Field Deployment Manager - Huntsville, AL

The Field Deployment Manager reports to the Defense Business General Manager and will lead all aspects of customer deployment and operational support for the Defense business. This role bridges engineering, sales, and customer operations to ensure seamless integration, training, and field deployment of the system in mission-critical defense environments. The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader with deep experience in defense systems deployment, customer engagement, and program execution.

Key Responsibilities

Deployment & Integration

• Plan, coordinate, and oversee deployment of IPG Defense systems at customer sites worldwide.
• Serve as the operational lead for field integration, ensuring system functionality and interoperability with existing defense assets.
• Develop and manage deployment schedules, logistics, and resource planning.

Customer Support, Training & Materials Development

• Design and deliver comprehensive training programs for defense customers, covering system operation, troubleshooting, and maintenance.
• Lead the creation of training materials, manuals, user guides, and digital content to support customer learning and sustainment.
• Provide on-site support during initial deployment and acceptance testing.
• Establish field support protocols and documentation tailored to defense use cases.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Act as the primary liaison between customers, engineering, and sales during deployments.
• Provide structured feedback to engineering teams on system performance, reliability, and feature requests.
• Partner with sales/program management to ensure deployments meet contractual requirements and exceed customer expectations.

Operational Excellence

• Build and lead a global field deployment team (contractors, technicians, trainers).
• Define and monitor KPIs for deployment quality, training effectiveness, and customer satisfaction.
• Establish scalable processes for repeatable deployments across multiple customers.

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Defense Studies, or related field; advanced degree or military background preferred.
• 10+ years' experience in defense or aerospace deployment, with at least 5 years in field leadership roles.
• Strong technical knowledge of laser systems with particular emphasis on experience with defense laser systems.
• Strong technical knowledge of CUAV, C-UAS, radar, or related defense electronic systems.
• Demonstrated success in customer-facing deployment, training, and support roles.
• Experience developing training curricula, materials, and technical documentation.
• Familiarity with defense procurement and deployment environments (DoD, NATO, allied partners).
• Willingness to travel extensively (50-70%) to domestic and international customer sites.

Key Attributes

• Mission-focused mindset with strong customer orientation.
• Ability to thrive in high-pressure, operational environments.
• Skilled communicator who can align engineering and sales with customer needs.
• Leadership presence to build trust with both customers and internal stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills for interfacing with internal teams and external agencies
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple complex projects simultaneously