Director, Aerospace Defense & Government Advisory

What You'll Gain/ Impact

• Lead high-impact strategy and M&A advisory engagements that shape growth and investment decisions across the aerospace, defense, and national security sectors
• Build and develop a high-performing team in a collaborative, flat-hierarchy culture with meaningful room for growth and advancement
• Engage directly with C-suite executives and senior financial stakeholders at some of the most established names in defense and aerospace
• Author and publish thought leadership that positions you and the practice as credible voices in the ADG market
• Access the full breadth of Aprio's multidisciplinary portfolio — including accounting, tax, transaction advisory, and government contract compliance — to deliver integrated value to clients

Key Responsibilities

• Own client strategy engagements end to end, including scoping, staffing, project planning, delivery, and client presentation
• Lead high-impact strategy projects evaluating growth and investment opportunities across U.S. government and commercial aerospace sectors
• Provide oversight and quality assurance of data collection, research, and analysis across macroeconomic, policy, financial, industry, and technology trends
• Synthesize insights from team workstreams into coherent, client-ready messaging and own the storyline and structure of final deliverables
• Review and challenge the team's financial and market models for structure, assumptions, and accuracy
• Manage engagement economics — including budget, staffing, realization, and margin — and be accountable to practice leadership for engagement outcomes and quality
• Source and shape new client opportunities, lead proposal development, and coordinate pricing with practice leadership
• Develop repeatable strategy offerings, methodologies, and intellectual property that scale the practice beyond individual engagements
• Author external-facing thought leadership, including market perspectives and published research, that supports practice marketing and business development
• Identify cross-sell opportunities and integrate other Aprio service lines into ADGA engagements where they add client value
• Serve as a career advisor to Managers and Associates, providing performance feedback and supporting their growth and development
• Leverage AI tools to accelerate workstream execution and extend client insights, while maintaining ownership of validation, analytical rigor, and approval of findings

Candidate Qualifications

• 10+ years of total professional experience, including 6+ years in a management consulting firm, investment bank, or a corporate strategy, M&A, or business development/capture role in the defense, aerospace, or national security sector
• Demonstrated record of leading client engagements end to end, including scoping, staffing, project management, delivery, and client presentation
• Demonstrated record of originating or expanding client relationships, with specific examples of work personally sold or accounts personally grown
• Demonstrated ability to build market models and conduct financial projections
• Ability to analyze and forecast U.S. government budgets and/or commercial aerospace spending
• Ability to develop clear, concise, and persuasive deliverables for strategic decision-making
• Excellent presentation skills and client-facing disposition; comfortable engaging C-suite and senior-level stakeholders
• Experience managing projects and leading teams in the execution of short-turnaround deliverables
• Experience developing and retaining team members
• Preferred: MBA or relevant advanced degree
• Preferred: Familiarity with U.S. government budgets and/or commercial aerospace market dynamics
• Preferred: Experience leveraging AI tools in advisory or analytical workflows

Leadership Skills

• Building Relationships
• Adaptability
• Client Focus
• Driving Execution
• Continuous Improvemen
• tCommunication
• Change Leadership
• Coaching and Developing Others
• Leading Teams

Technical Skills

• Due Diligence
• Financial Modeling
• Industry Trend Analysis
• Go-to-Market Strategies
• Government Budgeting and Appropriates