Business Development Associate - Naval Systems

Odyssey is seeking an experienced Navy Business Development Associate. This mid-level position will focus on expanding Odyssey's presence across Naval combat, weapons, engineering, integration, and strategic systems programs.

The Navy Business Development Associate will report to the Navy Business Development Manager. This position will own and execute business development activities across the full growth lifecycle-from early customer engagement and opportunity discovery through qualification, capture, teaming, and proposal submission. The role will support a broad portfolio of opportunities and contribute directly to organizational objectives related to pipeline development, new business awards, customer relationships, competitive positioning, investment decisions, and capability expansion.

The successful candidate will serve as a key interface between Odyssey, Navy customers, industry partners, technical experts, and internal leadership. This individual will help identify emerging requirements, shape opportunities, develop differentiated solutions, and position the company for successful contract pursuits.

Duties include, but not limited to:

Establish and maintain trusted relationships with Navy executives, acquisition professionals, engineering leaders, program offices, and technical stakeholders.

• Identify emerging requirements and new business opportunities within the Naval combat and strategic systems marketplace.

• Lead opportunities through qualification, customer shaping, capture planning, teaming, and proposal execution.

• Monitor changes in Navy acquisition strategies and identify opportunities to utilize OTAs, CSOs, rapid acquisition mechanisms, and commercial contracting approaches.

• Develop comprehensive capture strategies supported by competitive intelligence, customer insights, teaming plans, pricing considerations, and differentiated value propositions.

• Partner with Program Managers, engineers, subject-matter experts, and corporate leadership to develop solutions aligned with customer mission requirements.

• Maintain a healthy, actionable business development pipeline and ensure opportunities progress through established capture milestones.

• Coordinate the development of compliant, persuasive, and customer-focused proposals.

• Identify capability gaps and recommend investments, partnerships, or other strategies to strengthen Odyssey's competitive position.

• Support leadership reviews involving opportunity qualification, capture, pricing, teaming, and investment decisions.

Citizenship: Must be a US citizen

Minimum Required Qualifications

Clearance: Active SECRET security clearance or ability to obtain one.

Education: Bachelor's degree or higher in business, engineering, technical studies, or another relevant discipline.

Years of Experience: 5-7 years of relevant professional experience.

• Demonstrated experience working with Naval Surface Warfare Centers and senior Navy stakeholders.

• Experience utilizing alternative acquisition approaches, including Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs), Commercial Solutions Openings (CSOs), and accelerated acquisition processes.

• Demonstrated ability to respond rapidly to task-order opportunities, including customer engagement, opportunity assessment, solution development, and proposal response.

• Established professional relationships within the Navy community and the ability to engage effectively with senior government and corporate executives.

• Proven experience with industry-standard capture management methodologies and opportunity qualification.

• Strong business judgment, communication skills, analytical capabilities, and problem-solving ability.

• Ability to operate effectively in a high-tempo environment with competing priorities and demanding timelines.

• Willingness and ability to travel as required to support customer engagements, captures, and business development activities.

• Strong knowledge of naval engineering principles and systems integration.

• Understanding of operational requirements associated with naval engineering and shipboard environments.

• Familiarity with naval shipboard systems, combat systems, and related engineering disciplines.

Preferred Qualifications:

Clearance: Active SECRET security clearance.

Education: Bachelor's degree or higher in business, engineering, technical studies, or another relevant discipline.

Years of Experience: 7+ years of relevant professional experience.

• Demonstrated experience managing opportunities across the complete business development lifecycle, from early identification and customer engagement through capture and proposal submission.

• Experience developing relationships with OEMs, technology providers, subcontractors, and strategic industry partners.

• Background in B2B business development, technical sales, or strategic account management.

• Understanding of IDIQ contracting vehicles, contract structures, and pricing methodologies, particularly FFP arrangements.

• Experience developing pricing and competitive positioning strategies.

• Strategic thinker with strong executive communication and relationship-building skills.

• Demonstrated ability to translate complex customer challenges into practical, differentiated solutions.

• Experience managing rapid-response task-order opportunities and short proposal timelines.

• Active SECRET security clearance or ability to obtain one.

Additional Information

Location: Strong preference for candidates located in either Norfolk, VA, WA state, and Rhode Island.

Travel: 25-50%

Remote, Onsite, or Hybrid: Hybrid, but would entertain remote with a heavy travel requirement.

#LI-MP1

Odyssey is a world-class technical, engineering, and integration company serving the warfighting ecosystem with airborne integration, ISR, C2, and warfighter readiness capabilities. Odyssey meets the military's operational needs by integrating layered defense systems from equipment, technology, and services to data, information, and business operations. We streamline defense acquisition and sustainment, engineering the technical battlefield with domain-specific proficiency to ensure lethality. Odyssey is dedicated to excellent contract execution, peak organizational performance, and fostering a workplace built on employee care.

Odyssey is proud to live out our core values of commitment, ambition, and respect in our work and communities through OdysseyCares, a philanthropic group focused on giving back through direct donations, an employer match program, and volunteering events.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

Final compensation for this position will be determined by various factors such as the Federal Government contract labor categories and contract wage rates, relevant work experience, specific skills and competencies, geographic location, education, and certifications.

This position is filled through continuous recruitment and will remain open until a sufficient pool of applications has been received.

Hired applicants may be eligible for benefits, including but not limited to, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, Tricare supplement, short-term disability, long-term disability, 401(k) match, flexible spending accounts, health savings accounts, employee assistance program, learning and development benefit, paid time off, and holidays.

Odyssey Benefits