General Manager, Business Development & Strat

Southern Airways Corporation • Hawthorne, CA

3h • Hybrid

About The Position

The General Manager of Business Development & Strategy- Leasing is a high-impact, hands-on leader responsible for standing up the growth and commercial strategy for a joint venture business unit within a public company. This role focuses on market analysis and execution of leasing transactions while contributing to broader strategic planning. Working closely with the executive leadership team and JV/ 3rd party partners,  this position blends analytical rigor with relationship management to help scale the platform, grow the fleet, and build long-term partnerships with charter airlines. This role will be a key partner in developing the commercialization strategy for OwnerOS, a proprietary software solution designed for the leasing vertical.

Requirements

• Strong analytical and financial modeling skills
• Effective communication and presentation abilities
• Relationship-building and stakeholder engagement
• Attention to detail and project coordination
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field; MBA a plus.
• 5-7 years of experience in business development, commercial sales or strategic finance.
• Understanding of lease structures, aircraft economics, and market fundamentals preferred but not required.
• Experience working cross-functionally in a small or high-growth organization is a plus.
• Strong work ethic with a proactive, entrepreneurial mindset.
• Ability to operate with limited structure and evolving priorities.
• Strong written, analytical, and presentation skills.
• Willingness to travel as required.
• Proficiency in Google Workspace or Microsoft Office and financial modeling tools; CRM experience preferred.

Nice To Haves

• MBA a plus.
• Understanding of lease structures, aircraft economics, and market fundamentals preferred but not required.
• Experience working cross-functionally in a small or high-growth organization is a plus.
• CRM experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Research airline demand, fleet trends, lease rate factors, and competitor activity.
• Support evaluation of target charter airlines, regions, aircraft types, and lease structures
• Track market developments to inform pricing, placement, and portfolio decisions.
• Support the development and execution of business development and growth initiatives.
• Prepare market analysis, business cases, and strategic recommendations for leadership.
• Support origination and management of charter airline customer relationships.
• Participate in airline marketing, meetings, and industry events.
• Assist in negotiations for operating leases, extensions, and sale-leaseback transactions.
• Prepare lease proposals, RFP responses, and marketing materials.
• Build and maintain financial models in coordination with finance and technical teams.
• Support contract execution through delivery and lease commencement.
• Support relationships with capital providers, OEMs, and service partners.
• Contribute market data and analysis to fundraising and partnership efforts.
• Work closely with finance, legal, and operations teams on transactions and with the technical initiative to develop software solutions that support the leasing program.
• Provide market feedback to support asset selection, pricing, and risk assessment.
• Take on a broad range of responsibilities typical of a lean startup environment.
• Maintain and track business development pipeline and CRM activity.
• Prepare reports on market trends, deal status, and performance metrics.
• Support leadership with data-driven insights and recommendations.

Benefits

• Competitive Salary: Attractive compensation package based on experience.
• Health, Wellness, and Retirement: Full-time team members are eligible to participate in comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans. Additional benefits include air ambulance coverage, short-term disability, pet insurance, health savings accounts, company-paid life insurance, and a retirement/401(k) plan. Eligibility for any benefit begins the first day of the month following 30 days of employment.
• Generous PTO plus paid holidays throughout the calendar year.
• Team member Discounts: As a member of the airline community, team members and immediate family members have access to the My ID Travel program. This program provides travel privileges on participating airlines, including:
• Flight tickets at a significant discount, employee and family members can fly our planes (standby space available)
• Discounts on hotels and resorts
• Car rentals at reduced rates
• Discounted cruises

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees