Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)

Electra•Manassas, VA

15h•Onsite

About The Position

Electra is building the EL9, a nine-passenger, hybrid-electric aircraft with Ultra Short Takeoff and Landing (eSTOL) capabilities. This technology aims to unlock new operating locations and enable Direct Aviation, offering quiet, point-to-point regional travel. Headquartered in Manassas, VA, Electra is backed by major industry players and is progressing towards FAA Part 23 type certification. The company is seeking a Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) to lead its engagement with the commercial market and build the ecosystem for Direct Aviation. The CCO will report directly to the CEO and lead a team responsible for Selling, Marketing, and Market Development. This role is crucial for converting the existing backlog of commercial market Letters of Intent (LOIs) into firm agreements, developing marketing tools and collateral, and driving market development initiatives including access point creation and regulatory enablement. The position requires significant experience in global aviation, commercial negotiation, aviation finance, market development, and regulatory engagement, with a strong track record in revenue generation. Prior start-up experience is highly valued.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Aviation, or related field
18+ years of progressive commercial, business development, or revenue leadership experience
Significant executive leadership experience in aerospace, aviation, defense, mobility, or infrastructure-scale industries
Proven track record of driving revenue growth in complex, regulated, and emerging markets
Experience with technical product selling, B2B selling, long cycle sales campaigns, and selling into complicated, large-scale enterprise customers
Demonstrated success closing large, strategic, multi-year deals ($25M+)
Experience building and scaling revenue organizations in high-growth environments
Strong understanding of global market expansion and partnership development
Proven ability to operate effectively in pre-commercial and scaling environments
Exceptional executive communication, negotiation, and leadership skills

Nice To Haves

MBA preferred
Experience in Advanced Air Mobility, Direct Aviation models, rotorcraft, or next-generation aerospace platforms
Familiarity with certification processes
Experience with international market development and global commercial operations
Experience in venture-backed or high-growth aerospace organizations
Familiarity with airspace integration frameworks

Responsibilities

Serve as a strategic advisor and business partner to the CEO, Board of Advisors, and executive leadership team.
Partner cross-functionally with product development, engineering, manufacturing and supply chain operations, test and certification, and in-service operations leadership to align commercial customer strategy with product and operational readiness.
Partner with Electra Defense leadership to align overlapping engagements between the Commercial and Defense businesses.
Support Board presentations, investor discussions, and strategic growth initiatives.
Lead development and execution of the company's global commercial revenue strategy across all use cases, including regional airlines, mobility operators and network partners, cargo and logistics providers, and enterprise customers.
Build, maintain and deploy the suite of operational modeling tools and marketing collateral that support customer evaluation of the EL9 from multiple perspectives (Aircraft Performance, Fleet, Network, and Operations).
Develop and deliver customer partnership for Electra's commercial market demos, designed to advance customer sales campaigns, industry-wide Ultra Short adoption, and company positioning.
Structure and close complex, long-cycle (multi-year) sales campaigns, from Deposit Agreements to Sales Agreements, that advance commercial sales in alignment with the company's financial growth and pricing strategies.
Establish relationships with aviation financiers and acquisition/PDP financing deployment models to support customer finance-ability of EL9 acquisition.
Drive ecosystem development for Direct Aviation as a new category, between developers, communities, regulators, airports, other access point operators, State and Local authorities, and other key stakeholders.
Construct Electra's partnerships with the third parties developing Ultra Short access points to accommodate EL9 operations.
Lead strategic assessment of in-house access point development.
Work directly with the FAA and State and Local authorities to establish approvals, policy, and guidance to support Ultra Short operations at novel access points on- and off-airports.
Be a supportive partner to the Electra Defense team, collaborating on enterprise initiatives that link the commercial and defense selling agendas.
Identify and prioritize global markets for Direct Aviation adoption, including North America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia-Pacific.
Develop and execute market entry strategies, partnerships, and localized operating models.
Evaluate international expansion opportunities, joint ventures, and strategic alliances.
Establish pipeline management, forecasting discipline, and revenue operations infrastructure.
Manage customer skyline against long-range planning aligned to certification timelines, production ramp, and network deployment.
Partner with product development, manufacturing & supply chain operations and in-service operations to align offerings with customer requirements and market demand.
Translate customer insights into inputs for vehicle capabilities, service design, and network operations, for both the EL9 and future product development.
Together with the VP of In-Service Operations, ensure successful customer adoption, deployment, and long-term engagement.
Build and lead a world-class global revenue organization across sales, partnerships, market development, and Ultra Short integration.
Recruit, develop, and mentor high-performing commercial leaders.
Foster a high-accountability, collaborative, and execution-oriented culture.
Serve as a trusted cross-functional partner across the organization.