Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. CVI Infrared Optics is seeking a Growth Account Director for the U.S. Defense market, responsible for driving strategic expansion across emerging segments. The role involves building relationships with key accounts, providing market intelligence, and facilitating communication across various departments to ensure alignment with customer needs.
Responsibilities
- Chart and lead expansion into emerging defense segments, including new defense entrants and non‑traditional primes
- Develop Key Account Plans and Opportunity Qualifiers that provide the business units with credible evidence of imminent significant market opportunities, along with a coherent explanation of why we can win, what will be required to do so, and the expected return on investment
- Build program‑level relationships across accounts to provide visibility to future growth as well as rapid identification of customer concerns, potential disruptions, and a broad understanding of our and our customers’ competitive landscapes
- Serve as the internal voice of growth customers, driving prioritization of limited resources in such a way as to maximize future growth possibilities
- Track emerging programs using a commercially-oriented defense procurement filter
- Identify and qualify opportunities using MEDDPICC and 80/20 methodologies
- Provide competitive insights and capability requirement forecasts
- Communicate effectively and persuasively with Operations, Engineering, and Leadership
- Drive internal alignment and urgency around critical customer needs
- Act as the primary point of contact for targeted growth accounts, facilitating communications with Engineering, Operations, Planning and Inside Sales functions as appropriate
- Provide accurate program-level forecasting, including realistic, evidence-backed success likelihood for dial-moving programs and opportunities
- Maintain a high‑cadence customer engagement rhythm through regular and highly effective virtual and in-person meetings
- Support NPI, prototype builds, and scaling transitions
- Engage with Enterprise Engineering team to ensure manufacturable customer requirements are translated accurately to sites
- Support team in negotiation of all commercial aspects of fully vetted and qualified opportunities, including short- and long-term product pricing, lead times, non-recurring engineering fees, and legal frameworks
Skills
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Physics, Business, or related field
- 2+ years in strategic account management or defense business development
- Experience with emerging defense companies or rapidly scaling OEMs
- Strong understanding of U.S. defense acquisition pathways
- Exceptional research and communication abilities with cross‑functional influence
- Ability to travel 30%+ across the domestic US and meet ITAR/EAR requirements
Benefits
- Performance based bonus plan
- Health benefits
- 401(k) retirement savings program with company match
- PTO
Company Overview