Director of Business Development – US

About the role

The Business Development Director for US will lead the sales pipeline, customer relationships, and capture strategies for US Department of Defense (DoD) Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) programs. This role involves owning prime opportunities directly with DoD innovation and acquisition branches and driving sub-contract integration wins by selling directly to Tier-1 and Tier-2 UAS Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).

This is an elite hunter role where you will turn technical demonstrations into multi-million-dollar production contracts. As an entrepreneur, you will develop trusted advisor relationships with key stakeholders and influencers within the US Department of Defense (DoD) and US OEMs.

Responsibilities

• Source, qualify, and close multi-million-dollar sales opportunities within the US Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Special Operations UAS, or related, programs.
• Establish and scale strategic commercial relationships with leading US UAS manufacturers to design Arkeus payloads into their next-generation airframes.
• Lead the capture strategy for targeted US government RFPs, OTAs, and SBIR/STTR transitions. Write winning proposals backed by deep technical understanding.
• Translate complex user requirements (e.g., GPS-denied navigation, autonomous targeting, multi-domain ISR) into tailored Arkeus system configurations.
• Cook up high-impact product demonstrations and military flight trials alongside our technical Customer Success and Integration teams.
• Feed critical US customer requirements, policy updates (such as Replicator initiatives), and competitor insights back to the product and engineering teams, driving information sharing through our CRM.
• Demonstrate leadership through example by putting our customers first through a culture of leadership, ownership, disruption, and audacity.

Requirements

• 5+ years of proven success in defense business development, capture management, or sales, with a verifiable history of meeting or exceeding revenue targets.
• Deep knowledge of the uncrewed aerial systems market, including payloads, sensors (EO/IR, radar), open architectures (MOSA), and autonomous software.
• A comprehensive understanding of US DoD procurement pathways, budget cycles, and contract vehicles (e.g., FAR, non-FAR, OTAs).
• The ability to confidently discuss sensor specifications, edge-computing limits, and airborne software architectures with military operators and aerospace engineers.
• An active, relevant network of contacts across the US DoD UAS program offices and defense aerospace primes.
• A U.S. Secret (or higher) security clearance. Prior military or civil service experience is highly valued.

Qualifications

• Passion for a fast-paced, dynamic, and creative environment that prioritizes our Customers receiving a Compelling Experience through demonstration of leadership, ownership, disruption and audacity.
• Willingness to travel up to 50%.

Benefits

• Work on the hardest problems in deep-tech — optics, autonomy, real-time AI and hardware-software integration in a single product.
• Collaborate with exceptional leaders who have decades of combined experience in AI, optics and defense.
• Grow faster than you ever would at a large organization.
• Receive a competitive, market-benchmarked salary, structured career pathways built to grow with you, and the opportunity to participate in our Employee Share Option Plan (ESOP).
• Mentor bright emerging talent through our highly sought-after intern program and strong connections with leading universities.

Pay

Competitive, market-benchmarked salary.

Schedule

Must be willing to travel up to 50%.