Director of Defense Business Development

Tocaro Blue builds the machine learning software that enables autonomous maritime operations. Our products—ProteusCore (marine radar processing engine) and ApolloCore (EO/IR perception system)—deliver real-time detection, classification, tracking, and sensor fusion for tactical craft and unmanned surface vessels. Trained on massive sensor datasets and proven on the water, our software is sold to defense companies, sensor and autonomy integrators, sensor hardware OEMs, and government entities.

About the role

We're hiring the person who will grow awareness with government stakeholders and develop new defense-related sales opportunities. You will build the pipeline, own the relationships, and close the deals that put our perception software on every vessel headed for the fleet. You'll report directly to our Senior Sales Director, help shape our defense strategy, and work alongside our engineering and leadership teams on demonstrations, evaluations, and proposals without bureaucracy.

Responsibilities

• Develop, negotiate, and close licensing deals with USV builders, autonomy integrators, and maritime OEMs.
• Grow existing accounts and open new ones, selling Tocaro Blue’s products across the maritime defense ecosystem.
• Identify, shape, and win opportunities with U.S. Government customers: All DoW program offices and labs, USCG, USSOCOM, DIU, and ONR. Deals can include FAR-based contracts, OTAs, and SBIR/STTR Phase II–III transitions. Initially, this role will focus on selling to primes fulfilling DoW USV contracts.
• Qualify opportunities, champion technology demonstrations, and coordinate them with our engineering and leadership teams.
• Shape proposal strategy, provide input on pricing, collaborate with our Senior Sales Director to negotiate terms, and close deals.
• Stay close to the customer, expand the account, and track programs, budgets, and competitors across the uncrewed maritime landscape.
• Bring the voice of the operator and program office back into our product roadmap.
• Represent Tocaro Blue at industry events, fleet exercises, and customer demonstrations.

Requirements

• Track record of technical product or services sales in a complex, enterprise sales environment.
• 8+ years of business development, capture, or defense sales experience with a track record of closing government customers, primes, or platform companies, or both.
• Uniformed service or government civilian experience preferred: DoW, USCG, or the acquisition and S&T organizations that support them.
• Self-directed and comfortable building the government sales playbook.
• U.S. citizenship required. Active or prior security clearance a plus.

Preferred Expertise

• Existing relationships in the Navy and USCG uncrewed maritime community, including program offices, labs, or the USV builders and autonomy companies serving them.
• Working fluency in how the government buys: acquisition pathways, OTAs, SBIR/STTR transition, FMS, and security cooperation.
• Interest and experience in the maritime domain.

Location & Travel

San Diego, CA or Washington, DC or surrounding areas. Expect 50% travel to customer sites, fleet concentration areas, demonstrations, and industry events, plus regular time with our teams in Alabama and Florida.

Benefits

• Base salary: $140,000 – $170,000, depending on experience and location.
• Above-market equity for an early-stage startup. Your upside is tied to what you build.
• Health benefits, 401(k), and paid time off.

Work Environment

• Engineering office in Birmingham, AL.
• Engaging fieldwork opportunities for both direct support of clients and internal test events at our Pensacola, FL testing location.
• Innovation-first culture with direct impact on defining the future of maritime perception and autonomy.
• Access to challenging real-world problems that push the limits of current Marine Autonomy capabilities.
• Collaborative environment with top-tier engineers, researchers, and business people.
• Work-life balance that supports both innovation and personal growth.