Competitive & Market Intelligence Director - Remote

Job Summary:

Akima is looking for a Competitive & Market Intelligence Director to work in Herndon, VA. To join our team of outstanding professionals, apply today!

Job Responsibilities:

As the Competitive and Market Intelligence Director, you will play a pivotal role in shaping our business strategy and individual pursuits by providing actionable insights and recommendations derived from comprehensive competitive and market intelligence. You will be responsible for analyzing market trends, competitor activities, and government contracts to inform our decision-making and help us maintain a competitive edge in the Government Services sector. Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Competitive Intelligence

• Leads the collection, analysis, and synthesis of data related to competitors' capabilities, strategies, and activities.

• Develops and maintains a competitive intelligence database to track market players, their strengths, weaknesses, and potential opportunities and threats.

Market Analysis

• Monitors and reports on industry trends, regulatory changes, and emerging opportunities in the government services sector.

• Conducts in-depth market research to identify new business prospects and assess the viability of entering new markets.

Black Hat Reviews

• Leads Black Hat reviews to gather intelligence on competitors' strategies, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities.

• Conducts in-depth analysis of potential threats and risks posed by competitors and their actions within the government services sector.

• Identifies and assesses potential vulnerabilities in our company's strategies, operations, and competitive positioning, and recommend mitigation measures.

Strategic Insights

• Collaborates with executive leadership to provide strategic insights and recommendations based on competitive and market intelligence, helping to shape business decisions and initiatives.

Team Leadership

• Builds and manages a high-performing competitive and market intelligence team.

• Fosters a culture of continuous learning, innovation, and knowledge sharing within the team.

Stakeholder Collaboration

• Collaborates with cross-functional teams, including Business Development, Capture, Operations, M&A, and Corporate Strategy, to ensure competitive intelligence is integrated into various business functions.

Government Relations

• Collaborates with the SBA Compliance, Government Relations, and Marketing & Communications teams to provide data-driven insights that support our interactions with government agencies and lawmakers. Utilize competitive and market intelligence to inform government relations strategies and initiatives.

Reporting and Presentations

• Creates and delivers compelling reports and presentations to senior leadership, outlining competitive and market trends, opportunities, and threats.

In addition to general competitive and market analyses, you will specifically focus on the Tribal and SBA 8(a) portions of the market. This will involve:

• Identification of 8(a) Opportunities : Identifies and tracks 8(a) set-aside opportunities released by various Government agencies. Analyzes these opportunities to determine their alignment with our company's capabilities and goals.

• Competitive Landscape in 8(a) : Conducts in-depth analysis of competitors participating in the 8(a) program, assessing their past performance, contract awards, and strategies in this space.

• Partnerships and Alliances : Identifies potential strategic partners and alliances within the 8(a) program to enhance our competitive positioning and increase our chances of success in bidding for 8(a) set-aside contracts.

• Market Penetration Strategies : Works closely with the executive team and Business Development to develop and implement strategies for effectively penetrating untapped or underserved portions of the 8(a) market.

• Reporting and Recommendations : Provides regular reports and recommendations to senior leadership regarding our 8(a) market performance, highlighting opportunities for growth and improvement.

Minimum Qualifications:

The ideal candidate should possess many of the following specific qualifications and experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant discipline.

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in competitive and market intelligence, preferably in the Government contracting industry.

• Strong analytical and research skills with the ability to transform data into actionable insights. The ideal candidate possesses deep knowledge of Microsoft PowerBI and other industry-leading data visualization tools.

• Highly proficient with leading competitive and market intelligence tools (e.g., GovWin, BGov, DACIS).

• Excellent attention to detail and a positive attitude.

• Curious thinker with an eagerness to seek solutions.

• Proven experience in team management and leadership.

• Excellent communication and presentation skills.

• Strong knowledge of Government contracting, relevant regulations, and the Government contracting industry garnered through robust experience in the market.

• Ability to communicate effectively at all levels of the organization.

• Ability to critically evaluate information gathered from multiple sources and reconcile conflicts.

• Strong understanding of business development and financial terminology and concepts.