Account Manager of Defense & Aerospace

Account Manager of Defense & Aerospace

Open Date 11/4/2026

Shift -not applicable-

Category Sales and Marketing

Division Forkardt Hardinge

Location Anywhere USA

Remote Position Y/N

Full-Time/Part-Time Full-Time

Exempt/Non-Exempt Exempt

Description

Job Title:Account Manager of Defense& Aerospace

Department:Commercial

Location:Remote – with periodic onsite visits to Elmira, NY

Travel:Approximately 40–60%

Employment Type:Full-Time

Exemption Status:Exempt

Company Overview

Forkardt Hardinge is a leading provider of precision manufacturing solutions and tooling systems. We are committed to delivering high-quality products and exceptional service to our customers in the machining and manufacturing industries. Our team is dedicated to innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Position Overview

The Vertical Market Leader – Aerospace & Defense is responsible for developing and executing Forkardt Hardinge’s aerospace and defense growth strategy. This role identifies priority accounts, facilities, programs, and applications; builds industry relationships; and advances qualified opportunities across the company’s workholding, tooling, and service portfolio.

The successful candidate will leverage established aerospace and defense industry relationships to accelerate access to strategic customer organizations, identify new manufacturing applications, and develop opportunities that expand Forkardt Hardinge’s market presence and revenue.

Working nationally across geographic territories, the leader combines direct business development with coordinated strategic pursuits alongside Regional Sales Managers, Strategic Accounts, Applications Engineering, Inside Sales, Product Management, Engineering, Marketing, and Service. The position is accountable for agreed market growth, qualified pipeline, and strategic opportunity objectives; it has no direct reports.

Market Strategy & Business Development

• Develop an annual aerospace and defense growth plan with target accounts, priority applications and programs, revenue and margin objectives, and specific actions.

• Identify opportunities with aircraft and engine manufacturers, defense contractors, manufacturing suppliers, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul providers. Prioritize segments where Forkardt Hardinge has a clear technical and commercial advantage.

• Monitor customer capital investment, manufacturing capacity, program timing, competitive activity, and sourcing trends. Translate findings into actionable account and product plans.

• Build relationships with manufacturing engineering, operations, procurement, program management, and executive decision makers; expand access across customer facilities and business units.

Executive Customer & Industry Development

• Develop relationships across customer organizations, including Engineering, Manufacturing, Operations, Procurement, and executive leadership.

• Support Regional Sales Managers during executive customer meetings, strategic account reviews, and multi-site initiatives.

• Develop relationships with industry organizations, associations, and other strategic partners that can strengthen Forkardt Hardinge's presence within assigned markets.

Strategic Opportunity Development

• Originate and qualify new opportunities based on application fit, customer need, budget, decision process, timing, competitive position, and expected commercial value.

• Lead coordinated pursuit plans with the assigned commercial owner, including customer engagement, application reviews, internal milestones, quotation follow-up, and award.

• Develop opportunities for initial production tooling, repeat applications, replacement tooling, service, and expansion across customer sites.

• Maintain accurate CRM records for opportunities originated or supported, including value, stage, timing, owner, next action, and documented contribution.

Customer Solutions and Cross-Functional Coordination

• Partner with Applications Engineering and Product Management to translate customer requirements into practical workholding solutions and quantified customer value, including cycle time, setup time, repeatability, quality, and total cost.

• Coordinate early review of technical feasibility, capacity, delivery expectations, and customer documentation requirements before commitments are made. Escalate material risks to the appropriate decision makers.

• Collaborate with Marketing and Inside Sales on vertical-specific campaigns, technical content, webinars, trade shows, industry associations, and lead-development initiatives.

• Represent Forkardt Hardinge as a knowledgeable industry resource and cultivate relevant strategic partnerships.

Commercial Ownership & Role Responsibilities

The Vertical Market Leader operates as a strategic overlay to the Regional Sales organization and does not replace the Regional Sales Manager's ownership of the customer relationship.

• Regional Sales Managers and designated strategic account leaders retain responsibility for assigned accounts, primary customer relationships, territory forecasts, and quotation coordination. The Vertical Market Leader leads industry strategy and coordinated strategic pursuits in partnership with those account owners. Pricing, contractual terms, and delivery commitments remain subject to established approval authority.

• The Vertical Market Leader collaborates with the assigned RSM and other commercial team members to originate and advance opportunities without creating competing customer ownership or double counting company results.

• Opportunity attribution, performance objectives, and incentive treatment will be defined through the approved commercial compensation and reporting processes.

Performance & Success Measures

Annual objectives will be established with Commercial Leadership and reviewed regularly. Measures will include:

• Aerospace and defense bookings, revenue growth, and gross margin performance versus agreed objectives, annual operating plan, and prior-year results.

• Qualified pipeline created and advanced, conversion to orders, and strategic program wins with documented contribution and consistent CRM attribution.

• Development and expansion of meaningful customer relationships and access across target accounts and facilities.

• Execution of account and pursuit plans, forecast quality, and actionable market and competitive intelligence.

• Effectiveness of collaboration with RSMs and cross-functional teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Marketing, or a related field preferred; equivalent relevant industry experience may be considered.

• 10+ years of relevant technical sales, strategic account management, or business development experience within aerospace and defense manufacturing or related industrial markets.

• Established relationships with aerospace and defense manufacturers, defense contractors, or Tier 1/Tier 2 manufacturing suppliers, with demonstrated ability to develop business through those relationships.

• Proven ability to identify, develop, and convert complex strategic opportunities across multiple customer stakeholders, facilities, or programs.

• Working knowledge of precision manufacturing processes, such as CNC machining, workholding, tooling, automation, or related technologies; direct workholding expertise is preferred but not required.

• Experience engaging manufacturing engineering, operations, program management, procurement, and executive-level decision makers.

• Familiarity with AS9100, ITAR, supplier qualification, and program-driven aerospace/defense sourcing processes preferred.

• Experience working collaboratively within a matrixed commercial organization preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Excellent strategic business-development, relationship-building, networking, negotiation, and communication skills.

• Strong commercial judgment and ability to convert market intelligence into actionable opportunities.

• Ability to influence and lead cross-functional initiatives without direct reporting authority.

• Ability to work independently, manage multiple pursuits, and travel approximately 40–60% as business needs require.

Work Environment & Physical Requirements

This position operates in a combination of office, remote, customer, trade show, and manufacturing environments. The employee may occasionally be required to enter manufacturing areas and must comply with all applicable customer and company safety requirements and PPE requirements.

Frequent travel is required and may include air travel, driving, overnight stays, and attendance at customer or industry events.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary Range: $120,000-$145,000 annually, depending on relevant experience, industry expertise, and qualifications.

• Incentive Compensation: Eligible for an annual performance incentive based on achievement of established objectives and subject to the company’s approved incentive plan.

• Comprehensive benefits package including:o Health insuranceo Life insuranceo 401(k) retirement plano Paid time offo Paid holidayso Long-term disability insurance

Work Location:Remote, with periodic onsite visits to our Elmira, NY facility for team collaboration, planning, and business needs. Additional travel to customer locations, industry events, and other company facilities is expected.

Forkardt Hardinge is an Equal Opportunity Employer, Veteran/Disability

About the Organization Forkardt Hardinge WorkholdingFor over a century, Forkardt & Hardinge have been at the forefront of precision workholding solutions. Our legacy of excellence continues to set the industry standard, ensuring that your machining operations are as efficient and accurate as possible. We help you achieve the tightest tolerances and the highest quality parts that stand up to the rigors of your toughest machining tasks. Whether you need collets, chucks, rotary tables, or custom workholding solutions, our Workholding offers a comprehensive range of products to meet your specific needs. Our industry-leading innovation is driven by our research and development to bring you the latest advancements in workholding technology that is trusted by small and large machining professionals worldwide.

EOE Statement We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

This position is currently accepting applications.