Senior Business Development Manager - Herndon Area, VA | Airbus Job

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Job Description:

Position Summary: 
 

North America is a critical region for the global growth ambitions of Airbus Customer Services. The Senior Business Development Manager for North America will identify, evaluate, and advance strategic growth opportunities and regional transformation initiatives that strengthen Airbus’ services offering, competitiveness, and long-term commercial performance in the region.

Reporting to the Head of Business Development North America for Airbus Americas Customer Services, the jobholder will translate customer needs and market developments into executable business opportunities, partnership strategies, business cases, and transformation projects. The jobholder will lead an assigned portfolio from initial identification through investment decision, launch, and implementation handover.

The role serves as a key link between North American customers, regional stakeholders and Airbus’ global Customer Services business lines. Success requires strong strategic, commercial, and financial judgment, sufficient technical understanding of the aerospace aftermarket, and the ability to lead complex cross-functional initiatives without direct authority.

Primary Responsibilities:

Regional Growth and Opportunity Development (40%):

• Execute priorities established through the North American Customer Services strategic pipeline

• Identify and prioritize new services, capabilities, business models, and partnerships by translating customer needs and regional market developments into actionable recommendations.

• Engage customers, suppliers, MROs, technology providers, and potential partners in coordination with regional and global Customer Services stakeholders, and represent the team in relevant multi-functional forums.

Opportunity Maturation and Project Leadership (40%):

• Lead assigned opportunities from initial concept through business case, approval, launch readiness, and implementation handover.

• Define the value proposition, service scope, operating and delivery model, route to market, partnership approach, and implementation roadmap in collaboration with relevant functions.

• Develop decision ready business cases covering demand, revenue, profitability, investment, cash flow, lifecycle returns, resource requirements, sensitivities, and risks, including evaluation of build, buy, and partnership alternatives.

• Lead cross-functional transformation and partnership projects, establishing appropriate governance and driving decisions, delivery, risk resolution, and realization of approved benefits.

• Coordinate partner evaluation, due diligence, and the development and negotiation of business and contractual frameworks with Legal, Procurement, Finance, M&A, and other responsible functions.
   

Regional and Global Integration (20%):

• Serve as the North American focal for selected global and regional business development initiatives, providing relevant customer, market, competitive, regulatory, economic, and operational context.

• Ensure assigned initiatives align with the broader Customer Services growth and transformation portfolio, identifying dependencies and presenting concise recommendations to regional and global leadership.

Qualified Experience / Skills / Training:  

• Degree in aeronautical or aerospace engineering.

• MBA or another relevant advanced degree.

• Experience with commercial aircraft upgrades, modification development, certification, MRO operations, or regional services capability development.

• Experience with strategic partnerships, joint ventures, due diligence, or M&A-related processes.

• Familiarity with the North American commercial aviation and aerospace aftermarket.

Education:  Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, economics, aviation, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience. An aerospace engineering background and/or MBA is preferred.

Experience: Approximately 15 years of progressive relevant experience, including significant aerospace, aftermarket, business development, transformation, or complex program leadership experience.

Licensure/Certifications: None required. Relevant project-management, finance, or commercial certifications are beneficial but not required.

Communication Skills (Spoken, Written, Influencing, Proficiency in Other Languages):

• Fluent in English.

• Demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical, commercial, and strategic matters clearly to customers, partners, project teams, and senior executives.

• French and/or Spanish proficiency is preferred.

Travel Required: Up to 40% domestic and international travel, including travel to customer, partner, and Airbus locations.

Decision Making, Complexity:

• The jobholder operates in an environment characterized by ambiguity, incomplete information, competing stakeholder interests, and significant technical, commercial, and organizational interdependencies.
   

• The jobholder is expected to exercise independent judgment in evaluating opportunities, structuring business cases, recommending partnership or delivery models, prioritizing work, and resolving project issues. The jobholder will make recommendations that may influence regional strategy, customer relationships, resource allocation, investment decisions, revenue, margin, and long-term Airbus capabilities.
   

• The jobholder has authority to lead assigned activities within approved project charters and delegated authorities. Final investment, pricing, contractual, and organizational commitments remain subject to applicable Airbus governance and delegations.

Organizational information:

• The jobholder reports operationally to the Head of Business Development North America for Customer Services
   

• This is a senior individual-contributor position with no direct reports. The jobholder regularly leads multi-functional teams, project work packages, and external-partner activities through influence and matrix leadership.

Job Dimensions, Contributions to Success:

• The position is responsible for an assigned portfolio of strategic growth opportunities, regional transformation initiatives, and partnership projects. These activities may materially influence Customer Services revenue, profitability, investment requirements, operating capabilities, and customer relationships.
   

• The jobholder develops business cases and recommendations affecting commercial opportunities, project resources, and capital or operating investment. The position does not carry direct P&L or contractual-signature authority unless separately delegated.
   

Success will be assessed through measures such as:

• Quality, strategic relevance, and value potential of the qualified opportunity portfolio

• Progression and conversion of opportunities through defined decision gates

• Quality and timeliness of business cases and executive recommendations

• Delivery of projects against approved scope, milestones, resources, and risk parameters

• Successful establishment of partnerships or regional capabilities

• Effective implementation handover and realization of approved commercial or operational benefits

• Quality of customer, partner, and internal stakeholder engagement

• Portfolio value, influenced revenue, investment responsibility, and expected annual project volume should be quantified in this section based on approved regional targets.

Nature of Contacts:

• The jobholder engages daily in high-level stakeholder management and frequently performs at negotiation level with internal and external stakeholders.
   

• Internal contacts include regional and global Customer Services leadership, Sales, Airbus Customer Services business lines, Engineering, Programs, Operations, Finance, Legal, Procurement, Strategy, M&A, Quality, and other Airbus entities.
   

• External contacts may include airline customers, lessors, MRO providers, suppliers, technology companies, prospective partners, consultants, and regulatory stakeholders, as applicable. Interactions may involve commercially sensitive information, competing priorities, executive-level communication, and complex negotiations.

This job requires an awareness of any potential compliance risks and a commitment to act with integrity, as the foundation for the Company’s success, reputation and sustainable growth.

Company:

Airbus Americas Customer Services, Inc.

Employment Type:

US - Direct Hire

Experience Level:

Professional

Remote Type:

On-site

Job Family:

Customer Account and Service Management

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