Director, Business Development – Asia Pacific

Role overview

This senior leadership position is focused on accelerating business expansion across defense and aerospace markets in Asia Pacific. Based in Germany, the role sits at the crossroads of government engagement, commercial strategy, and complex procurement, with responsibility for building long-term partnerships with ministries of defense, air forces, and other major stakeholders. It calls for both strategic leadership and practical execution in high-value, mission-critical environments.

You will shape capture approaches, uncover new market opportunities, and influence how the business is positioned across the region for advanced airborne training solutions. In close partnership with senior leaders and cross-functional teams, you will help define and implement regional growth plans within a global organization known for defense innovation and training expertise.

Key accountabilities

The core mandate is to lead business development and government relationship activities across Asia Pacific, supporting growth in defense aviation and airborne training services. You will design and implement go-to-market and public-sector engagement strategies while identifying and developing new opportunities in complex procurement settings.

• Set the regional business development direction by analyzing markets, assessing competitors, and identifying opportunities across APAC defense sectors
• Develop and preserve executive-level connections with defense ministries, air forces, and government decision-makers
• Own capture management work, including responses to RFIs and RFPs, bid strategy, and proposal preparation
• Review market intelligence to understand trends, risks, opportunities, and market size
• Work with engineering, operations, finance, and technical teams to shape feasible solutions
• Represent the organization at defense and aerospace industry events throughout Asia Pacific
• Lead government relations activities, including monitoring regulation and engaging on policy matters
• Assist senior leadership in building regional expansion and partnership plans

Requirements

The ideal candidate brings extensive senior-level experience in business development, capture, or government-facing commercial work within aerospace, defense, or similarly complex public-sector environments. This role suits someone who can pair long-term strategic thinking with strong delivery in regulated, relationship-led markets.

• Background working with Asia Pacific defense ministries, air forces, or public procurement organizations
• Solid experience in business development, bid management, or capture leadership in aerospace or defense
• Strong understanding of defense buying cycles, government structures, and tender processes
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships with executives and government stakeholders
• Strong analytical and strategic planning capability, including competitor and market analysis
• Excellent written and spoken English; additional APAC languages are a plus
• Ability to handle multiple priorities in demanding, deadline-driven situations
• Comfort using CRM systems and standard business tools such as Microsoft Office
• Bachelor’s degree is mandatory; an MBA or similar advanced qualification is beneficial

Perks and benefits

The role offers a competitive compensation package along with flexible working arrangements that support remote and international collaboration. It also provides the chance to contribute to high-impact defense and aerospace programs while gaining exposure to markets across Asia Pacific and globally. Long-term growth, professional development, and a collaborative culture built on integrity, excellence, and teamwork are also part of the opportunity. Travel across key strategic markets is expected.

Additional information

This opportunity is posted on behalf of a partner organization, which will handle all applications and subsequent hiring steps. Applications are reviewed through an AI-assisted matching process that helps identify candidates aligned with the role’s core requirements before the shortlist is passed to the hiring company. Final interviews, assessments, and hiring decisions are managed directly by the employer’s internal team.

Data privacy notice

By applying, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed to assess your suitability for the role and shared with the hiring employer under applicable data protection laws, including GDPR. You may exercise your rights to access, correct, delete, or object to processing at any time. AI tools may be used to support parts of the recruitment workflow, such as application review and resume analysis, but they do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are made by people.