Pre-Sales Director | Aerospace-Defense

***Citizenship is strictly required for this role in accordance with federal contract compliance standards.

The Opportunity

StaffRight Associates is recruiting for a industry-leading aerospace and defense partner in McLean, Virginia, to identify an accomplished executive leader for a critical, high-impact Pre-Sales Director position. Operating at the intersection of commercial strategy, product management, and research and development, this pivotal role serves as the central force aligning technical execution with high-value revenue generation.

As the orchestrator of a global matrixed solution engineering function, the successful candidate will shape the enterprise''''''''''''''''s worldwide technical sales framework, establish best-in-class methodologies, and drive cross-functional collaboration models. StaffRight Associates is managing the end-to-end recruitment process to secure top-tier talent capable of transforming complex defense and hardware ecosystem requirements into market-winning commercial strategies.

What You’ll Do

• Architect, mentor, and direct a global cohort of solution architects and technical sales engineers to optimize daily performance and cross-functional throughput.

• Strategize pre-sales resource allocation, deploying expert capabilities based on deal urgency, technical complexity, and strategic commercial impact.

• Elevate team capabilities by instituting structured development paths focused on advanced technical design, presentation mastery, and strategic client engagement.

• Spearhead deep-dive discovery sessions with prospective defense and enterprise clients to decipher intricate operational requirements and technical constraints.

• Author and deliver high-impact technical demonstrations, comprehensive solution proposals, and targeted proof-of-concept validation workflows.

• Champion the technical proposal architecture for critical RFPs and RFIs, ensuring precise alignment between solution capabilities and complex bid specifications.

• Establish standardized technical sales collateral, including demo frameworks, bid documentation, architectural templates, and product intelligence assets.

• Synthesize critical field insights and operational client feedback into actionable intelligence for product and engineering teams to drive ongoing solution refinement.

• Partner directly with executive sales leadership to formulate broad market penetration strategies and bespoke account-level pursuit plans.

• Transition closed deals seamlessly to delivery and project management teams through rigorous knowledge-transfer protocols.

• Validate the technical feasibility and architectural viability of all proposed enterprise deployments prior to final commercial commitment.

• Cultivate an organizational culture centered on operational excellence, structured execution, and continuous methodological improvement.

What You Bring

• Bachelors Degree in Engineering or an equivalent technical field of study.

• 10 To 25 Years of overall professional experience, including at least 5 years in direct executive leadership over Pre-Sales, Sales Engineering, or Solution Architecture teams.

• Hardware Environments experience alongside deep technical fluency in complex Aerospace / Defense systems and solution ecosystems.

• Pre-Sales Leadership expertise with a demonstrated track record of scaling global pre-sales operations, matrix management, and establishing Agile Frameworks or structured go-to-market methodologies.

• Technical Writing mastery alongside superior verbal communication and public speaking capabilities in English.

• Proposal Development experience, specifically leading complex technical responses for RFP / RFI submissions.

• Solution Presentation skills, with a history of designing client-tailored Proof Of Concept (POC) frameworks and high-level product demonstrations.

• Strategic Business Acumen with the proven ability to translate complex technical specifications into strategic financial and commercial value propositions.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration expertise, demonstrating success bridging operations across Research And Development, Product Management, Sales Strategy, and Project Management.

• Global Team Management experience with a strong aptitude for dynamic resource allocation, time management, and execution within high-pressure environments.

Compensation & Total Rewards

• Base salary range of $175,000 to $210,000 annually.

• Top-tier benefits package.

• Generous 401(k) retirement program.

Joining StaffRight Associates

When you partner with StaffRight Associates in your search for your next role, you’re doing more than pursuing a job, you’re aligning yourself with a team of experts committed to placing top-tier talent in truly impactful positions. We take pride in fostering professional growth and connecting forward-thinking individuals with organizations that value innovation and excellence. We look forward to showcasing your expertise in a way that resonates with our clients and opens the door to meaningful opportunities.