About the role
Who We Are:
- CAE Vision: Our vision is to be the worldwide partner of choice in defense and security, civil aviation, and healthcare by revolutionizing our customers’ training and critical operations with digitally immersive solutions to elevate safety, efficiency and readiness.
- CAE Defense & Security Mission: CAE's Defense and Security business unit focuses on helping prepare military customers to develop and maintain the highest levels of mission readiness.
- CAE Values: Empowerment, Innovation, Excellence, Integrity and OneCAE make us who we are and we strive to make a difference in the world while helping each other succeed.
What We Have to Offer:
- Comprehensive and competitive benefits package and flexibility that promotes work-life balance
- A work environment where all employees are valued, respected and safe
- Freedom to succeed by enabling team members to deliver, take initiatives and make decisions
- Recognition, professional development, advancement and having fun!
Summary
The Director, Business Development is responsible for leading and integrating the enterprise-wide business development strategy across all segments of the organization. This role provides strategic oversight, alignment, and governance of all business development activities, ensuring a unified approach to market growth, customer engagement, and opportunity capture.
This leader will drive enterprise growth strategy, align cross-functional teams, and ensure the organization is positioned to win, expand, and sustain business across all markets and customers.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Enterprise Business Development Strategy & Alignment: Define and lead the overall business development strategy across the company Ensure alignment of all BD efforts with corporate strategy, growth priorities, and market positioning Establish a standardized approach to opportunity identification, qualification, and capture across all business units Integrate domestic and international BD efforts into a single, cohesive enterprise strategy.
- Oversight of Business Development Execution: Provide leadership and oversight to all Business Development leaders and teams across the organization Ensure consistency in capture management, pipeline development, and customer engagement strategies Drive accountability for pipeline health, win rates, and revenue growth Identify gaps and optimize BD performance across business units.
- Strategic Growth & Market Expansion: Lead enterprise efforts to expand into new markets, customers, and capabilities Oversee identification and qualification of high-value opportunities across DoD, international, and adjacent markets Guide investment decisions related to technology, capabilities, and strategic partnerships Ensure alignment between market demand and organizational capabilities.
- Executive Customer & Stakeholder Engagement: Serve as a senior representative of the organization with key customers, partners, and government stakeholders. Strengthen and expand relationships across DoD, international customers, and industry partners Influence customer strategy through trusted advisory engagement and deep market understanding.
- Capture Strategy & Competitive Positioning: Collaborate on development of winning capture strategies for priority opportunities. Ensure robust competitive intelligence, price-to-win strategies, and value proposition development. Guide cross-functional teams in building integrated and differentiated solutions. Ensure consistency in how the organization positions itself across all pursuits.
- Cross-Functional Integration: Partner with Operations, Strategy, Finance, Engineering, and Program Teams to align BD efforts with execution capabilities. Drive collaboration across business units to maximize enterprise opportunities.
- Leadership & Capability Development: Build and lead a high-performing business development organization. Establish clear expectations, processes, and performance metrics. Develop future BD leaders and strengthen enterprise BD capability and discipline. Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and results-driven execution.
- Executive Reporting & Decision: Provide senior leadership with clear, concise insights on pipeline, risks, and growth opportunities. Translate complex BD data into actionable recommendations for investment and prioritization. Support executive decision-making with business case analysis and market intelligence.
Qualifications and Education Requirements
- Bachelor’s Degree in business, engineering or another applicable field.
- 8-10 years in business development
- 15+ years in defense/aerospace
- Strong understanding of the Department of Defense customers and acquisition process
- Secret Security Clearance
- A proven track record of sustained business growth, large organization leadership or leading large government programs
- Comprehensive understanding of the USA acquisitions process, priorities and the expertise to turn that knowledge into new business through capture management
- Excellent written and oral presentation skills including the ability to generate written material to communicate to customers at all levels, including senior executives
- Experience leading teams and managing budgets
- Demonstrated ability to build customer and industry relationships
- Ability to travel up to 20% of the year
- Due to U.S. Government contract requirements, only U.S. citizens are eligible for this role.
Preferred Skills
- Modeling Simulation and Training experience
- Understanding software development, secure networking, cyber security
- Knowledge and experience with Live Virtual and Constructive Training solutions
- Technical/Proposal writing
- Leadership skills in stressful, dynamic environments
- Ability to develop complex solutions to solve customer requirements
Security Responsibilities
Must comply with all company security and data protection / usage policies and procedures. Personally responsible for proper marking and handling of all information and materials, in any form. Shall not divulge any information, or afford access, to other employees not having a need-to-know. Shall not divulge information outside company without management approval. All government and proprietary information will be accessed and stored electronically on company provided resources.
- Incumbent must be eligible for DoD Personal Security Clearance.
Due to U.S. Government contract requirements, only U.S. citizens are eligible for this role.
Work Environment
This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.
Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for their job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
CAE USA Inc. is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to any protected characteristic, including disability and protected veteran status, as defined under federal, state, or local laws.
Applicants needing reasonable accommodations should contact their recruiter at any point in the recruitment process. If you need assistance to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at hrops@caemilusa.com
About CAE
At CAE, our mission is clear: to help make the world a safer place. For nearly 80 years, we’ve driven innovation in simulation, training, and mission readiness to support critical operations worldwide. By leveraging advanced technologies, we empower our customers to operate smarter, faster, and more sustainably. Join a purpose-driven organization where bold ideas are encouraged, collaboration drives progress, and your growth fuels our shared success.
Position Type
RegularEqual Opportunity Employer
CAE is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, national origin, age, religion, sex, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. At CAE, everyone is welcome to contribute to our success. Applicants needing reasonable accommodations should contact their recruiter at any point in the recruitment process. If you need assistance to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at CAECarrieres-Careers@cae.com.
Data Privacy
As part of our process, we may use AI‑supported tools to help review applications, with human decision‑making at every step. CAE thanks all applicants for their interest. However, only those whose background and experience match the requirements of the role will be contacted.