Firestorm is hiring a
Business Development Manager to own customer engagement, capture, and growth across U.S.
Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and U.S.
Central Command (CENTCOM). You will be the face of Firestorm to operators, program managers, acquisition staff, and component commands - translating warfighter problems into Firestorm capability, and Firestorm capability into funded programs of record, OTAs, and rapid acquisition contracts.
This is a high-autonomy, high-impact position for someone who understands the mission and authorities of both commands has relationships with key acquisition and requirements leaders and can create and shape an account portfolio.
Prior SOF or CENTCOM operational experience is a strong differentiator - not a requirement. We will weigh experience within the special operations and Combat Command community heavily but are equally interested in industry BD professionals who have built credibility and a positive reputation with these critical customers.
What You'll Do- Account strategy. Build and execute the Firestorm growth plan for SOCOM (USASOC, NAVSPECWARCOM, AFSOC, MARSOC, JSOC, SOCOM HQ J-staffs, SOF AT&L) and CENTCOM (HQ, components, and forward task forces).
- Capture Management. Identify, qualify, and capture opportunities pertaining to contested logistics and sUAS - from understanding, shaping, and via the RFI/RFP, proposal, and award stages.
- Own pipeline hygiene, win strategies, gate reviews, and bid/no-bid recommendations.
- Customer engagement. Establish trusted relationships with operators, program managers, acquisition leads, and senior staff. Be present at MacDill and forward when it matters - demos, exercises, AARs, and warfighter touchpoints.
- Requirements translation. Convert mission gaps into capability briefs, white papers, and demonstration concepts that Firestorm engineering and product teams can execute against.
- Contracting pathways. Drive opportunities through SOFWERX, SOCOM Vulcan, DIU, AFWERX, OTAs, CSOs, and traditional FAR-based vehicles.
- Partner with our contracts and finance teams to structure winnable, executable deals.
- Teaming and ecosystem. Build the right teaming arrangements with primes, non-traditionals, and integrators. Represent Firestorm at SOF Week, AUSA, AFA, NDIA, and customer-facing industry events.
- Forecasting and reporting. Maintain rigorous CRM discipline, deliver accurate forecasts, and brief the VP of BD and executive team on pipeline, risks, and competitive intelligence.
- Draft Executive communications, develop proposals, capability briefs, white papers, talking points that drive senior leader decision making.
- Perform other duties as required
Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or equivalent field
- U.S. Citizenship required due to ITAR regulations
- Have an active Secret Clearance (SC) with the ability to obtain a Top Secret (TS) Clearance
- 5+ years of business development, capture, and/or program management experience in the defense industry, or equivalent uniformed/civilian experience working acquisition, requirements, and/or operations for SOCOM and/or CENTCOM.
- Experience with the Combatant Commands, their components, key associated stakeholders, and budget cycles for SOF and CENTCOM customers.
- Experience moving opportunities from a lead to funded contracts, including experience with non-traditional pathways (OTAs, CSOs, SOFWERX, DIU, AFWERX, rapid prototyping etc.).
- Working knowledge of contested logistics, sUAS, autonomy, and/or adjacent capability areas that will allow for a credible technical conversation with an operator and/or program manager.
- Have a bias for action, comfort with ambiguity, and the judgment to operate with minimal supervision in a startup environment.
Preferred Qualifications- Prior service in SOF, Army Aviation, USMC, USAF, or Navy with operational time in the CENTCOM AOR.
- Existing relationships with SOCOM PEO-SOF Warrior, PEO-Fixed Wing, PEO-Rotary Wing, SOF AT&L, or CENTCOM J-codes.
- Hands-on familiarity with sUAS employment, Group 1-3 platforms, or contested/expeditionary logistics concepts (e.g., distributed maritime ops, agile combat employment, SOF resupply).
- Experience standing up a new account from scratch inside a growth-stage defense company.
- MBA, M.S., or relevant graduate-level defense/policy education.
Work Environment- Position is based in Tampa FL
- We welcome candidates who are open to relocating; relocation assistance is available and may be included in the offer package
- Willingness and ability to travel ~30-50%, including occasional OCONUS to forward-deployed customers.
Compensation- Base salary: $160,000 - $190,000 base, commensurate with experience
- Equity: Meaningful equity grant in a growth-stage defense technology company
The posted salary range reflects an estimate based on a variety of compensation factors, including but not limited to relevant experience, education, certifications, specialized skills, geographic location, and business needs. Actual compensation may vary, and this range is subject to change as our compensation structure or market conditions evolve.
