The Business Development Director is responsible for leading Business Development and Capture activities for CAE Defence & Security (D&S) Canada. This role provides strategic leadership across defence domains and is accountable for developing and executing growth strategies, managing key customer and partner relationships, and driving successful program pursuits.
The successful candidate will combine strategic thinking with disciplined Lead-to-Award execution, helping shape opportunities, build customer engagement strategies, and position CAE for profitable growth across Canadian defence markets.
Lead and develop a team of Business Development Managers and provide oversight to Capture Managers through direct or matrix reporting relationships.
Develop and execute short-, medium-, and long-term business development strategies aligned with D&S Canada growth objectives.
Build, maintain, and manage a robust pipeline of opportunities across current and emerging defence markets.
Lead the end-to-end Lead-to-Award process, including opportunity qualification, capture planning, stakeholder engagement, bid strategy development, and pursuit execution.
Support major pursuits across air, naval, mission support, simulation, training, and advanced sensor technology domains.
Shape customer requirements and influence opportunity development through engagement with the Canadian Armed Forces, Department of National Defence, Government of Canada stakeholders, industry partners, and suppliers.
Develop compelling value propositions and business cases that differentiate CAE solutions in competitive procurement environments.
Collaborate with strategy, operations, program management, communications, government relations, and public affairs teams to ensure coordinated customer engagement.
Coordinate pursuit activities across CAE D&S business units, geographic regions, and Civil operations in support of the OneCAE approach.
Provide leadership and governance for proposal and capture activities, including pursuit budgets, bid investments, and business development planning.
Manage significant business development, proposal, and pursuit-related budgets while ensuring alignment with strategic objectives.
Monitor market trends, customer priorities, and competitive activity to identify new growth opportunities.
Coach, mentor, and develop business development professionals to build organizational capability, strengthen employee engagement, and support succession planning.
Foster effective communication and visibility across internal and external stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
Support opportunities ranging from smaller strategic pursuits to complex, multi-billion-dollar programs.
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Science, Business Administration, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Minimum 15 years of experience in business development, capture management, marketing, sales, proposal management, or program management within the Canadian defence industry.
Minimum 10 years of experience working with Canadian defence procurement processes and practices.
Experience leading and developing high-performing teams.
Knowledge of the Canadian defence market, including the Canadian Armed Forces, Department of National Defence, and Government of Canada procurement processes.
Experience managing complex opportunities through structured capture and business development methodologies.
Strong business acumen with the ability to make informed decisions in competitive and evolving market environments.
Strong verbal and written communication skills in English and French.
Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with customers, partners, suppliers, and internal stakeholders.
Ability to obtain and maintain NATO Secret Security Clearance.
Ability to obtain and maintain Controlled Goods Program clearance.
Eligibility to work in Canada as a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or holder of a valid work permit.
Ability to travel within Canada approximately 25% to 40% based on business needs.
Ability to travel internationally up to approximately 10%.
MBA or graduate-level business education.
Experience leading large-scale strategic defence pursuits and capture activities.
Experience managing proposal and pursuit budgets valued in the millions of dollars.
Demonstrated success developing relationships with major OEMs, defence contractors, and industry partners.
Advanced knowledge of defence market trends, competitive positioning, and opportunity qualification techniques.
Experience supporting opportunities across multiple domains, including air, naval, mission support, training, simulation, and advanced technologies.
Experience operating within a global organization and coordinating activities across multiple business units and geographies.
Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and communicate effectively across all organizational levels.
We’ve designed flexible policies to promote well-being and growth, based on role-specific eligibility and requirements:
