Director of Business Development

Location: Remote (East Coast preferred; ideal near Navy Fleet concentration areas)

Employment Type: Full-Time

About the Role

RIX Industries is seeking a highly connected and technically fluent Director of Business Development – Naval Systems to lead strategic growth, customer engagement, and long-cycle capture efforts across the .S. Navy ecosystem. In this role, you will be the primary “go-to” representative for RIX within the Naval community—building relationships, shaping opportunities early, and driving complex, multi-year programs that support mission-critical maritime platforms. You will partner closely with Program Management, Senior Leadership, Engineering, and the incumbent BD leader (who will remain onboard for ~1 year to support a smooth transition). This is an exceptional opportunity for a proven Naval BD leader who thrives in a high-visibility, high-impact environment and wants to influence future fleet capabilities through advanced gas generation, precision compressor systems, and cryogenic technologies.

What You’ll Do

• Identify, qualify, and capture new Naval business opportunities aligned with RIX’s strategic growth initiatives
• Build, maintain, and deepen relationships across the Naval ecosystem (Navy customers, program offices/PEOs, shipyards, primes, integrators)
• Monitor Naval market activity, competitive shifts, funding cycles, and emerging technologies; recommend strategies and product directions to senior leadership
• Lead proposal efforts from RFI/RFP to submission, Q&A, award, and post-award debrief
• Provide detailed bookings forecasts, capture strategies, and resource requirements
• Serve as the champion of RIX’s Customer Partnership strategy using VOC best practices
• Collaborate closely with Program Management as a strategic partner to align forecasts, opportunities, and customer communications
• Represent RIX at Marine Machinery Association events, tradeshows, and defense industry forums
• Deliver weekly pursuit updates, capture progress, and market intelligence to the CSO
• Build and sustain strategic relationships across U.S. and international government stakeholders as needed
• Support branding and marketing initiatives to elevate RIX’s presence in Naval markets
• Manage the BD budget for the Naval Systems segment
• Perform all other duties that support the company’s mission and long-term growth

Required Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree (Engineering, Business, Marketing, or related field)
• 10 years of Business Development experience in a Defense/Navy environment
• Strong, active network within the U.S. Navy (maritime and/or aviation)
• Proven success leading long-cycle, complex engineered solution sales (multi-year captures)
• Deep understanding of Navy funding structures, appropriations, and POM processes
• Ability to shape opportunities early through customer engagement and competitive insight
• Strong technical aptitude to understand equipment and speak at an engineering level
• Experience partnering hand-in-hand with Program Management
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills
• Ability to travel up to 50% domestically; some international travel possible
• U.S. Citizenship (no dual citizenship)
• Able to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret Clearance
• Must pass a 10-panel drug screen

Preferred Skills

• MBA or advanced degree
• Formal Business Development training
• Recent experience working closely with shipyards, primes, integrators, or PEOs
• History of success in highly technical defense systems or engineered solutions
• Naval Aviation background

Who You Are

• Deeply embedded in the Naval community with established credibility and relationships
• Strategic, analytical, and skilled at interpreting intelligence into actionable plans
• Highly collaborative—especially with Program Management—operating as a unified team
• Comfortable as the external “face” of RIX at industry events and Naval gatherings
• Organized, proactive, and capable of managing multiple long-term captures
• Confident representing sophisticated, non-commodity technologies
• Self-directed, accountable, and motivated by high-impact work in defense markets

Additional Details

• Base Salary Range: $185,000 – $200,000
• Variable Compensation: 20% target bonus
• Travel: Up to 50%, including tradeshows, shipyards, PEO visits, and DC customer meetings
• Work Style: Fully remote; East Coast strongly preferred, ideally near a Navy hub (e.g., Norfolk)
• Training & Transition: Supported by current incumbent for ~1 year to transfer relationships and domain knowledge