Director of Commercial Business Development

Katalyst Space Technologies•Washington, DC

4d•$199,000 - $250,000

About The Position

Katalyst is seeking a Director of Commercial Business Development to drive commercial growth across the space ecosystem. The role builds and owns strategic relationships with organizations such as satellite operators, spacecraft manufacturers, mission providers, logistics and infrastructure companies, insurers, investors, and other partners relevant to Katalyst’s mission portfolio. The director develops account and market strategies, identifies customer stakeholders and buying processes, and shapes early opportunities by translating customer needs into credible solutions, value propositions, business cases, and mission concepts. The position leads business development strategy from opportunity qualification through contracting and follow-through. It works closely with Product, Engineering, Programs, Mission Operations, Finance, Contracts, and executive leadership to ensure customer commitments are feasible, appropriately scoped, commercially sound, resourced, and aligned with company strategy. The role also supports customer briefings, demonstrations, proposals, negotiations, industry engagements, conferences, and executive meetings, and creates repeatable business development and partnership mechanisms that support scalable growth. Katalyst describes its work environment as intense, hands-on, and rewarding, with meaningful ownership and close collaboration. The role requires compliance with applicable export-control, customer-access, confidentiality, and contracting requirements. Because current roles require access to ITAR-controlled information, non-U.S. persons must be authorized to access that information before employment begins.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience.
Experience in commercial business development, sales, partnerships, strategy, space technology, aerospace, satellite services, or a closely related role.
Experience at a high-growth commercial space, aerospace, robotics, or deep-technology company where business development, product, engineering, and program execution operated closely amid limited process and high ambiguity.
Demonstrated experience developing senior customer relationships and converting market needs into funded opportunities, contract awards, strategic partnerships, revenue, or measurable progress toward a commercial objective.
Strong understanding of commercial space markets and the distinctions between user need, economic buyer, budget availability, procurement process, technical evaluation, business case, contracting structure, and signed revenue.
Ability to lead business development from an ambiguous early-stage opportunity through qualification, strategy, internal alignment, proposal, pricing, negotiation, contract, and transition into execution.
Technical and mission fluency sufficient to understand complex spacecraft, autonomy, RPOD, mission operations, software, robotics, or on-orbit services; ask credible questions; identify constraints; and communicate value without misrepresenting engineering reality.
Excellent executive communication and writing skills, including customer briefings, proposals, account plans, business cases, meeting preparation, commercial negotiations, and internal synthesis of external information.
Ability to comply with applicable export-control, customer-access, confidentiality, and contracting requirements.
Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed.

Nice To Haves

Experience structuring and negotiating strategic partnerships, commercial contracts, joint go-to-market arrangements, anchor-customer agreements, or other complex business relationships.
Understanding of commercial contracting fundamentals, including scope, statements of work, pricing, payment milestones, intellectual property, data rights, liability, insurance, export controls, and transition from business development into program execution.

Responsibilities

Build, maintain, and own strategic relationships across the commercial space ecosystem, including satellite operators, spacecraft manufacturers, mission providers, logistics and infrastructure companies, insurers, investors, and other relevant partners.
Develop account and market strategies for priority commercial segments, identifying buyers, influencers, operators, procurement stakeholders, budget owners, timelines, buying criteria, and adoption barriers.
Shape early opportunities by connecting customer needs and business objectives to Katalyst solutions, and developing value propositions, business cases, mission concepts, and internal alignment.
Own or lead business development strategy from opportunity qualification through contract, including engagement plans, competitive positioning, partnership strategy, pricing inputs, negotiation support, executive actions, and post-signature follow-through.
Partner with Product, Engineering, Programs, Mission Operations, Finance, Contracts, and executive leadership to ensure external commitments are feasible, properly scoped, commercially sound, resourced, and strategically aligned.
Support and lead customer briefings, capability demonstrations, proposals, statements of work, commercial negotiations, industry engagements, conferences, and executive-level meetings.
Communicate Katalyst’s technical, operational, and economic value with precision and credibility.
Create repeatable business development and partnership mechanisms to support scalable commercial growth.