Director, Business Development - Defense
Aretum · McLean, Virginia, United States · Hybrid
Pay: USD 185,000 – 200,000 a year
Posted Sep 21, 2026
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Aretum is seeking an experienced Director of Business Development to drive strategic growth across the Defense market. This role is responsible for building and advancing a qualified pipeline, developing strong customer and industry relationships, identifying and shaping new opportunities, and positioning Aretum for long-term growth. The ideal candidate brings a strong understanding of the federal marketplace, a proven ability to open doors and develop new business, and the ability to collaborate across Capture, Proposal, Solutions, Pricing, and Operations teams to move opportunities from early identification through pursuit.
Responsibilities
Drive new business growth within assigned federal markets by identifying, developing, qualifying, and advancing opportunities
Build and manage a qualified pipeline aligned with Aretum’s growth priorities, capabilities, and revenue objectives
Maintain a highly visible, active presence in the federal marketplace through frequent customer-site visits, in-person meetings, industry events, conferences, networking, and other customer engagements throughout the DMV and National Capital Region
Build and leverage relationships to open doors, gain early customer intelligence, identify emerging requirements, and position Aretum for the right opportunities
Develop strategic teaming relationships with large and small business partners, evaluating capability fit, customer and contract vehicle access, past performance, and workshare value
Gather customer, market, and competitive intelligence to shape opportunities and strengthen Aretum’s position to win
Lead and participate in pipeline reviews, gate reviews, capture activities, solutioning sessions, pricing discussions, and executive pursuit reviews
Recommend bid/no-bid, investment, teaming, and pursuit strategies based on customer access, competitive position, solution strength, and probability of win
Partner with Capture and Proposal teams to translate customer intelligence, win strategy, and competitive differentiators into compelling pursuit and proposal strategies
Coordinate pursuit activities across executives, technical leaders, Pricing, Contracts, Recruiting, Operations, Proposals, and external partners
Support strategic proposal efforts as needed, including win themes, solution and staffing strategies, past-performance positioning, executive summaries, and oral presentations
Maintain accurate and timely customer, pipeline, and opportunity information in Salesforce
Requirements
Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
8+ years of federal business development, growth, capture, or related GovCon experience, with significant experience supporting Defense customers
Proven success identifying, developing, and advancing new business opportunities within the federal market
Established Defense customer and industry relationships, with demonstrated ability to open doors and develop new customer relationships
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