Director, Business Development – Federal Construction

Akima, LLC and its operating companies represent an uncommonly broad array of specialized talent, technologies, and domain expertise, powering some of the most visible and demanding programs across all of government and industry. Driven by national priorities, Akima companies successfully support their customers at every critical point across a program’s lifecycle – from strategy, design, and development through operations, management, migration, modernization, and sustainment.

We’re seeking a dynamic, innovative, and experienced Director, Business Development – Federal Construction to support its Construction and Security Solutions Group (CSGG). The Director will formulate and execute growth strategies and secure new, profitable general construction and renovation contracts with the U.S. Federal Government and select state and local agencies.

The successful candidate will establish, nurture, and advance client relationships; develop portfolio, account, and opportunity-level strategies; and lead business development and capture activities across the full opportunity lifecycle. These efforts will draw on Akima’s core construction offerings, including facility renovation and modernization; secure space development (e.g., SCIF, SAPF); mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) improvements; and specialty infrastructure systems, such as intelligent traffic systems and lighting.

This role emphasizes identifying and shaping opportunities aligned with CSSG’s strategic growth areas, building strong relationships with federal customers and partners, and collaborating closely with regional program managers, core MEP trade contractors, and A&E Designers of Record (DORs) who bring essential customer knowledge and project insight.

The ideal candidate will bring established relationships with federal construction clients, preferably in the eastern United States, and a demonstrated record of securing sole-source projects, competitive 8(a) and small business awards, and multiple-award contracts and associated task orders. The candidate must possess strong business acumen, an understanding of federal construction acquisition practices, and the ability to translate customer requirements into differentiated, executable, and profitable solutions.

This role reports to CSSG’s Senior Director, Business Development & Capture and is functionally matrixed to Akima’s federal construction General Managers.

If you’re ready to make a significant impact and drive our company forward, we invite you to join us on this exciting journey.

• Develop and execute growth strategies aligned with CSSG’s strategic business plan, delivering annual sales commitments and supporting sustained, profitable growth. Ensure priority pursuits align with the Group’s core service offerings, delivery capabilities, and operational capacity.
• Develop long-term engagement strategies, maintain relationships with government stakeholders and industry partners, and coordinate account activities and customer engagement across Akima’s construction portfolio.
• Identify, evaluate, qualify, and maintain a pipeline of federal construction and renovation opportunities, including MEP-intensive projects, secure facilities, and infrastructure modernization. Prioritize pursuits based on strategic fit, customer access, technical feasibility, competitive position, execution capacity, profitability, and probability of win.
• Maintain accurate, current opportunity records with validated customer intelligence, technical requirements, competitive assessments, teaming strategies, anticipated solicitation release dates, funding milestones, and capture readiness indicators. Use this information to forecast pursuit timing and resource needs.
• Lead business development and capture activities from opportunity identification through award, including stakeholder mapping, customer engagement, competitive assessments, win strategy development, teaming, solution shaping, and proposal readiness.
• Engage federal customers early to understand mission needs, facility conditions, capital priorities, funding, acquisition timelines, and procurement approaches. Develop and execute customer call plans and coordinate targeted introductions of program executives, operational leaders, and technical subject matter experts, positioning Akima as a trusted construction partner.
• Partner with operations, regional program managers, estimating, engineering, and project management to review scopes and preliminary designs, validate technical fit and execution feasibility, and develop customer-focused solutions. Address MEP requirements, project sequencing, site logistics, environmental constraints, schedules, execution risks, and cost objectives.
• Apply knowledge of Design-Build and Design-Bid-Build delivery methods to assess design maturity, interpret design intent, and shape pursuit strategies. Support progressive design-to-budget approaches that align customer requirements, conceptual designs, trade estimating inputs, and executable construction plans.
• Position Akima to secure sole-source projects, competitive 8(a) and small business opportunities, multiple-award contracts, and task orders in partnership with operational peers. Incorporate knowledge of Alaska Native Corporation (ANC) 8(a) direct award authorities into capture planning in coordination with Contracts.
• Support acquisition strategy development through appropriate customer engagement and market research, aligning Akima’s capabilities, past performance, partners, and contracting vehicles with customer requirements. Evaluate applicable traditional and non-traditional pathways, including Other Transaction Authority (OTA) where appropriate, in coordination with Contracts and technical leadership.
• Prepare and lead gate reviews; develop and brief bid/no-bid recommendations, capture strategies, technical and execution risk assessments, and supporting business cases; and obtain required pursuit approvals consistent with Akima’s established processes.
• Develop, monitor, and control bid and proposal budgets, aligning pursuit investments with opportunity value, capture maturity, and expected returns. Drive performance against sales and gross margin sold objectives.
• Collaborate with Proposal Operations and construction delivery teams to develop compelling, compliant proposals that accurately reflect the technical solution, construction approach, execution plan, schedule, and past performance. Prepare for interviews, oral presentations, and other customer evaluations, and ensure effective handoffs and continuity from capture through submission and award.
• Continuously identify, engage, and vet prospective skilled trades subcontractors, including core MEP and specialty trades firms, in target geographic markets to support Akima’s role as a general contractor. In coordination with operations and Procurement, assess capabilities, capacity, qualifications, safety performance, past performance, and competitiveness to build a reliable subcontractor network for proposed and awarded projects.
• Develop relationships with A&E design partners, including Designers of Record (DORs), whose facility experience and design knowledge can inform design interpretation, risk assessment, and solution development. Engage trade and design partners to validate assumptions, inform execution plans, and strengthen competitive bid strategies.
• Identify and evaluate strategic teaming and design partners; support teaming agreement negotiations; and coordinate with Procurement and operational leadership on proposal commitments and contract negotiations.
• Maintain actionable intelligence on clients, competitors, contracting vehicles, construction markets, and emerging MEP and technology trends. Support strategic and business planning, identify adjacent markets and service offerings, and provide business development guidance to operational leaders.
• Lead responses to requests for information and sources sought notices; participate in industry days, pre-solicitation briefings, federal outreach forums, and government engineering events; and develop structured follow-up engagement plans that advance customer relationships and capture readiness.
• Lead responses to government market research inquiries, including requests for information and sources sought notices, using these engagements to communicate capabilities and inform pursuit strategies.
• Represent Akima at industry events, conferences, professional societies, and customer forums to strengthen relationships, increase market visibility, and advance growth opportunities.

• Ten or more years of progressive business development experience focused on federal construction and/or facility modernization, including MEP-intensive, secure facility, or specialty infrastructure projects. The ideal candidate will have significant experience in the 8(a) and small business federal market, including sole-source and negotiated contracts.
• Demonstrated federal construction market knowledge, including customers, prime contractors, skilled trades subcontractors, design partners, and target geographies, with a record of establishing productive government and industry relationships.
• A track record of winning new business with the U.S. Government. Achievements must include at least three construction contract wins within the last three years, each with a contract value between $10M - $25M
• Proven success identifying and shaping strategically aligned opportunities and building and advancing a pipeline that delivers top- and bottom-line growth. Ability to forecast solicitation schedules, funding cycles, and procurement timelines accurately.
• Strong understanding of general construction practices, MEP systems, design processes, project sequencing, and federal project delivery requirements, with the ability to assess technical fit, execution feasibility, and pursuit risks.
• Experience engaging MEP subcontractors, specialty trades firms, and A&E design partners, including DORs, to strengthen technical understanding, validate assumptions, and support solution development.
• Working knowledge of Design-Build and Design-Bid-Build delivery methods, including design maturity assessment and progressive design-to-budget approaches.
• Strong knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the Revolutionary FAR Overhaul, agency supplements, procurement integrity requirements, solicitation and source selection practices, GWACs, agency-level IDIQs, and traditional and nontraditional acquisition pathways. Understanding of OTA approaches and their applicability to relevant federal pursuits.
• Strong understanding of ANC 8(a) direct award authorities, including distinctions from other 8(a) procurement requirements and their implications for acquisition and capture strategies.
• Strong sales planning and organizational skills, with the ability to tailor solutions to customer needs, manage multiple pursuits, and meet aggressive deadlines.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline or equivalent professional experience.
• Strong work ethic, sound judgment, a collaborative attitude, and the ability to thrive in an objective-driven environment and work effectively with personnel at all levels.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to translate technical requirements into compelling customer messaging, proposal narratives, and differentiated win themes.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Ability to travel up to 40 percent of the time, or as business requirements dictate, with a flexible schedule.

Work Where it Matters

Akima is not just another global enterprise and federal contractor. As an Alaska Native Corporation (ANC), our mission and purpose extend beyond our exciting federal projects as we support our shareholder communities in Alaska.

At Akima, the work you do every day makes a difference in the lives of our 15,000 Iñupiat shareholders, a group of Alaska natives from one of the most remote and harshest environments in the United States.

For our shareholders, Akima provides support and employment opportunities and contributes to the survival of a culture that has thrived above the Arctic Circle for more than 10,000 years.

For our government customers, Akima delivers agile solutions in the core areas of facilities, maintenance, and repair; information technology; logistics; protective services; systems engineering; mission support; furniture, fixtures & equipment (FF&E); and construction.

As an Akima employee, you will be surrounded by a challenging, yet supportive work environment that is committed to innovation and diversity, two of our most important values. You will also have access to our comprehensive benefits and competitive pay in addition to growth opportunities and excellent retirement options.