Director of Business Development, Air Dominance

Scout AI•Sunnyvale, CA

12h•$171,000 - $294,000

About The Position

The future of defense will be decided by those who field intelligent machines at scale. At Scout, we’re developing Fury — the first robotic foundation model for defense — to give U.S. forces overwhelming, adaptable, and autonomous power across every domain. Fury enables human operators to command fleets of robots through natural language, and empowers those machines to sense, decide, and act together as one. It’s not just a leap in autonomy, it’s a force multiplier built for real-world conflict. This mission will ask everything of us: urgency, precision, and relentless work. The Role We are seeking a Director of Business Development to lead our Air Dominance division and its growth strategy, capturing opportunities across the Army, Air Force, and Navy aerial autonomy programs. This role will be pivotal in expanding Scout AI’s aerial portfolio, shaping opportunities with DoD stakeholders, and ensuring that our technology reaches the operators who need it most. The ideal candidate is a proven growth leader with deep experience in aviation and missile programs, defense acquisition, and the capture of complex unmanned systems programs. We’re a startup. You’ll be moving fast, context-switching daily, and helping define the culture and process as we go. This is a rare opportunity to come in early and architect the future of defense.

Requirements

10+ years in Army, Air Force, Navy, or related unmanned aerial systems roles, with a strong track record of shaping and capturing defense programs
Demonstrated success leading 0-to-1 program captures and transitioning prototypes into Programs of Record
Deep understanding of U.S. DoD acquisition pathways, PPBE process, requirements generation, government contracting, and budgeting, especially in the context of moving prototypes into full production
Established network across relevant program offices, program managers, and acquisition related organizations
Ability to translate complex operational needs into actionable product direction and build, adapt, and implement innovative approaches to market
A driven, hands-on leader who exhibits strong management skills, emotional intelligence, and the ability to inspire both internal teams and external stakeholders
Exceptional written and verbal skills with experience briefing senior defense leadership and building consensus across diverse audiences
Ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial, high-tempo setting and independently deliver results that move the mission forward
Active or immediately attainable U.S. Top Secret/SCI clearance
Ability to travel 25 – 40%
Legal authorization to work in the United States is required.

Responsibilities

Generate and capture new business opportunities.
Lead efforts to identify, pursue, and secure new programs across the Army, Air Force, and Navy unmanned/autonomy portfolios.
Build a deep understanding of the existing and prospective client base, programmatic roadmaps, and the competitive landscape
Engage senior stakeholders.
Establish and maintain trusted relationships with acquisition leaders, program managers, operators, and requirements owners across relevant PEO’s and organizations
Grow existing programs.
Partner with Scout’s engineering and product teams to expand current work, identify adjacent opportunities, and drive additional value for existing customers
Shape requirements and inform product development.
Translate operator needs, mission gaps, and emerging concepts of operations into actionable direction for Scout’s product roadmap.
Ensure customer insights directly influence priorities and execution
Lead capture campaigns.
Drive the full lifecycle of business development efforts: pipeline development, positioning, proposal authoring, and closing contract awards
Represent Scout AI externally.
Serve as an ambassador for Scout’s mission, articulating our competitive edge and value proposition to senior leaders, operators, industry partners, and the broader defense ecosystem