VP and Business Unit Manager (Virginia Beach, VA)

Vice President / Business Unit Director, Product and Platform Systems

Position Overview

The Vice President / Business Unit Director, Product and Platform Systems, is responsible for establishing, leading, and scaling a business unit focused on developing, integrating, and delivering innovative products and platform systems for the U.S. defense and maritime industries. This executive-level role owns the business unit’s overall strategy, financial performance, product portfolio, organizational development, and customer relationships.

Reporting to executive leadership, the Business Unit Director will establish the strategic direction, operating model, and leadership structure required to build a high-performing organization. The role oversees products throughout their lifecycle, from concept development and engineering through testing, qualification, production, fielding, and sustainment, while ensuring alignment with customer requirements, defense acquisition priorities, and applicable regulatory standards.

A key responsibility is building long-term partnerships with shipbuilders, government customers, prime contractors, and supplier networks to expand market opportunities and deliver scalable, commercially viable solutions. The ideal candidate combines substantial defense or maritime industry experience with proven P&L leadership, product development expertise, and the ability to build and lead an organization within a complex, highly regulated environment.

Location: Norfolk, Virginia

Key Responsibilities

Executive Leadership and Business Unit Management

• Establish and lead a new business unit, defining its strategic direction, organizational structure, operating model, and long-term growth objectives.
• Develop and execute annual operating plans and multi-year strategic plans aligned with broader corporate objectives.
• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing leadership team across engineering, quality, safety, program management, operations, and other critical functions.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, performance expectations, and accountability across the organization.
• Create scalable operating processes, governance structures, and management routines that support organizational growth and operational consistency.
• Foster a culture of accountability, engineering discipline, collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer focus.
• Provide regular performance updates, strategic recommendations, and financial reporting to executive leadership.

P&L Ownership and Financial Management

• Own the business unit’s full profit and loss, including revenue, gross margin, operating income, bookings, backlog, and cash flow.
• Establish financial targets, operating budgets, and performance metrics to drive sustainable growth and profitability.
• Determine cost structures, resource allocations, capital investments, and internal research and development priorities.
• Monitor financial performance and implement corrective actions to address variances, improve margins, and achieve business objectives.
• Oversee product portfolio profitability, pricing strategies, and lifecycle investment decisions.
• Establish clear financial and operational distinctions between customer-funded development, internally funded product investments, and customer-specific engineering.
• Evaluate investment opportunities and allocate resources based on market demand, technical feasibility, strategic value, and expected returns.
• Support financial forecasting, business reviews, and long-range planning.

Product Strategy and Portfolio Management

• Define and execute the product and platform roadmap based on customer needs, defense and maritime industry priorities, competitive positioning, and emerging market opportunities.
• Lead the integration and commercialization of existing products and technologies for the U.S. defense market.
• Establish common product architectures, modular designs, and reusable technologies that support multiple customers, platforms, and programs.
• Oversee product portfolio strategy, lifecycle management, pricing, profitability, and investment decisions.
• Identify opportunities to extend existing products into adjacent markets, platforms, and mission applications.
• Develop strategies for protecting intellectual property and managing technical data rights in collaboration with legal and contracts teams.
• Establish scalable product development processes that balance innovation, customization, cost, and long-term commercial viability.
• Evaluate emerging technologies, digital engineering capabilities, and market trends to maintain a competitive product portfolio.

Engineering, Product Development, and Program Execution

• Lead products through the full development lifecycle, including concept development, design, prototyping, testing, qualification, production, fielding, and sustainment.
• Ensure products meet applicable military standards, cybersecurity requirements, technical specifications, and shipboard integration requirements.
• Oversee program execution to ensure delivery within approved schedules, budgets, quality standards, and technical requirements.
• Partner with engineering, program management, operations, and quality teams to resolve technical challenges and maintain delivery commitments.
• Establish consistent processes for product development, engineering reviews, configuration management, quality assurance, and program execution.
• Identify and manage technical, schedule, financial, manufacturing, and supply chain risks across the product portfolio.
• Promote design reuse, standardization, and engineering best practices to improve efficiency and reduce development costs.
• Support earned value management and performance oversight across multiple sites, programs, and product lines.

Customer and Strategic Relationship Management

• Build and maintain executive-level relationships with U.S. shipbuilders, shipyards, defense contractors, government agencies, and supplier networks.
• Engage customers to understand operational needs, technical requirements, procurement priorities, and long-term program objectives.
• Collaborate with shipbuilders and industry partners to integrate products into new-construction, modernization, and sustainment programs.
• Develop relationships with relevant U.S. Navy organizations, Program Executive Offices, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), and other Department of Defense stakeholders.
• Align product development and investment decisions with customer requirements, acquisition timelines, and program opportunities.
• Represent the business unit at industry events, customer reviews, technical forums, and professional associations.
• Maintain a strong understanding of customer priorities, competitive activity, and evolving defense and maritime market requirements.
• Resolve customer concerns and maintain a reputation for reliability, technical excellence, and ethical business practices.

Business Development and Market Expansion

• Partner with business development, finance, and executive leadership to establish a qualified sales pipeline and identify strategic growth opportunities.
• Lead capture planning and contribute to proposal strategies for major pursuits, including bid decisions, pricing, and proposal development.
• Evaluate market opportunities, customer requirements, competitive positioning, and potential returns on investment.
• Develop strategies to expand the business unit’s presence across defense platforms, maritime programs, and adjacent markets.
• Identify opportunities for strategic partnerships, teaming agreements, acquisitions, and technology integration.
• Support the development of long-term customer relationships that position the organization for future contracts and recurring revenue.
• Balance near-term contract opportunities with investments in scalable products and long-term market differentiation.

Compliance, Risk Management, and Operational Excellence

• Ensure business unit operations comply with applicable Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) requirements.
• Maintain compliance with applicable export control regulations, including ITAR and EAR, as well as cybersecurity requirements such as CMMC.
• Ensure adherence to internal policies, contractual obligations, quality standards, and applicable defense industry requirements.
• Establish effective risk management practices covering technical performance, financial exposure, supply chain reliability, schedule commitments, and regulatory compliance.
• Partner with legal, contracts, quality, safety, and security teams to maintain appropriate controls and documentation.
• Promote a culture of ethical conduct, transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Naval Architecture, or a related technical field.
• At least 15 years of experience in the defense, maritime, shipbuilding, or related industrial sector, including 7 or more years in senior leadership positions.
• Demonstrated P&L ownership for a business unit, product line, or division with revenue or financial responsibility of at least $45 million.
• Direct experience working with U.S. shipbuilders, including shipboard systems integration, supplier management, or program delivery.
• Proven track record of taking products from concept through development, qualification, delivery, and fielding within the defense or maritime ecosystem.
• Experience establishing, building, or scaling an organization, including recruiting and developing senior leaders.
• Working knowledge of U.S. Department of Defense acquisition processes, contracting practices, and Navy program structures.
• Strong understanding of product development, engineering execution, manufacturing or production readiness, and lifecycle management.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute business strategies that translate customer and market insights into profitable growth.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen, including budgeting, forecasting, margin management, pricing, and investment decisions.
• Experience building trusted relationships with shipbuilders, prime contractors, government customers, and strategic partners.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams, establish clear performance expectations, and hold leaders accountable for results.
• Strong communication, negotiation, decision-making, and stakeholder management skills.
• High ethical standards and a demonstrated commitment to regulatory compliance and responsible business leadership.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration (MBA), or a related field.
• Experience launching a startup, establishing a new business unit, or leading a turnaround within a larger defense or industrial organization.
• Previous experience with NAVSEA, a U.S. Navy Program Executive Office, or a prime contractor’s shipbuilding program office.
• Experience with mergers and acquisitions integration, strategic partnerships, teaming agreements, or technology commercialization.
• Familiarity with digital engineering, model-based systems engineering (MBSE), open architecture platforms, and modular product design.
• Experience integrating existing technologies or products into new customer markets and defense acquisition programs.
• Familiarity with intellectual property strategy, technical data rights, and government contracting considerations related to product development.
• Experience managing product portfolios across multiple programs, customers, facilities, or geographic locations.