Director of Business Development
About The Position
Space Kinetic is a dual use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations – one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology (low-cost, operationally flexible, attainable, distributed) to space missions while reducing the ecosystem's reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo, we are focused on creating something entirely different – an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head-on. Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures – where each satellite in a constellation has one (or a small # of) primary payloads attached to the bus -- and unlock a ‘one-to-many’ system, where each satellite has a large number of payloads which can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster. This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week. Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, and a high level of commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Public Policy, International Affairs, National Security, or a related field
- 7+ years of relevant experience in government business development, capture management, defense programs, government acquisition, military operations, or a related field
- Experience working with the Department of Defense, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Air Force, Intelligence Community, or other national security customers
- Demonstrated experience identifying, shaping, or capturing government business opportunities
- Strong understanding of government acquisition, budgeting, contracting, and procurement processes
- Experience developing capture plans, proposals, white papers, customer presentations, or related business development materials
- Ability to understand complex technical concepts and communicate them effectively to technical and nontechnical audiences
- Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, relationship-building, and cross-functional collaboration skills
Nice To Haves
- 10+ years of relevant experience in aerospace, defense, space, national security, or advanced technology
- Established experience engaging with the Department of Defense, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Air Force, or Intelligence Community
- Demonstrated success leading or contributing to government captures and contract awards
- Experience with government acquisition pathways such as OTAs, SBIR/STTR programs, BAAs, IDIQs, or FAR-based contracts
- Experience working with complex aerospace, spacecraft, defense, hardware, or software systems
Responsibilities
- Identify, qualify, shape, capture, and grow government business opportunities aligned with Space Kinetic’s technology and strategic priorities
- Build and maintain relationships with current and prospective customers across the Department of Defense, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Air Force, Intelligence Community, and other relevant government organizations
- Develop a strong understanding of customer missions, operational needs, acquisition priorities, budgets, technical roadmaps, and buying cycles
- Build and manage a qualified government business development pipeline, including opportunity value, timing, stakeholders, acquisition pathways, and next steps
- Develop customer engagement strategies, account plans, and capture plans for priority organizations and opportunities
- Lead opportunities from early customer engagement through proposal development, negotiation, and contract award
- Coordinate responses to requests for information, requests for proposals, broad agency announcements, white papers, capability requests, and other government solicitations
- Partner with engineering, programs, finance, contracts, and leadership to develop technically credible and executable solutions
- Represent Space Kinetic in customer meetings, executive briefings, demonstrations, conferences, industry days, and other external engagements
- Clearly communicate Space Kinetic’s mission, capabilities, technical advantages, and value proposition to government customers and industry partners
- Translate customer needs and desired mission outcomes into clear insights for engineering and company leadership
- Provide customer feedback and market intelligence to help inform product development, technical priorities, and company strategy
- Identify and develop strategic partnerships, teaming arrangements, and subcontracting opportunities with prime contractors and other industry partners
- Grow existing customer relationships and identify follow-on opportunities arising from current contracts, demonstrations, and partnerships
- Monitor relevant government budgets, acquisition activity, market trends, policy developments, and competitive activity
- Prepare pipeline forecasts, capture updates, market assessments, and strategic recommendations for executive leadership
- Support continuous improvement in business development processes, tools, reporting structures, and operating rhythms
Benefits
- Equity-Based Compensation
- Highly Competitive PTO and Holiday Calendar
- Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
- Unique Performance-Based Bonus Structure
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
