Vice President of Business Development

Empower AI is AI for government. Empower AI gives federal agency leaders the tools to elevate the potential of their workforce with a direct path for meaningful transformation. Headquartered in Reston, Va., Empower AI leverages three decades of experience solving complex challenges in Health, Defense, and Civilian missions. Our proven Empower AI Platform® provides a practical, sustainable path for clients to achieve transformation that is true to who they are, what they do, how they work, with the resources they have. The result is a government workforce that is exponentially more creative and productive. For more information, visit www.Empower.ai.

Empower AI is proud to be recognized as a 2024 Military Friendly Employer by Viqtory, the publisher of G.I. Jobs. This designation reflects the company’s commitment to hiring and supporting active-duty and veteran employees.

The Vice President, Business Development – Federal Civilian is a senior growth leader responsible for developing and executing strategies that expand Empower AI’s presence across the Federal Civilian market, with particular emphasis on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including USCIS and CBP, the Department of State (DoS), and other strategic civilian agencies.

This executive will serve as a trusted representative of Empower AI with senior government customers, industry executives, technology partners, and strategic teammates. The Vice President will combine deep customer relationships, market insight, business development expertise, and capture experience to identify emerging requirements, shape opportunities well in advance of solicitation, build a sustainable qualified pipeline, and lead the company toward major competitive wins.

The successful candidate will bring a strong understanding of the Federal Civilian technology market and an established record of developing enduring customer relationships and translating those relationships into meaningful business outcomes. This individual must be equally comfortable developing an executive-level account strategy, engaging with senior government and industry leaders, shaping a complex acquisition, and working alongside capture, solution, proposal, delivery, and pricing teams to develop differentiated approaches that increase Empower AI’s probability of win.

As a Vice President and member of the senior Growth leadership team, this individual will have responsibility beyond individual pursuits. The role requires leadership, sound business judgment, collaboration across the enterprise, and personal accountability for achieving measurable growth. The Vice President will help shape Empower AI’s Federal Civilian strategy, strengthen the company’s market presence, develop strategic partnerships, and position the organization for sustained long-term growth.

POSITION RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and execute a comprehensive growth and account strategy for assigned Federal Civilian markets, with emphasis on DHS and its components, including USCIS and CBP, the Department of State, and other priority civilian agencies.
• Serve as the senior business development and account leader for assigned customers, maintaining continuous engagement with senior government executives, mission leaders, program offices, acquisition organizations, and other key stakeholders.
• Establish and maintain trusted, long-term customer relationships that provide insight into mission priorities, technology challenges, acquisition strategies, funding priorities, and emerging requirements.
• Build, manage, and continuously mature a qualified pipeline capable of supporting Empower AI’s annual and long-range bookings and revenue objectives.
• Identify, qualify, shape, and advance strategic opportunities, including individual pursuits valued at $50M and above, with particular emphasis on opportunities aligned with Empower AI’s capabilities in artificial intelligence, automation, IT modernization, digital transformation, cloud, cybersecurity, data analytics, infrastructure, and mission support.
• Engage customers well in advance of formal solicitations to understand desired mission outcomes and help position differentiated solutions that address customer priorities rather than simply responding to published requirements.
• Develop and maintain executive-level account plans that identify customer priorities, relationships, competitive positioning, incumbent landscape, acquisition pathways, contract vehicles, potential partners, and specific actions required to grow the account.
• Provide leadership during the transition of qualified opportunities from business development into formal capture, maintaining active involvement throughout the pursuit lifecycle and ensuring continuity of customer and competitive intelligence.
• Partner closely with Capture Managers, Solution Architects, Proposal Managers, Pricing, Finance, Contracts, and operational leadership to develop integrated win strategies and compelling customer-focused solutions.
• Actively participate in strategic captures, solution development, competitive assessments, teaming decisions, pricing discussions, gate reviews, color-team reviews, oral presentation preparation, and other activities necessary to maximize probability of win.
• Identify, develop, and maintain strategic relationships with large and mid-tier businesses, small businesses, technology companies, OEMs, and other industry partners that strengthen Empower AI’s competitive position.
• Build creative teaming and go-to-market strategies that expand access to customers, contract vehicles, capabilities, and new markets.
• Maintain a detailed understanding of the competitive landscape, including incumbent contractors, emerging competitors, customer perceptions, contract vehicles, acquisition trends, and competitor strengths and vulnerabilities.
• Leverage market intelligence, customer engagement, industry relationships, and competitive analysis to identify opportunities before they become broadly visible in the market.
• Represent Empower AI at executive-level customer meetings, industry conferences, government forums, association events, partner engagements, and other strategic activities that enhance the company’s visibility and reputation across the Federal Civilian market.
• Maintain a strong professional network throughout the Federal Civilian and government technology communities and use that network appropriately to strengthen Empower AI’s understanding of customers, missions, acquisitions, technologies, and market trends.
• Provide executive leadership with accurate, concise, and actionable assessments of account strategy, customer relationships, opportunity status, competitive position, pipeline health, forecast, probability of win, and risks.
• Maintain disciplined and accurate opportunity information within Empower AI’s CRM and growth management systems, ensuring leadership has reliable information for forecasting, resource allocation, and investment decisions.
• Ensure assigned opportunities comply with Empower AI’s growth processes, including opportunity qualification, gate reviews, capture planning, competitive assessments, solution development, investment decisions, and pricing strategy.
• Evaluate the quality of the pipeline continuously and make disciplined recommendations regarding where Empower AI should invest, compete, partner, or disengage.
• Collaborate with delivery executives and program leadership to identify customer expansion opportunities and leverage successful program performance to create new growth.
• Work across organizational boundaries to connect customer needs with Empower AI capabilities, technical talent, past performance, intellectual property, strategic partnerships, and emerging technologies.
• Contribute to corporate growth strategy and market planning as a senior member of the Growth organization, bringing forward customer intelligence, market observations, lessons learned, and recommendations regarding future investment.
• Mentor and support other members of the Growth organization, sharing customer knowledge, relationships, market intelligence, and business development best practices that strengthen the overall team.
• Demonstrate the executive presence, integrity, judgment, collaboration, accountability, and commitment to winning expected of a Vice President and senior leader within Empower AI.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

• Demonstrated record of success in senior-level business development, sales, capture, account management, or client relationship leadership within the Federal Government market.
• Extensive knowledge of the Federal Civilian market, with established experience supporting DHS, USCIS, CBP, Department of State, or other large Federal Civilian organizations.
• Strong and current professional relationships across the Federal Civilian community, including government executives, mission and technology leaders, acquisition professionals, industry executives, and strategic partners.
• Demonstrated ability to establish credibility with senior customers and develop authentic, trusted relationships that lead to greater customer understanding and long-term business opportunities.
• Proven experience developing new business from early market identification through opportunity qualification, shaping, capture, proposal, and award.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and shape large, complex Federal opportunities before formal solicitation release.
• Experience developing and executing strategic account plans and translating customer priorities into actionable growth strategies.
• Demonstrated experience managing a substantial Federal opportunity pipeline and delivering against bookings, revenue, or sales objectives.
• Experience leading or materially contributing to the pursuit and award of large Federal contracts, including opportunities valued at $50M or greater.
• Strong understanding of the Federal acquisition lifecycle, competitive procurement environment, IDIQ and BPA contracting models, task-order competitions, and major governmentwide and agency-specific contract vehicles.
• Experience working across business development, capture, proposals, solutions, pricing, contracts, finance, and operations to develop integrated pursuit strategies.
• Ability to understand complex technology and mission challenges and communicate Empower AI’s value proposition effectively to both technical and executive audiences.
• Strong business judgment and the ability to distinguish between activity and meaningful progress toward a competitive win.
• Ability to develop creative and differentiated approaches to customer engagement, opportunity shaping, competitive positioning, and strategic teaming.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with senior government officials, corporate executives, partners, and internal leadership.
• Strong executive presence and ability to represent Empower AI professionally in high-level customer, partner, and industry engagements.
• Demonstrated ability to operate successfully in a highly collaborative environment while maintaining personal accountability for results.
• Ability to manage multiple strategic priorities and opportunities simultaneously in a fast-paced growth environment.
• High level of initiative, intellectual curiosity, competitive drive, integrity, and commitment to customer mission success.
• Experience using CRM, pipeline management, and forecasting platforms. Experience with ServiceNow or comparable growth management tools is preferred.
• Active participation and leadership within Federal technology, government-industry, or professional associations is desirable.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Information Technology, Engineering, Public Administration, or a related discipline required. Relevant professional experience may be considered in accordance with company policy.
• Minimum of 15 years of progressively responsible experience in Federal business development, sales, capture, client relationship management, account leadership, or a related growth function.
• Significant experience supporting the Federal Civilian market, with demonstrated knowledge of DHS and its components, Department of State, or other major Federal Civilian agencies.
• Demonstrated history of building senior customer relationships and developing those relationships into sustainable account growth.
• Demonstrated record of developing, shaping, pursuing, and winning complex Federal technology and professional services opportunities.
• Experience serving in a senior leadership capacity with responsibility for major accounts, market segments, revenue or bookings objectives, or strategic Federal pursuits.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to do the following:

• Communicate verbally and respond to verbal communications in person and over the phone
• Communicate clearly and succinctly in writing, primarily utilizing a keyboard
• Engage in intermittent physical activity, including bending, reaching, lifting, filing, and prolonged periods of sitting
• Travel minimally, via car or plane, which requires ability to manage luggage, laptop, and briefing materials (up to 25 pounds)

All hiring and promotion decisions at Empower AI are based on merit to bring the best talent available to contribute to our firm’s overall success. It is the policy of Empower AI not to discriminate against any applicant for employment, or employee because of age, color, sex, disability, national origin, race, religion, or veteran status. Empower AI is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

If hired for this position, the base salary range would be within the range provided. The base salary range represents the anticipated low and high end of the salary range for this position. Actual salaries may vary based on various factors including but not limited to work location, skills, experience, gov con contractual requirements, and performance. The range listed is just one component of Empower AI's total compensation package for employees.