyzes current and new markets, develop campaign / capture strategies to grow our business

Gathers pertinent information on market, customer structure, and the competition

Identifies funding sources and sales vehicles

Interfaces with local US Government teams

Identifies initial customers and technical / operational requirements including identifying influencers and key decision makers, determine ‘price-to-win’ and shape requirements towards AV products

Responsible for Sales Forecast and AOP planning, tracking and status reporting to Intl Market Segment Lead in support of global sales operations

Identifies and develops key “value-add” partnerships that support AV strategic international growth goals

Build and maintain trusted and solid relationships across the customer organization at all levels, while facilitating the same for others within AeroVironment

Identification and creation of new business opportunities, primarily government but may include civil

Strengthens the company’s reputation within the customer organization

Utilizes new business processes and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool

Creates capture strategies and execution plans with compelling win strategies for ongoing and new business opportunities

Supports monthly forecast review presentations to leadership, as well as annual strategic planning efforts

Prioritizes investment decisions for review, based on customer requirements, and the pipeline

Identify funding sources, sales vehicles, influencers and decision-makers at prospective customers

Communicates regularly with management and work closely with PLM to provide feedback and recommendations substantiated by progressive knowledge of the customer and competitor landscapes.

Qualifies new leads and set up meetings to communicate customer requirements, campaign needs, and due diligence results

In conjunction with the Marketing, Flight Ops, Project Management, and Customer Support Departments, organizes and supports trade shows, flight demonstrations, training, and customer service visits

Other duties as assigned

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or relevant discipline; Advanced degree is preferred

Minimum of 12 years of relevant Business Development experience. Prior relevant experience working with customers within the region and understanding customer requirements / needs / issues, with demonstrated success.

In-depth knowledge of geopolitics, regional and in-country operational needs relating to autonomous systems, both aerial and ground.

Extensive understanding of cultural and political attributes of countries in the area. Proficiency in Arabic language required

Demonstrated experience in writing proposals and winning contracts

Strong track record of successful sales of autonomous systems to defense & security entities in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia and the UAE

Experienced in foreign material sales (FMS), direct commercial sales (DCS), export licensing requirements, FCPA regulations, and interfacing with pertinent foreign and US government channels in areas of operation

Must be living in the Middle East region

Must have a valid driver's license and clean DMV record

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

Having broad expertise or unique knowledge, uses skills to contribute to development of company objectives and principles and to achieve goals in creative and effective ways

Strong Business Development acumen

Strong understanding of USG acquisition and program planning processes

Demonstrated business experience working with cross-functional teams

Strong communication, negotiation, strategic planning and interpersonal skills

Computer skills with proficiency in MS Office (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook)

Able to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, where small teams share a broad variety of duties

Able to work with a high level of independence as well as of a part of high-energy teams

Displays strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectives

Takes ownership and responsibility for current and past work products

Is committed to learning from mistakes and driven to improve and enhance performance of oneself, others, and the company

Physical Demands

Ability to work in an office and home office environment (Constant)

Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Constant)

Ability to travel extensively, both domestic and international, sometimes on short notice

Special Requirements

U.S. Citizen, U.S. Permanent Resident (Green Card holder) or asylee / refugee status as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) required.

Salary and Benefits

The Salary Range For This Role Is $139,371 - $197,400

AeroVironment considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the location, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education / training, and key skills.

Benefits : AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401K with company matching, a 9 / 80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown. For more information about our company benefit offerings please visit : http : / / www.avinc.com / myavbenefits.

ITAR Requirement

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (ITAR) and / or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under ITAR / EAR, or be approved for an export license as required. A U.S. person means a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident, or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer

Join us today in developing the next generation of small UAS and tactical missile systems. We are proud to be an EEO / AA employer, and welcome all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.

What We Do

Building on a history of technological innovation, AeroVironment designs, develops, produces, and supports an advanced portfolio of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and tactical missile systems. Agencies of the U.S. Department of Defense and allied military services use the company’s hand-launched UAS to provide situational awareness to tactical operating units through real-time, airborne reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition.

ITAR

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