Senior Director of Capture, Defense

Pivotal is the leader in the emerging market of electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. We design, develop, and manufacture light eVTOL aircraft and are renowned for BlackFly, the first light eVTOL to fly manned missions and enter the consumer and defense markets.

Efficient, compact, and simple, Pivotal vehicles are designed for a wide range of applications, including civilian and defense. Our distinctive tilt-aircraft architecture and scalable platform design have been preparing to enter the market for over 10 years. We recently announced our next-generation aircraft, the Helix, planned for general release and scalable production in 2026. Our current defense use cases include C-UAS, CASEVAC, Contested Logistics, Re-Supply, and tactical insertion and extraction. Mobility is one of the most highly valued areas of technological investment today. This is the right company, in the right space, the right strategy, at the right time. We invite you to join our amazing team and grow with us.

Responsibilities

• Leverage company’s already operational dual-use lightweight eVTOL technology and identify, cultivate and ultimately meet high-value mission needs: some defined and many are yet-to-be defined by DoD end users. Pursue applications that can be met well (e.g. operational performance, economics, time to operational readiness … or some combination of these factors) by the company’s air vehicle architecture and technology, autonomy, and systems integration capabilities. Applications will include manned, unmanned (UAS), manned unmanned teaming (MUM-T) and optionally manned missions
• This leader will collaborate across the joint branches of the US Military, to include requirements generation customers, centers of excellence, acquisition centers, research and development activities, COCOMs, user commands, and defense technology incubator organizations to identify, cultivate, and grow developmental, experiment, and procurement opportunities and create investment opportunities by defense organizations. Focus should first be on those organizations with the highest conversion potential to address the customer’s near-term operational needs that are aligned with the company’s roadmap
• This leader has relationships with and experience furthering collaboration and winning contract awards for development and demonstration within the defense innovation ecosystem including organizations such as SOFWERX, DIU, AFWERX Agility Prime, Marine Corps Warfighting Lab, AFRL, Joint Rapid Acquisition Cell (JRAC), DIU, and NavalX. The individual needs to possess the ability to engage and collaborate with selected combatant commands (e.g. SOCOM, CENTCOM) to develop and nurture end-user “pull” while informing solution requirements for the company
• The individual should be highly competent in collaborating internally with executive leadership, engineering, operations and training, product management, and potentially, 3rd party partners, to ensure appropriate and effective opportunity shaping occurs, and that technology and capability demonstrations are executed flawlessly.
• This is a very hands-on role and will be supported with additional talent (e.g. account managers, program managers, customer support staff) as opportunities are brought in and commitments inked. This leader has experience working with DoD while employed at “best practice” contractors and smaller organizations, ideally venture funded start up organizations. He/she understands the flexibility and resourcefulness required of such a role.
  
  
  
  

Preferred Qualifications
5 years in the US military, ideally with aviation experience

10-15 years of progressive experience in:

• Defense business development
• Government sales
• Capture management
  
  
  
  

Understanding of Defense Acquisition and DFAR

Experience in proposal writing

Proven success working with:

• DoD customers (e.g. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, SOCOM)
• Federal agencies (DHS, DOJ, IC, etc.)
  
  
  
  

Experience with prime contractors, major subcontractors, or OEMs is highly valued

Experience with:

• Emerging technologies (AI/ML, autonomy, aviation, etc.)
• IDIQ, SBIR/STTR, FFP, OTAs and nontraditional contracting
  
  
  
  

Experience supporting:

• International defense sales (FMS, DCS)
  
  
  
  

Existing portfolio of active customers and network

Established relationships with:

• Program Executive Offices (PEOs)
• Program Managers (PMs)
• Contracting Officers
• End User commands
  
  
  
  

Credibility with:

• Military leadership from COCOM leaders to small units
• Government civilians from Senior Executive Service leaders to program managers and requirements developers
• Industry partners
  
  
  
  

Ability to open doors and influence requirements early

SECRET security clearance

Ability to deliver “The Message to Garcia” each day

Attributes aligned with Core Values

• Demonstrates a proactive safety mindset by embedding safety into daily operations, identifying and mitigating risks through assessments and training, encouraging open dialogue on safety concerns, and continuously improving protocols to ensure a safe work environment.
• Puts customers at the center of every action by deeply understanding their challenges, delivering exceptional value, and striving to exceed expectations to support their success as our core purpose.
• Actively seeks and values diverse stakeholder perspectives, builds cross-functional relationships, and fosters trust through empathetic, fact-based communication—committing to shared decisions for the greater good.
• Drives results with clarity and purpose by focusing on what matters most, adapting to change, taking initiative, and owning outcomes while aligning actions with a clear understanding of success at every level.
• Navigates ambiguity with resilience and bold thinking, challenges the status quo, and combines innovative ideas with practical best practices to overcome obstacles and drive progress.
• Fosters a high-performance culture grounded in respect, professionalism, and support—balancing high expectations with a healthy, collaborative environment and being a trusted, dependable teammate.
  
  
  
  

Applicants must be a United States citizen and willing to work onsite at our HQ office in Palo Alto, CA as required. The ideal candidate will be based in the Washington D.C metro area and may be required to travel overseas from time to time

Pivotal offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, and 401k plans.

Pivotal is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Pivotal does not discriminate on the basis ofbased on race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is based on qualifications, merit, and business need.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.