Business Development Director
Department of War, CBP, Intel Community & Defense Primes
About Overwatch:
Overwatch Imaging is an imagery intelligence technology company working to bring sensor autonomy to time-critical airborne search, detection, tracking and monitoring missions. Our Automated Sensor Operator (ASO) software, native to our own line of purpose-built Smart Sensors and as an upgrade for airborne video gimbal platforms, brings Superhuman Vision and Workload Reduction to users of real-time imagery intelligence systems. We fundamentally believe that modern edge processing and AI-enabled autonomy can perform an important set of time-critical imagery intelligence missions better, faster and more safely than humans can alone.
Founded in 2016 in Hood River, Oregon, we support private sector companies as well as federal, state and local agencies around the world with missions ranging from wildfire mapping and disaster response to law enforcement, border security, maritime domain awareness and tactical intelligence.
About the Role:
Overwatch Imaging is seeking a Business Development Director to scout, qualify, and close new business opportunities across the U.S. Department of War (DoW) and the broader federal defense and intelligence ecosystem. Primary customers include the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force (USAF), U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) and its component commands, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), and the major Defense Contractors that integrate Overwatch capabilities into fielded airborne ISR systems, including tier-1 defense primes and platform OEMs.
This role is built for someone who knows how to win business inside the Department of War. You have strong, active relationships across DoW program offices, end‑user squadrons and units, and prime contractor capture organizations. You have personally walked opportunities from a cold lead through qualification, capture, proposal, and award, and you can point to closed business as proof. You bring deep user‑community credibility, and you can speak the language of both the warfighter and the program manager.
You will own the full sales lifecycle for this portfolio: scouting new opportunities, qualifying them against the Overwatch product line, shaping requirements through early customer engagement, building winning teaming arrangements with primes and integrators, and personally driving each pursuit to a closed contract. This is a senior individual contributor role with significant internal influence, reporting directly to company leadership. You will collaborate cross‑functionally with Sales, Product, Engineering, and Marketing to define how Overwatch engages this market.
This role is complementary to existing Overwatch coverage of Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and civil/public safety accounts. The successful candidate will coordinate closely with peer BD Directors to avoid overlap, identify joint‑force and cross‑agency opportunities, and present a coherent face to customers operating in joint command and interagency environments.
What You’ll Do:
Opportunity Scouting & Qualification
- Scout, identify, and qualify new business opportunities across the U.S. Army, USAF, USSOCOM and its component commands (including AFSOC and ARSOF), CBP Air and Marine Operations (AMO), the Intelligence Community, and partnered Defense Contractors integrating airborne ISR and sensor autonomy capabilities
- Track and analyze the Program Objective Memorandum (POM) cycle, RDTEN/PTEN budget lines, and Congressional appropriations to identify funding‑informed pursuit targets across DoW and IC accounts
- Monitor relevant procurement signals including RFIs, Sources Sought, BAAs, OTA solicitations, IDIQ task orders, and SBIR/STTR opportunities aligned to airborne ISR, UAS sensor payloads, MUM‑T, and AI‑enabled autonomy
- Apply rigorous qualification discipline early, distinguishing real funded requirements from wish‑list activity, and protect the team’s capture investment by walking away fast from low‑probability pursuits
- Network, research, and leverage existing relationships to build and maintain a current database of contacts and opportunities across target program offices, units, primes, and partner organizations
Capture Leadership & Drive to Close
- Personally own opportunities from initial scouting through qualification, capture, proposal, award, and post‑award transition to program management
- Build and execute win strategies, price‑to‑win analysis, capture plans, and teaming agreements that convert qualified opportunities into awarded contracts
- Develop proposals, white papers, technical solutions, plans of action, business plans, and marketing collateral tailored to DoW, CBP, IC, and prime contractor customers
- Shape and influence requirements and acquisition strategies through early customer engagement, industry days, RFI responses, and pre‑solicitation outreach at the unit, program office, and prime integrator level
- Negotiate and close teaming arrangements, subcontracts, and direct contracts with tier-1 defense primes
- Maintain a multi‑year opportunity pipeline using CRM and pipeline reporting tools; present Opportunity Gate Reviews and participate in regular Pipeline Review discussions
Customer & Partner Engagement
- Develop and maintain trusted, long‑running relationships with program managers, contracting officers, requirements officers, and operational end users across the DoW, CBP, and IC, including AFLCMC, PEO Aviation, PEO Soldier, AFSOC/ARSOF acquisition, Army Futures Command, CBP AMO, and relevant IC program offices
- Engage credibly with prime contractor capture, business development, and program leadership, positioning Overwatch as a preferred sensor and autonomy partner on their pursuits and on programs of record
- Speak the operator’s language: translate Overwatch’s ASO software and Smart Sensor capabilities into mission‑relevant value for airborne ISR crews, SOF ground forces, CBP agents, and IC analysts, grounded in firsthand understanding of how these users actually employ sensors in the mission
- Represent Overwatch Imaging at relevant defense, intelligence, and homeland security industry conferences and government forums
Cross‑Functional Collaboration
- Coordinate with peer BD Directors covering Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and civil/public safety accounts to identify joint‑force and interagency opportunities and ensure consistent positioning across combatant command and interagency engagements
- Partner with the Marketing team on vertical‑specific messaging, materials, and campaign strategy for DoW, CBP, IC, and defense prime audiences
- Collaborate with Product and Engineering to ensure customer mission requirements are clearly communicated and reflected in roadmap priorities
- Provide structured market and customer feedback, competitive intelligence, requirements shifts, and platform integration opportunities to inform product strategy
- Assist with preparation of management reports and support executive‑level briefings as needed
What You’ll Bring:
Experience & Education
- Bachelor’s degree in a technical, engineering, or business‑related field; advanced degree (MBA, MS Engineering, or equivalent) or relevant military service a strong plus
- 10+ years of business development, capture management, or growth operations experience inside the Department of War, with a verifiable record of personally winning awarded business, not just managing pipeline
- Demonstrable, current relationships across DoW program offices, end‑user units, and acquisition organizations (e.g., AFLCMC, AFRL, PEO Aviation, Army Futures Command, AFSOC/ARSOF acquisition, USSOCOM components), and ideally CBP AMO and/or IC program offices
- Established working relationships inside tier-1 defense primes and integrators, with a track record of teaming into and winning prime‑led pursuits
- Deep user‑community experience: prior service or direct operational support in airborne ISR, UAS, special operations aviation, Army aviation, CBP air operations, or IC airborne collection; firsthand familiarity with platforms such as MC‑130, U‑28, RC‑12, MQ‑9, MQ‑1C Gray Eagle, RQ‑7 Shadow, ScanEagle, or equivalent multi‑mission ISR aircraft is a significant asset
- Proven track record of identifying, qualifying, and closing opportunities across DoW contract vehicles, including OTAs, IDIQs, BAAs, and SBIR Phase II/III transitions
- Experience leading captures from BD initiation through award, including proposal development, oral presentations, and competitive price‑to‑win analysis
- Active DoD/DoW Secret clearance required; TS/SCI strongly preferred
Technical Competence
- Deep understanding of DoW, CBP, and IC airborne ISR mission sets, including wide‑area persistent surveillance, FMV exploitation, small UAS detection and tracking, combat search and rescue (CSAR), special reconnaissance (SR), border surveillance, and intelligence collection in contested and communications‑degraded environments
- Familiarity with airborne EO/IR sensor systems, multi‑spectral and hyperspectral imaging payloads, and AI/ML‑enabled FMV analytics as employed on fixed‑wing ISR aircraft, rotary‑wing platforms, and Group 3–5 UAS
- Working knowledge of how to win business inside the Department of War: ACAT program structures, the Defense Acquisition System (DAS), OTA authorities (10 USC 4022), SBIR/STTR Phase transitions, Middle Tier Acquisition (MTA) rapid fielding pathways, and prime‑sub teaming dynamics
- Familiarity with key contract vehicles relevant to this market
- Comfort with AI/ML autonomy, computer vision, and geospatial data workflows; able to engage credibly in high‑level technical discussions with both operators and program managers on edge processing and automated detection
- Proficiency with CRM platforms (Salesforce, HubSpot, or equivalent) and multi‑year opportunity pipeline management
Character Attributes
- A closer, wired to drive opportunities to a signed contract, not just a qualified lead
- Thrives in a dynamic, fast‑paced, venture‑backed startup environment where speed, adaptability, and initiative are rewarded
- Motivates and inspires teammates through demonstrated work ethic, collaborative spirit, and mission‑driven intensity
- Collaborates effectively in a small team environment, as comfortable working independently as alongside engineering, product, and marketing peers
- Enjoys hands‑on work, learning new capabilities, and taking informed risks in pursuit of market opportunities
- Takes pride in seeing technology reach operational use and in building long‑term customer and partner relationships grounded in trust and performance
What We Offer:
- Growth Opportunities: As a team member of a true startup, you will learn by doing and shape our future. The opportunities are limitless for those who want to grow their career.
- Impact Opportunity: We work on missions that matter to keep people safe and make the world better, and we do it without bureaucracy at the speed of a startup.
- Team Collaboration: Work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment with amazing teammates. The Overwatch Imaging leadership team believes in an open-door policy, meaning everyone has a voice and access to guidance, advice, feedback, and the ability to pitch crazy new products or ideas.
- Late Start Wednesday: A weekly block to have focus time away from meetings and calls. An opportunity to work from home, flex your schedule or self-directed time to focus on training and development.
- Time Off: Generous PTO to empower employees to make decisions about work life balance based on work and home needs.
- Holidays: Overwatch Imaging recognizes 10 company holidays.
- Ownership: Equity/Stock Options in our rapidly growing company.
- Health Benefits: Medical/Dental premiums 100% covered by Overwatch Imaging for employees and their families, plus available pre-tax health savings account.
- 401K: Employer matching contributions up to 4% of pay.
All applicants must be authorized to work on a permanent basis in the United States. Overwatch Imaging is an equal opportunity workplace and makes employment decisions based on merit and business needs, regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity, Veteran status, or any other protected personal characteristic.
Export Control Compliance Notice
This position may involve access to data, technology, or software that is subject to U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). As such, employment is contingent upon the applicant’s status as a U.S. person-a US citizen, permanent resident, or green card holder.
