About the role
The Defense Sector at Leidos is seeking a Capture Director to support our Growth organization in Huntsville, Alabama. This is an exciting opportunity to apply expert capture management and pursuit leadership to our largest and most complex defense opportunities across the Kinetics, Defense Sensors, and Indirect Fires & Force Protection businesses, with largely defense technology focused pursuits that span the acquisition lifecycle from development through low rate initial production (LRIP) and full rate production (FRP). The Capture Director is responsible for developing and executing capture strategies for large, complex, and strategic pursuits, leading senior-level customer engagement, conducting competitive assessments, developing teaming approaches, and increasing the probability of win. Working closely with Business Developers, Solution Architects, Engineering and Program leaders, Proposal Managers, Pricing, Contracts, Operations leaders, and industry partners, you will lead cross-functional pursuit teams and position Leidos competitively across traditional and non-traditional acquisition opportunities. You will serve as a lead on large, complex pursuits, advise senior executives on matters of strategic importance, mentor and coach other capture professionals, and help shape the capture standards and practices used across the organization. Primary Responsibilities Lead capture activities for the largest and most strategic defense technology pursuits, including capture planning, senior-level customer engagement, competitive positioning, teaming strategies, and win strategy development. Develop and execute capture plans and pursuit strategies that increase probability of win and that address customer technical, schedule, production, and affordability priorities across development, LRIP, and FRP phases. Develop long-range capture strategies that position Leidos for follow-on production and sustainment opportunities, including transition from development awards to LRIP and FRP. Lead cross-functional pursuit teams and manage a portfolio of concurrent opportunities, including pursuits that span the Kinetics, Defense Sensors, and Indirect Fires & Force Protection businesses. Conduct customer, market, and competitive assessments to identify customer priorities, discriminators, and win themes, and to shape acquisition strategy, requirements, and contract approach well ahead of RFP release. Lead senior-level customer engagement with program executives, acquisition leadership, and other decision-makers, including regular engagement at Redstone Arsenal and other Huntsville-area customer organizations. Develop and manage strategic industry partnerships and teaming arrangements, and negotiate teaming agreements with prime, subcontractor, supplier, and technology partners. Partner with Pricing and Contracts to develop price-to-win and cost strategies and to assess contract type, terms, and risk for development and production pursuits. Collaborate with Business Developers, Solution Architects, Engineering, Program Management, Proposal Managers, Operations leaders, and industry partners to position Leidos for success. Lead gate reviews, Black Hat sessions, and pursuit strategy workshops, and recommend pursuit and investment decisions to senior leadership. Communicate pursuit status, risks, and recommendations to senior executive leadership and negotiate alignment on pursuit strategy. Partner with Proposal Managers to ensure successful transition from capture to proposal. Develop and implement new capture processes, standards, and lessons learned that improve win performance across the organization. Mentor and coach other capture and business development professionals. Basic Qualifications Bachelor's degree and 15+ years of prior relevant experience or Master's degree with 13+ years of prior relevant experience. Additional experience may be considered in lieu of degree requirements. Demonstrated excellent written and verbal communication skills, as well as effective collaboration, influence, negotiation, and inclusive leadership skills, including the ability to communicate with senior executive leadership and customer decision-makers. Demonstrated experience leading capture activities for large or complex federal government opportunities. Familiarity with federal and DoD acquisition types, processes, and vehicles, including FAR/DFARS-based procurements, task orders, OTAs, CSOs, RFIs, and white papers. Demonstrated skills in capture strategy development, competitive positioning, customer engagement planning, industry collaboration, and pursuit leadership. Experience leading cross-functional teams consisting of Business Development, Solution Architecture, Engineering, Proposal Management, Pricing, Contracts, Operations, and technical personnel. Ability to manage multiple pursuits simultaneously in a fast-paced environment. Candidate must possess an active Secret security clearance. U.S. Citizenship required. Preferred Qualifications Proven record of success leading and winning large capture efforts within the Defense Sector, particularly for defense technology programs such as missiles and munitions, radar and sensors, air and missile defense, counter-UAS, or fire control systems. Experience capturing across the defense acquisition lifecycle, including development, LRIP, and FRP awards, and familiarity with ITAR and export control considerations. Experience leading captures valued at $250M+ and leading strategic pursuits exceeding $500M. Experience supporting traditional FAR-based and non-traditional acquisition pathways, including OTAs, CSOs, RFIs, and white papers. Experience working with U.S. Army customers, the Missile Defense Agency, or other DoD organizations in the Huntsville area. Experience developing teaming strategies, negotiating teaming agreements, and managing industry partnerships at the prime or major subcontractor level. Experience mentoring capture professionals and developing capture processes or best practices. Shipley, APMP, or similar capture management training or certification. Active Top Secret or TS/SCI security clearance. If you're looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo — because the mission demands it. We're not hiring followers. We're recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We're already at step 30 — and moving faster than anyone else dares. Original Posting: October 16, 2026 For U.S. Positions: While subject to change based on business needs, Leidos reasonably anticipates that this job requisition will remain open for at least 3 days with an anticipated close date of no earlier than 3 days after the original posting date as listed above. Pay Range: Pay Range $154,050.00 - $278,475.00 The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.