The Air Force Growth Lead is responsible for driving strategic growth within the United States Air Force by identifying operational mission challenges, positioning FTI Defense’s technology and solutions to address those challenges, and leading the progression from initial mission engagement to contract win and scaled operational adoption. This role blends traditional government business development with a modern, technology-led solution sales approach focused on solving mission and operational problems through integrated capabilities rather than solely pursuing transactional contracts.

The Air Force Growth Lead serves as FTI Defense’s senior growth representative for the Air Force account. The role requires deep understanding of Air Force missions, operational environments, sustainment ecosystems, acquisition pathways, and decision structures, combined with the ability to translate mission needs into compelling solution narratives that lead to program adoption, mission impact, and long-term expansion. The ideal candidate maintains trusted relationships across operational, sustainment, logistics, maintenance, acquisition, cyber, and mission-support communities and is viewed as a credible mission partner capable of opening doors through deep operational understanding and established Air Force relationships.

This individual reports directly to the Chief Growth Officer and works closely with internal technology, engineering, operations, capture, and growth teams to align customer mission problems with the company’s capabilities, shape opportunities before formal acquisition activity exists, and convert mission relevance into contract opportunities and successful program execution.

• Drive Air Force market growth.
• Lead all growth activities within the Air Force pipeline, developing and executing account strategies that position the company’s solutions as mission-relevant capabilities.
• Identify current and future mission problems and shape solutions.
• Cultivate and mature value propositions around solutions and long-term partnerships.
• Engage stakeholders across operational, sustainment, logistics, maintenance, acquisition, cyber, and mission-support communities to understand emerging mission challenges and align the company’s platforms and capabilities to operational needs.
• Execute a mission focused solution sales approach.
• Move beyond traditional opportunity tracking by building demand through mission engagement, demonstrations, pilots, prototypes, operational experimentation, and early adoption programs.
• Identify, qualify, and mature opportunities from early mission engagement through capture and proposal stages across multiple acquisition pathways (SBIR, OTA, CSO, MAC, IDIQ, and other vehicles).
• Build lasting and trusted strategic relationships across operational, sustainment, logistics, maintenance, acquisition, cyber, and mission-support communities within the Air Force ecosystem.
• Work closely with technology, engineering, capture and proposal teams, operations, and shared services to ensure opportunities are properly shaped, resourced, and executed.
• After initial wins, drive expansion within Air Force organizations by identifying additional mission users/applications and scaling adoption across commands and programs.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to operational and acquisition stakeholders by understanding mission execution challenges, operational readiness concerns, sustainment pressures, and modernization priorities.
• Help position FTI Defense as a strategic operational partner rather than solely a technology vendor or staffing provider.
• Provide operational market intelligence related to mission priorities, sustainment requirements, modernization initiatives, readiness gaps, and emerging Air Force technology demands.

• Must be a U.S. citizen and possess an active Top Secret level security clearance.
• 10+ years of experience supporting Air Force or Department of Defense operational, sustainment, acquisition, mission-support, or modernization environments.
• Demonstrated understanding of Air Force missions, operational ecosystems, sustainment operations, logistics, maintenance, acquisition pathways, and mission priorities.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships across operational, sustainment, logistics, maintenance, acquisition, cyber, and mission-support communities within the Air Force ecosystem.
• Strong understanding of DoD acquisition pathways, including OTAs, SBIR/STTR, and major contract vehicles.
• Experience supporting or selling software, analytics, AI, modeling and simulation, cyber, digital mission capabilities, readiness technologies, or operational support solutions.
• Proven ability to develop pipeline and mature opportunities from early mission engagement through contract award.
• Existing network across operational, sustainment, logistics, maintenance, acquisition, cyber, and mission-support communities within the Air Force ecosystem.
• Preferred candidates will possess prior operational Air Force experience, direct mission-support experience, or extensive embedded experience supporting operational Air Force organizations.
• Candidates should maintain current and active relationships across operational, sustainment, logistics, maintenance, acquisition, cyber, and mission-support communities within the Air Force ecosystem.
• Experience supporting organizations such as AFMC, ACC, PACAF, USAFE, AFGSC, AFSOC, AMC, AFRC, strategic joint organizations, operational wings, sustainment centers, depot maintenance organizations, logistics readiness organizations, cyber operations organizations, or command-and-control mission areas is strongly preferred.

Key Competencies:

• Deep appreciation for the operational challenges facing the Air Force and the ability to translate those challenges into technology opportunities.
• Ability to position integrated capabilities that solve mission problems rather than selling individual products or services.
• Skilled at building trust across operational, sustainment, logistics, maintenance, acquisition, cyber, and mission-support communities.
• Ability to influence requirements and acquisition strategies early in the lifecycle.
• Works seamlessly with engineering, product, capture, operations, and executive leadership to move opportunities forward.
• Must have strong communication and presentation skills.
• Experience with CRM systems to track pipeline actionability and customer engagement plans.
• Ability to establish credibility quickly within operational mission environments through lived experience, mission understanding, and trusted relationships.
• Strong understanding of operational mission execution, readiness, sustainment, logistics, maintenance, and lifecycle support environments.
• Ability to identify mission friction points and align innovative technologies to operational needs before formal acquisition activity occurs.
• Builder mentality with the ability to create demand, shape opportunities, and drive long-term mission adoption through operational relevance and trusted engagement.

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