VP Business Development / Capture Director

CONFIDENTIAL RETAINED SEARCH | AEROSPACE AND DEFENSE

Search Reference: TNF-VPBD-2026 | Growth Leadership Mandate

ABOUT THIS SEARCH

Top Notch Finders has been retained on an exclusive and strictly confidential basis to identify a VP Business Development / Capture Director for a well-established aerospace and defense organization. To protect the interests of our client and of every candidate who engages with us, the identity of the company and its headquarters location are disclosed only to qualified candidates under a confidentiality agreement. All inquiries and applications are received and managed solely by Top Notch Finders.

POSITION SNAPSHOT

• Reports to: President or Chief Growth Officer.
• Location: Washington DC metro area or headquarters, with significant travel; headquarters location disclosed to qualified candidates.
• Clearance: Secret or TS/SCI preferred.

THE OPPORTUNITY

The VP BD/Capture Director leads identification, qualification, and capture of major new business opportunities across DoD, intelligence community, and commercial aerospace customers, owning the pipeline from early opportunity shaping through proposal win.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Build and manage a qualified multi-year opportunity pipeline aligned to corporate growth strategy.
• Lead capture strategy, teaming, and competitive positioning for major pursuits.
• Direct proposal development in partnership with Program Management and Contracts.
• Cultivate senior relationships with government program offices and prime/sub partners.
• Own win-rate, pipeline conversion, and bid/no-bid governance.
• Represent the company at industry days, conferences, and customer engagements.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• 12+ years in aerospace/defense business development or capture management.
• Demonstrated track record winning large (over $100M) government contracts.
• Deep familiarity with federal acquisition regulations (FAR/DFARS) and DoD budget cycles.
• Existing relationships within relevant government program offices.
• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA preferred.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience across multiple program types, including space, autonomy, sustainment, and C5ISR.
• Existing active security clearance.
• Prior military or government acquisition background.

CONFIDENTIALITY AND HOW TO APPLY

This is a discreet, retained engagement. Your candidacy will never be presented to any organization without your explicit prior authorization, and no application will be visible to the hiring company at this stage. Accomplished growth executives with aerospace and defense capture credentials are invited to submit a resume in confidence through the Top Notch Finders website. Please reference search code TNF-VPBD-2026 in your submission. Do not include classified or proposal-sensitive information of any kind in your application materials. Only candidates whose backgrounds align closely with the mandate will be contacted.