Business Development Manager - Precision Manufacturing
Phoenix Defense· enterprise· Defense & Space· Sep 3, 2026 · 2mo ago
Electronics Mfg Systems / Remote Texas
Remote
Full-time
Manager
$130K–$180K est.
Job description
The Business Development Manager, Precision Manufacturing develops and owns customer relationships with aerospace and defense original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and their tier-one suppliers, converting those relationships into a qualified pipeline, quoted opportunities, and booked orders for the Manufacturing Division. The position is measured on orders and revenue, not on activity.
This is a supply-chain-facing role. The incumbent works with OEM supply chain, strategic sourcing, commodity management, supplier quality, and program engineering organizations to place Phoenix Defense on approved supplier lists, win qualification and first-article work, and convert that work into long-term agreements and repeat order flow. Success requires understanding how an OEM supply chain actually makes buying decisions — make/buy analysis, commodity strategy, supplier scorecards, cost models, and capacity planning — and how a supplier earns a durable position within it.
The position is based in Huntsville, the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, or the Phoenix metropolitan area, or an equivalent aerospace manufacturing center of excellence, with travel to customer facilities and to Phoenix Defense manufacturing operations. A proven track record of opening OEM accounts and closing manufacturing orders is required; this position is not an entry point into aerospace sales.
Essential Duties / Responsibilities:
Customer Development and OEM Engagement
• Build and maintain working relationships across the OEM buying organization — supply chain and strategic sourcing leads, commodity managers, buyers, supplier quality engineers, manufacturing and design engineering, and program management — recognizing that no single one of these functions can award work alone.
• Develop and execute an account plan for each target OEM and tier-one supplier, identifying the commodities they buy, their current supply base, their pain points in cost, lead time, capacity, or quality, and the specific entry point Phoenix Defense can occupy.
• Establish Phoenix Defense as a known and preferred source in assigned commodities through consistent presence, supplier days, technical exchanges, capability presentations, and facility visits.
• Represent the Manufacturing Division at industry and supplier events and at OEM supplier conferences, with a stated objective for each engagement.
Supply Chain Positioning and Qualification
• Drive Phoenix Defense onto customer approved supplier lists (ASL) and through customer supplier qualification, audit, and onboarding processes.
• Coordinate internally with Quality, Operations, and Program Management on customer-driven requirements including AS9100, NADCAP special process accreditation, first article inspection (AS9102), production part approval, counterfeit parts control, and customer-specific quality clauses.
• Understand and work the customer supplier scorecard — on-time delivery, quality escapes, responsiveness — as a growth instrument, and lead recovery engagement when performance places an account at risk.
• Identify and pursue small business, domestic sourcing, and specialty-metals or Berry Amendment-driven sourcing requirements where these create an entry advantage.
Opportunity Development and Quoting
• Identify and qualify opportunities across build-to-print and build-to-spec machining, fabrication, and assembly work, including new programs, resourcing actions, second-source requirements, capacity overflow, and supplier consolidation events.
• Manage the request-for-quote process end to end: gather the technical data package, drive internal estimating and manufacturing engineering review, and deliver a compliant, competitive, on-time quote.
• Work with Operations and Finance on cost basis, should-cost positioning, non-recurring engineering and tooling treatment, lead time commitments, and minimum order quantities, so that quoted work is both winnable and profitable.
• Provide honest capacity and capability feedback into the quote decision. Committing to work the division cannot deliver damages the account more than declining it.
Capture and Close
• Develop win strategy and competitive positioning against the customer’s existing supply base and against alternative sources.
• Negotiate pricing, terms, and delivery commitments in coordination with Contracts and Finance, including flow-down of Federal Acquisition Regulation and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement clauses where applicable.
• Convert qualification and first-article awards into long-term agreements, blanket purchase orders, and repeat order flow. Winning the first part number is the beginning of the capture, not the end of it.
• Transition awarded work to Program Management and Operations with complete customer context, and remain the customer-facing owner of the account relationship.
Account Growth and Retention
• Grow share of wallet within existing accounts by expanding into adjacent part families, commodities, assemblies, and programs.
• Conduct periodic business reviews with assigned customers covering performance, forecast, capacity, and growth opportunities.
• Capture and relay customer demand signal, program forecast changes, and competitive intelligence to Operations for capacity and capital planning.
Pipeline, Reporting, and Operating Cadence
• Maintain pipeline and opportunity data integrity in the customer relationship management (CRM) system, including stage discipline, quote status, and expected order value and timing.
• Report quote volume, quote win rate, bookings, backlog contribution, and account health on the division reporting cadence.
• Support business development inputs to the annual operating plan (AOP) forecast and to capacity and capital planning.
• Coordinate with the Revenue Operations Group where a manufacturing opportunity is connected to a broader Phoenix Defense pursuit or campaign.
Minimum Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, supply chain, or a related field preferred; equivalent industry experience in lieu of a degree accepted.
• Eight to twelve (8-12) years of professional experience, of which five (3) years selling precision manufacturing, machining, fabrication, assemblies, or related contract manufacturing services into aerospace or defense customers is required.
• Proven, verifiable track record of opening new OEM or tier-one accounts and converting them into booked orders and sustained revenue required. Candidates should be prepared to discuss two accounts they personally opened, including how entry was achieved, who made the award decision, what the competitive alternative was, and what the resulting order flow was.
• Demonstrated understanding of the aerospace OEM supply chain — make/buy decision-making, commodity strategy, strategic sourcing organizations, approved supplier lists, supplier qualification and audit, supplier scorecards, and long-term agreements — required.
• Working knowledge of aerospace quality and process requirements including AS9100, NADCAP special processes, first article inspection under AS9102, and customer-specific quality flow-downs required.
• Practical familiarity with precision machining and fabrication processes, engineering drawings and geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, materials, and manufacturing cost drivers sufficient to hold a credible technical conversation with a customer engineer required.
• Experience managing the request-for-quote cycle in a make-to-print environment, including technical data package review, estimating coordination, and quote negotiation, required.
• Established relationships within the aerospace and defense OEM or tier-one supplier base in the target geography strongly desired. Named target customers include, but are not limited to, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, RTX, Boeing, GE Aerospace, Honeywell Aerospace, Textron and Bell, Sikorsky, L3Harris, Leidos and Dynetics, Spirit AeroSystems, and commercial space and missile primes.
• Residence in, or willingness to relocate to, Huntsville, Alabama; the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex; the Phoenix metropolitan area; or an equivalent aerospace manufacturing center of excellence required.
• Working knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, and subcontract flow-down requirements desired; familiarity with Defense Priorities and Allocations System ratings and domestic sourcing requirements desired.
• Proficiency with CRM systems and Microsoft Office products required; familiarity with enterprise resource planning systems in a manufacturing environment desired.
• Excellent presentation, verbal communication, interpersonal, negotiation, problem-solving, and business acumen skills required.
• Ability to manage several accounts and quote actions independently and concurrently under changing priorities, and to work effectively in a high-volume environment, required.
• United States person status as defined under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations required. Ability to obtain and maintain a SECRET security clearance desired.
• Ability to travel approximately 40 – 50 percent to customer facilities, Phoenix Defense manufacturing operations, and industry events required.
JOB CONTEXT / PHYSICAL DEMANDS :
This position is performed primarily in a professional office environment and requires the ability to perform the essential functions of the role. Reasonable accommodations will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
EEOC Statement:
Phoenix Logistics LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The Company does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, and gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. As a federal contractor, the Company takes affirmative action to employ and advance qualified individuals with disabilities and protected veterans.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
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