Regional Business Development Director **Remote** Must be located in the Midwest or Eastern part of the US

Aviation & Complex Secure Logistics

The candidate is a senior individual contributor responsible for developing and executing the commercial strategy for growth across the aviation, aerospace, AOG, OEM, MRO, and complex secure logistics markets.

The Director will identify, develop, and close new business with airlines, aircraft and component manufacturers, maintenance and repair organizations, aviation suppliers, and other organizations requiring mission-critical, high-value, secure, or time-sensitive transportation solutions.

This role requires a proven new-business hunter with deep knowledge of the aviation and/or time-critical logistics marketplace, established industry relationships, and the ability to develop opportunities from initial prospecting through solution design, commercial negotiation, contract award, and implementation.

The successful candidate will combine strong industry knowledge with executive-level selling capabilities and will collaborate across Marken and UPS to develop differentiated solutions leveraging capabilities including AOG, Next Flight Out (NFO), expedited transportation, critical parts logistics, specialized handling, secure transportation, global forwarding, and other complex logistics services.

This is primarily an individual contributor and revenue-generating role, rather than a people-management position.

Main Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive business development strategy for aviation, aerospace, AOG, OEM, MRO, and complex secure logistics markets.
• Identify and target airlines, aircraft manufacturers, aerospace OEMs, MRO organizations, component manufacturers, aviation suppliers, and other organizations with complex or mission-critical logistics requirements.
• Build a sustainable pipeline of qualified opportunities capable of delivering significant profitable new revenue.
• Proactively prospect and establish new customer relationships rather than relying primarily on inbound opportunities or existing accounts.
• Build relationships with senior customer stakeholders across Procurement, Supply Chain, Logistics, Maintenance, Engineering, Operations, and executive leadership.
• Develop a detailed understanding of customer supply chains, operational challenges, service requirements, and critical logistics needs.
• Identify opportunities involving Aircraft on Ground (AOG), Next Flight Out, expedited freight, critical spare parts, hand-carry/on-board courier, high-value cargo, secure logistics, specialized transportation, and other time-critical services.
• Lead the complete commercial lifecycle from prospecting and opportunity qualification through solution development, pricing, proposal, negotiation, contract award, implementation, and revenue generation.
• Develop strategic account penetration plans to expand relationships across customer locations, divisions, geographies, and service requirements.
• Lead and coordinate complex RFIs, RFQs, RFPs, and other formal customer sourcing processes.
• Partner closely with Operations, Pricing, Solutions, Procurement, Aviation, Security, Legal, Finance, and other internal stakeholders to develop competitive and operationally executable solutions.
• Utilize the broader UPS network and capabilities where appropriate to develop integrated and differentiated customer solutions.
• Negotiate commercial agreements while maintaining appropriate expectations for revenue, profitability, service performance, and operational feasibility.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the competitive landscape and developments within the aviation, aerospace, MRO, and time-critical logistics markets.
• Provide market intelligence regarding customer trends, competitor activity, service gaps, emerging opportunities, and potential product or capability requirements.
• Maintain accurate customer activity, opportunities, pipeline, and forecasts within Salesforce and other required commercial systems.
• Provide clear and reliable revenue forecasts and communicate opportunity progress, risks, competitive dynamics, and required leadership actions.
• Represent Marken and UPS at customer meetings, industry conferences, trade shows, and aviation and aerospace industry events.
• Partner with Implementation and Operations following contract award to ensure a successful transition from commercial commitment to operational execution.
• Consistently achieve or exceed assigned new-business revenue, pipeline, activity, and profitability objectives.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and/or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• Significant business development or sales experience within aviation, aerospace, AOG, time-critical logistics, freight forwarding, expedited transportation, complex secure logistics, or a closely related industry.
• Demonstrated track record of personally originating and closing significant new business.
• Strong understanding of aviation and aerospace supply chains and the operational consequences associated with time-critical logistics.
• Experience selling solutions to airlines, OEMs, MROs, aerospace manufacturers, aviation suppliers, or similar organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to independently develop a territory, prospect for new customers, and create pipeline.
• Experience navigating complex, multi-stakeholder sales processes.
• Ability to establish credibility and relationships with senior and executive-level customer stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of commercial concepts including pricing, profitability, contract terms, revenue forecasting, and solution economics.
• Strong negotiation, presentation, communication, and relationship-development skills.
• Ability to operate effectively within a global, matrixed organization and coordinate multiple internal stakeholders.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple complex opportunities simultaneously.
• Experience using Salesforce or another enterprise CRM platform for opportunity management, pipeline development, and forecasting.
• Ability and willingness to travel extensively based on customer, territory, and business requirements.

Preferred Qualifications

• Established relationships within the airline, aviation, aerospace, OEM, or MRO communities.
• Direct experience selling AOG or time-critical logistics solutions.
• Experience with Next Flight Out, on-board courier/hand-carry, expedited freight, charter, critical spare parts, or specialized aviation logistics.
• Experience selling high-value, secure, sensitive, or chain-of-custody transportation solutions.
• Experience with global freight forwarding, express transportation, aviation logistics, or specialized supply-chain services.
• Experience developing large enterprise customers and managing strategic RFP/RFQ processes.
• Familiarity with aviation maintenance and aftermarket supply chains, including critical spare-parts movements and inventory support.
• Existing knowledge of major airlines, aerospace manufacturers, OEMs, MRO providers, and aviation supply-chain participants.

Target Customer Segments

The Business Development Director will primarily pursue opportunities across:

• Commercial airlines
• Cargo airlines
• Aircraft and aerospace OEMs
• Engine and component manufacturers
• Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul organizations
• Aircraft parts and component distributors
• Aviation aftermarket suppliers
• Aerospace manufacturers
• Aviation leasing and support organizations
• Critical industrial manufacturers
• Organizations requiring high-value or complex secure transportation
• Other sectors with highly time-sensitive or mission-critical logistics requirements

Key Solution Areas

The Director will develop opportunities across capabilities including:

• Aircraft on Ground (AOG) logistics
• Next Flight Out (NFO)
• Mission-critical and time-critical transportation
• Critical aircraft parts and components
• On-board courier / hand-carry solutions
• Expedited air and ground transportation
• Global freight forwarding
• Specialized and complex transportation
• High-value and secure logistics
• Chain-of-custody solutions
• Specialized handling
• Emergency logistics
• Aftermarket and spare-parts logistics
• Integrated Marken and UPS transportation solutions

Key Competencies

• New-business hunting and prospecting
• Aviation and aerospace industry knowledge
• Strategic territory development
• Executive-level relationship development
• Consultative and solution selling
• Complex logistics solution development
• Commercial and financial acumen
• Negotiation and influence
• Pipeline management and forecasting
• Cross-functional leadership
• Competitive and market intelligence
• Accountability and results orientation

Measures of Success

Success in this role will be measured by the ability to:

• Originate and close profitable new business within targeted non-healthcare verticals.
• Establish Marken and UPS as credible providers within aviation, aerospace, AOG, and complex secure logistics.
• Build a strong and sustainable pipeline of qualified opportunities.
• Develop meaningful relationships with airlines, OEMs, MROs, and other strategic customers.
• Secure new enterprise customers and expand penetration across targeted markets.
• Consistently achieve or exceed assigned new-business revenue objectives.
• Maintain accurate pipeline, forecasting, and Salesforce discipline.
• Generate market intelligence that helps shape future capabilities and commercial strategy.
• Successfully transition awarded opportunities into implementation and recurring revenue.

Role Profile

This position is designed for an experienced commercial professional who understands the urgency and operational complexity of aviation and mission-critical logistics and knows how to turn those challenges into commercial opportunities.

The ideal candidate is not primarily an account manager or sales-team manager. We are looking for a senior, externally focused business developer and hunter who can open doors with airlines, OEMs, MROs, and other complex logistics customers; develop executive relationships; create solutions across Marken and UPS capabilities; and personally convert those opportunities into profitable new revenue.