Director of Defense Growth & Strategy - Huntsville & Redstone Arsenal

Location: Huntsville, AL (Hybrid; established local presence required)
Clearance: Active or previously held Secret/Top Secret preferred
Travel: Primarily Huntsville/Redstone Arsenal, may have some travel to the Washington, DC area and other customer locations.

The Opportunity:

Praescient is seeking an entrepreneurial Director of Defense Growth & Strategy to lead our expansion within the Huntsville and Redstone Arsenal markets. As we expand our defense portfolio, we are seeking a Huntsville-based leader to build upon our existing footprint and establish a sustainable, long-term business across the Redstone Arsenal defense community. This is not a traditional business development role focused merely on pipeline tracking or proposal writing. We are seeking an established defense leader-a transitioning or recently retired military officer, former senior government civilian, or accomplished defense executive-who understands the local Army mission environment and wants to build and lead a regional business portfolio. Working directly with Praescient's CEO and executive leadership, you will shape our regional growth strategy, identify emerging mission requirements, build strategic industry partnerships, and convert customer needs into high-value contract opportunities. As the regional portfolio develops, this role is envisioned to evolve into broader executive leadership over local program delivery and operations.

Strategic Focus Areas:

This position focuses primarily on the Army and broader defense organizations at Redstone Arsenal, including:

• U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) & Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM)
• Missile Defense Agency (MDA)
• U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC)
• DEVCOM Aviation & Missile Center
• Missile and Space Intelligence Center (MSIC)
• Army aviation, missile, acquisition, logistics, and intelligence organizations

You will identify key insertion points where Praescient's core capabilities-advanced analytics, AI/ML, data engineering, software modernization, and intelligence support-deliver measurable mission value.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Regional Strategy & Portfolio Growth

• Develop and execute a multi-year growth strategy to establish and scale Praescient's Huntsville defense presence.
• Identify priority customer targets, map emerging mission requirements, and build a balanced pipeline of prime and subcontract opportunities.

2. Customer & Partner Engagement

• Leverage existing relationships to establish long-term trust with military leaders, government program offices, acquisition professionals, and regional industry partners.
• Position Praescient as a knowledgeable, highly credible technology partner across the Redstone Arsenal ecosystem.

3. Opportunity Shaping & Teaming

• Translate complex customer challenges into actionable technical solutions leveraging Praescient's core capabilities.
• Identify established prime contractors, niche small businesses, and strategic partners for teaming arrangements; collaborate with corporate capture, pricing, and proposal teams through award.

4. Portfolio Ownership & Business Accountability

• Take full ownership of the growth and financial success of the Huntsville portfolio.
• Prioritize high-probability opportunities and manage the end-to-end lifecycle from initial engagement to awarded, profitable contracts.

5. Executive Leadership & Strategic Vision

• Serve as a key member of the executive team, offering regional market insights and strategic direction.
• Help shape future local delivery capacity, organizational hiring, and regional investment strategies as the business expands.

Candidate Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• Location: Resident of the Huntsville/Redstone Arsenal region with active professional networks in the local defense market.
• Experience: Significant leadership experience in the U.S. military, federal government, or defense industry, supporting Army, MDA, or related mission sets.
• Domain Expertise: Deep familiarity with Redstone Arsenal customer organizations, funding streams, acquisition practices, and regional industry dynamics.
• Track Record: Demonstrated ability to translate operational requirements into strategic growth, program wins, or organizational initiatives.
• Mindset: Entrepreneurial self-starter motivated by business ownership and long-term value creation rather than short-term transactional sales goals.
• Security Clearance: U.S. citizenship required, with eligibility to obtain and maintain a high-level U.S. government security clearance.

Preferred / Attractive Backgrounds:

• Transitioning/Retired Senior Military Leaders (O-5 to O-6/E-9) with extensive Army or joint defense experience in Huntsville.
• Former Senior Government Civilians (GS-14/15 or SES) with expertise in Army acquisition, modernization, intelligence, or mission operations.
• Defense Industry Executives or Program Directors who have built new customer accounts or grown substantial regional portfolios.
• Seasoned Program Managers/Technical Leaders looking to transition from program execution to building and owning a business unit.

Note: Prior formal federal business development experience is valuable, but strong mission domain knowledge, executive presence, and strategic relationships in Huntsville are highly weighted.

Compensation & Strategic Growth Potential

Praescient offers a highly competitive compensation package featuring performance-driven growth incentives linked directly to portfolio expansion. As you scale our Huntsville footprint across Redstone Arsenal and surrounding markets, this role is structured to expand into broader executive leadership responsibilities. We are actively seeking an entrepreneurial growth leader looking for a long-term home where they can exercise genuine ownership and share directly in the success of the business they help build.

Applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information.

US Citizenship Required