Director of Business Development, Defense

Company Overview

Orbis Operations is a technology company that delivers sovereign intelligence and decision capabilities to the United States Government and its allies. We convert complex information and operational systems into decisive outcomes, giving public institutions and critical enterprises the tools to move faster, see clearer, and act first in an increasingly contested world.

We are not a consulting firm and not a systems integrator. Every Orbis team is built around practitioners who have operated at the mission edge, and every engagement is judged on one thing: whether it produces working capability, not slide decks. Solutions forged from experience - that is how we build, and it is how we hire.

Job Summary

Orbis is seeking a Director of Business Development to grow and institutionalize our presence across the Defense market. This is a builder's role: someone who can walk into a room with senior government and industry stakeholders, earn trust quickly, and build the internal machinery - pipeline processes, capture rhythms, partner frameworks - that lets Orbis scale. You will report to the Executive Vice President, Defense and work closely with sales, engineering, product, and operations & delivery teams to convert relationships into a durable, repeatable pipeline.

Travel: Estimated up to 50%

Key Responsibilities

• Build and manage key relationships. Develop and maintain trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across Defense customer organizations, program offices, and the broader ecosystem of primes, integrators, and technology partners.
• Institutionalize business development processes. Design and establish repeatable BD operations - pipeline tracking, capture planning cadences, opportunity qualification criteria, and reporting rhythms.
• Identify, qualify, and win new business opportunities across DoD organizations. Own and drive the full sales lifecycle, from lead generation through capture, proposal development, and contract award.
• Establish and manage partner engagements. Identify, qualify, and formalize strategic partnerships (teaming agreements, MOUs, reseller relationships) that expand Orbis' reach and win probability on Defense opportunities.
• Own standard business development fundamentals. Own market and competitive intelligence, shape requirements ahead of RFIs/RFPs, build and manage a qualified opportunity pipeline, and support capture and proposal efforts from qualification through award.
• Represent Orbis externally. Collaborate closely with Capabilities Managers and Program Managers to ensure offerings meet mission needs and are positioned competitively. Translate what you're hearing from the field - customer priorities, competitive moves, partner capabilities - into inputs that sharpen Orbis' Defense strategy. Attend industry days, conferences, and customer engagements as a credible voice for what Orbis delivers and why it's different from vendors who sell frameworks and slide decks instead of operational capability.

• 8+ years of direct growth leadership, business development or client engagement experience. Demonstrated success building and closing business in the Defense market - direct experience with DoD components, combatant commands, or defense agencies strongly preferred.
• A track record of building senior-level relationships and converting them into qualified pipeline and awarded work, not just introductions.
• Experience designing or improving BD operations - pipeline hygiene, capture processes, CRM discipline - in an organization that needed more structure, not less.
• Experience structuring and managing partner or teaming relationships, including the fundamentals of teaming agreements and partner governance.
• Working fluency in government contracting and acquisition processes (RFI/RFP lifecycle, capture planning, proposal support).
• Collaborate closely with Capabilities Managers and Program Managers to ensure offerings meet mission needs and are positioned competitively.
• Comfort operating in a lean, practitioner-led organization where you'll build the process as much as you execute it.
• Strong organizational and time management skills; able to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
• Active security clearance (Secret or above); Top Secret preferred.

• Master's degree preferred but not required
• Exceptional writing, editing and proofreading skills with rigorous attention to compliance and detail
• Experience with proposal automation and/or AI-assisted writing tools
• Participation in virtual and in-person meetings
• Familiarity with Department of War and Federal Civilian acquisition processes and procurement vehicles

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Participation in virtual and in-person meetings
• Ability to attend planned meetings and/or work in classified spaces within the specified work regions

Orbis Benefits

Beyond the opportunity to work alongside practitioners who have operated at the mission edge, joining Orbis means real ownership over outcomes that matter - the chance to build technology that gives the United States Government and its allies a genuine decision advantage, not just another dashboard. From competitive retirement matching to a PTO policy that encourages real time off, we're committed to creating an environment where our team can do their best work and still have a life outside of it.

Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families. A full list of benefits is shared with candidates following an initial conversation with our HR team, so you'll have a clear picture of the support and resources available to you as part of the Orbis team.

Orbis works in whatever arrangement the mission requires. Depending on the role, that might mean five days a week on a customer site, full-time in one of our offices, a hybrid schedule, or fully remote work - our team is spread across 25 states and four countries to match. We make sure every team member has the tools and access needed to do the work, wherever that work happens.

Travel is common across many Orbis roles, particularly those supporting customer missions in the field.

Orbis is headquartered in McLean, VA, with additional office locations in Taipei, Taiwan, and Canberra, Australia.

Orbis Operations is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We are committed to providing a work environment free of discrimination and harassment, and we make employment decisions based on merit,

qualifications, and business need. Orbis does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law.

Orbis complies with all applicable equal opportunity and non-discrimination laws in every jurisdiction in which we operate. Reasonable accommodation is available to applicants and employees with disabilities upon request.