Business Development Manager: Pacific

Own end-to-end capture leadership across the Pacific Rim international portfolio. This initially includes Japan, the Philippines, and Singapore, with expansion to Korea, Taiwan, and other partners as the portfolio matures.

Select the 2026 proof-point Pacific market. This involves selecting one country, authoring a country-specific capture plan, and showing demonstrable progress toward award by the end of 2026.

Navigate the FMS pathway, including Letter of Request development with host nation counterparts, the congressional notification process, and ITAR licensing strategy, as applicable.

Build and hold U.S. Embassy ODC relationships in-region, Defense Attaché engagements, and country-team coordination.

Build host nation defense ministry relationships by facilitating working-level engagements that hold beyond your tenure.

Develop INDOPACOM J-staff working-level relationships supporting our Hawaii pursuit, which carries demands distinct from the rest of the portfolio.

Travel for 30% or more of your time in-region. Expect quarterly trips at minimum, which may occur more often during active captures.

Pacific portfolio progression: by the end of 2026, at least one Pacific Rim opportunity should be advanced through our capture gates to an approved bid decision.

Country-specific capture plans authored and gate-reviewed for at least two of Japan, the Philippines, and Singapore.

U.S. Embassy ODC engagements documented and tracked in the BD pipeline for at least three countries.

Pacific revenue contribution by the end of 2027, with a minimum of one closed contract attributable to this role.

Six or more years of Pacific Rim defense BD experience, including direct ownership of at least one FMS case from initial Letter of Request through congressional notification.

Working-level relationships in at least two of: U.S. Embassy ODC Tokyo, Manila, Singapore, Seoul, or Canberra.

Demonstrated cultural and operational fluency; you understand that Pacific BD is relationship-driven, multi-year, and requires showing up in person.

Existing host nation defense ministry relationships at a working level, such as JMSDF acquisitions, AFP Modernization staff, Singapore DSO/DSTA, Korean ADD, or Australian CDIC.

Bilingual English plus Japanese strongly preferred; Tagalog, Korean, or Mandarin secondary preference.

Comfort spending 30%+ of your time in-region. You are not running this from a Beltway desk.

An AI-native BD workflow. You use AI to compress customer intelligence aggregation, capture plan iteration, and FMS case documentation. You should be able to articulate, in an interview, how you use AI today to outpace peers while maintaining AI usage compliance according to policy.

Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. DoD Secret clearance at minimum; active Secret or TS/SCI at hire a strong plus.

Prior military service — Pacific theater preferred (USFJ, USFK, INDOPACOM J-staff, 7th Fleet, III MEF).

State Department Political-Military Affairs or DSCA Regional Center experience.

Background in a major prime’s or defense-tech company’s Pacific regional BD organization.

Existing relationships with partner-firm regional BD teams in the Pacific.