VP / Director of Growth

Responsibilities

• Map and prioritize viable contract pathways: OTA vehicles, DIU CSOs, direct program office relationships, and exercise-to-contract sequences.
• Develop a clear 18-month plan from first demonstration to first paid agreement, with explicit milestones and decision gates.
• Own RFI responses, white papers, and capability statements that position Bulwark ahead of formal requirements documents.
• Build and own relationships with acquisition professionals at MCSC, PEO Land Systems, ARCIC, and INDOPACOM-relevant program offices.
• Ensure Bulwark is engaged at the right level of every relevant customer community — end users, requirements shapers, and buyers.
• Align company messaging and product priorities to PM priorities, budget cycles, and capability gaps.
• Identify and pursue participation in INDOPACOM exercises: Talisman Saber, Resolute Dragon, RIMPAC, MCCRE, and MCWL/MCOTEA experiments.
• Build a strategy to move from exercise observer to invited participant to funded demonstration within 18 months.
• Coordinate internally so every exercise appearance generates a clear BD outcome: a relationship, a funded follow-on, or requirements influence.
• Assess and pursue teaming arrangements with prime contractors or consortium partners that unlock vehicles or program access not available to Bulwark directly.
• Represent Bulwark at industry events: Sea-Air-Space, Modern Day Marine, WEST, and INDOPACOM-focused forums.
• Manage and direct proposal and capture execution work; ensure BD output is focused on winnable opportunities.
• Build and maintain a pipeline tracker, opportunity cadence, and BD rhythm that gives leadership funnel visibility.
• Hire and develop a BD analyst / capture manager within 9–12 months.

Requirements

• US Citizen or US Permanent Resident (Green Card holder) required for ITAR compliance.
• 5–12 years in defense BD, acquisition, or government affairs — with meaningful time at a non-traditional defense company (startup, DIU, innovation office, or similar).
• Direct experience navigating non-FAR vehicles: OTAs, DIU CSOs, MCWL direct agreements, or equivalent.
• An active network into USMC acquisition (MCSC, MCWL, MCOTEA) and/or INDOPACOM logistics/sustainment communities.
• Track record of moving a company from unknown to first contract — not managing an existing portfolio.
• Player-coach orientation: you write the strategy and you make the calls yourself.

Nice to Have

• Experience at a venture-backed defense tech startup (Anduril, Palantir, Vannevar, Shield AI, Saronic, or comparable) in a BD, growth, or program role.
• Prior service as an acquisition officer (USMC, Army, or Navy) or program office experience with OTA / non-traditional procurement.
• Familiarity with the DIU project manager and MCWL acquisition communities.
• Experience taking a hardware platform through a DoD demonstration or experiment cycle.

This is NOT for you if

• ×A traditional prime contractor BD manager who follows on to existing relationships and contracts.
• ×A policy or government affairs professional without direct acquisition accountability.
• ×Someone who needs a large BD support infrastructure to be effective.