Executive Vice President & General ManagerProducts & Technical Services DivisionBuild the operating system. Launch the portfolio. Scale a new defense technology growth engine.
- Reports To: Chief Executive Officer
- Role: Full-time executive with full division P&L accountability
- Portfolio: Mixed Signal and xG product families, plus aligned government technical services
- Growth Mandate: $0 to $300M in annual sales within five years
- Base Salary: $200,000 to $250,000, plus executive benefits and performance-based incentive compensation
The OpportunityFairwinds Technologies is seeking an entrepreneurial, commercially minded, and operationally disciplined Executive Vice President and General Manager to lead its Products & Technical Services Division. This is a rare opportunity to take ownership of a division at an inflection point: moving from primarily developing products to launching, selling, delivering, supporting, and scaling a growing portfolio of mission-relevant technologies.
Fairwinds has been built through a self-funded, bootstrap approach and is now transitioning from a small business into a medium-sized enterprise. The division is expected to reach break-even this year, establish durable profitability, and scale from $0 in product sales to a targeted $300 million in annual sales within five years.
The EVP & General Manager will operate as the division's business owner, with accountability for strategy, revenue, margin, cash, product execution, government technical services, talent, customer outcomes, and profitable scale. Reporting directly to the CEO, this leader will shape the organization, operating model, portfolio priorities, and go-to-market approach.
This is not a caretaker role. It is a build-and-scale mandate for a leader who wants to create measurable enterprise value and share directly in the success of the division.
The Business You Will Lead- Mixed Signal: Modular, software-defined RF and digital signal processing platforms and applications supporting SATCOM, electronic warfare, resilient communications, and test and measurement.
- xG: Hybrid terrestrial and non-terrestrial networking products, tactical edge devices, secure transport, 5G/NTN capabilities, gateways, orchestration, and Network-as-a-Service offerings.
- Government Technical Services: Customer-funded engineering, R&D, prototyping, integration, testing, and field demonstration work that advances customer missions while maturing reusable product capabilities and intellectual property.
- Commercialization Model: A capital-efficient flywheel in which funded technical services reduce development risk, create customer validation, and accelerate the conversion of engineering outcomes into repeatable products, software, IP, support, and recurring services.
What You Will OwnFull P&L Leadership- Own the division P&L, annual operating plan, bookings, revenue, gross margin, operating income, cash performance, investment priorities, and resource allocation.
- Create a credible path from break-even to sustained profitability while balancing growth, working capital, product investment, technical services delivery, and execution risk.
Product Portfolio and Commercialization- Lead the transition from products in development to market-ready offerings with clear customer problems, requirements, release plans, pricing, positioning, launch criteria, support models, and lifecycle ownership.
- Institutionalize a practical product management framework and stage-gate operating system without creating unnecessary bureaucracy.
- Prioritize the portfolio across Mixed Signal and xG based on customer pull, technical readiness, addressable market, investment required, risk, margin potential, and strategic value.
- Drive repeatable monetization through hardware, software, intellectual property licensing, integration, sustainment, warranties, support, and recurring service offerings.
Government Technical Services and Contract Execution- Lead a portfolio of government-funded technical services that is strategically aligned to the product roadmap.
- Ensure funded R&D, engineering services, prototypes, demonstrations, SBIRs, OTAs, and related contract efforts generate excellent customer outcomes and reusable product assets.
Growth, Sales, and Market Development- Own the division growth strategy from market selection and customer discovery through pipeline, capture, launch customers, channels, partnerships, bookings, and revenue.
- Build an integrated sales and product feedback loop so customer insights directly influence requirements, roadmaps, release timing, pricing, and demonstrations.
- Convert early technical wins, government-funded development, prototypes, and demonstrations into repeatable sales and long-term customer relationships.
Operating System and Organizational Scale- Design and implement the division operating cadence, decision rights, performance scorecards, resource planning, product reviews, program reviews, and cross-functional handoffs.
Leadership and Talent- Recruit, develop, organize, and retain a high-performing cross-functional leadership team capable of launching products and executing complex government programs.
- Create a culture of ownership, urgency, technical rigor, transparency, customer commitment, disciplined decision-making, and continuous improvement.
What Success Looks Like- The division reaches break-even this year and progresses toward consistent, profitable growth.
- A practical product management and stage-gate system is fully adopted, with clear ownership and measurable release decisions.
- Priority Mixed Signal and xG offerings move from development into repeatable launch, sales, delivery, support, and lifecycle execution.
- Government technical services are delivered successfully and intentionally produce reusable product assets, intellectual property, customer proof, and follow-on opportunities.
- The division builds a credible, executable path to $300 million in annual sales within five years.
Candidate ProfileWe are looking for a builder, not simply an administrator. The strongest candidate will combine P&L ownership, product commercialization, federal market experience, technical fluency, and organizational leadership. This person should be equally comfortable discussing portfolio tradeoffs with engineers, contract execution with government stakeholders, financial performance with the CEO, and market adoption with customers and partners.
Required Experience and Capabilities- Demonstrated executive ownership of a business unit, division, product portfolio, or operating segment with accountability for revenue, margin, cash, growth, and delivery.
- A record of scaling an emerging or mid-market business through a meaningful inflection point.
- Experience taking complex technology from R&D or prototype into product launch, repeatable sales, production, delivery, support, and lifecycle management.
- Experience building or operating a product management framework, portfolio process, stage-gate model, or comparable commercialization system.
- Experience in the U.S. federal or defense market, including government-funded R&D, technical services, contracting, capture, and customer engagement.
- Strong financial judgment, including forecasting, budgeting, pricing, margin management, working capital, investment decisions, and cash discipline.
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent relevant experience.
Preferred Background- Experience in defense communications, RF, SDR, SATCOM, electronic warfare, 5G, non-terrestrial networks, C5ISR, networking, edge systems, or related technologies.
- Experience with SBIR, STTR, OTA, BAA, IDIQ, FAR-based contracts, or government product-transition pathways.
- Active security clearance or eligibility to obtain one, if required for assigned programs.
Compensation and Executive UpsideFairwinds intends to structure this opportunity for an executive who values both family stability and meaningful participation in business success.
- Base Salary: $200,000 to $250,000, based on experience and fit.
- Executive Benefits: A fully funded executive benefits package, subject to the terms of the applicable benefit plans.
- Performance Incentive: A division-linked bonus plan designed to reward profitable growth, cash generation, product launches, customer outcomes, and enterprise value creation.
- Compensation Philosophy: The base salary is intended to provide stability and consistency. The performance plan is intended to create substantial upside and, when ambitious division goals are achieved, may represent the majority of total annual compensation.
- Plan Governance: Bonus metrics, thresholds, payout timing, caps, approvals, and all benefit terms will be defined in the applicable offer letter and official plan documents.
Why Join Fairwinds Technologies- Build the product management framework and operating system rather than inheriting unnecessary bureaucracy.
- Work directly with the CEO and influence strategy, investment, organization design, partnerships, and execution.
- Participate financially in the value created through a performance-based executive compensation model.
How to ApplyCandidates should submit a resume and a brief statement describing a business they have scaled, a complex product portfolio they have commercialized, and the measurable P&L outcomes they personally owned.
Compensation- SalaryAt Fairwinds, we consider many factors when it comes to compensation, including the scope of the position as well as your background and experience. Base pay may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, location and experience. Additional incentives may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits.
Position Type/Expected Hours of WorkThis is a full time, exempt position.
Work Authorization/Security Clearance: Must be eligible to work in the US and hold an ACTIVE DOD TOP SECRET CLEARANCE.
