Director of Business Development - UAS | Autonomy & Flight Control
Los Angeles / Hawthorne, CA • Hybrid • Up to 30% travel
THE OPPORTUNITY
We are seeking a Director of Business Development to drive growth specifically in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), with a focus on flight control systems, autopilots, guidance, navigation, and autonomy-enabled products. This role is tightly focused on building funded development programs and scalable commercial products around the company's core flight control and autonomy capabilities, and carries a significant government-relations component. Candidates with a strong government-interactions background are strongly preferred.
Success looks like diversifying how the company generates funded revenue: new contract vehicles (Phase III, OTA, IDIQ, sole-source), commercial product and licensing revenue, and direct relationships with government and commercial customers. Smaller, recurring wins in new areas count just as much as a single large award - the goal is expanding the company's reach and connection to the customer, not just growing what's already in motion.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Drive new UAS business centered on flight control, autopilot, and autonomy software and hardware development
• Lead the transition of existing SBIR/STTR-funded autonomy and flight control technologies into Phase III and non-SBIR contract vehicles, including sole-source awards, IDIQs, OTAs, BOAs, and FAR-based contracts
• Identify and pursue commercial product, licensing, and recurring revenue opportunities for UAS flight control and autonomy solutions
• Identify key strategic and ecosystem partners to support go-to-market strategy
• Shape customer requirements and concepts of operations into executable development programs and product roadmaps
• Own and grow the sales pipeline for flight control and autonomy products and services, with clear pipeline growth and conversion metrics
• Build and maintain relationships with DoD program offices, autonomy leads, primes, integrators, and commercial UAS manufacturers
• Lead capture activities, including solution shaping, teaming strategy, pricing inputs, and proposal development
• Partner closely with technical leadership to ensure development efforts align with productization, scalability, and long-term reuse
• Represent the company at UAS-focused conferences, industry days, and technical forums
QUALIFICATIONS
Required
• 5+ years of business development, capture, or program growth experience in UAS, defense, or aerospace markets
• Existing contacts and relationships with government program staff who can engage on R&D and technology transfer projects
• Demonstrated success transitioning early-stage development efforts (including SBIR/STTR) into Phase III, follow-on, or non-SBIR contract vehicles
• Proven ability to drive funded development programs and commercial product opportunities through customer engagement, capture strategy, and contracting execution
• Strong customer-facing skills, including executive-level briefings, relationship management, and negotiation
• Experience working with DoD program offices, primes, integrators, and/or commercial UAS manufacturers
• Ability to partner effectively with highly technical engineering teams without requiring hands-on technical expertise
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Active Secret security clearance (minimum)
Preferred
• Pilot, instructor, or operational aviation experience
• Experience in UAS, eVTOL, AAM, or UAM markets
• Experience working with small, growth-oriented, employee-owned companies
• Desire to contribute directly to aggressive growth targets and long-term company value creation
• Direct experience or existing relationships supporting STRATFI/TACFI or similar SBIR/STTR Phase II-to-Phase III matching-funds transitions
COMPENSATION & LOGISTICS
• Base salary: $150,000-$185,000 (DOE), plus performance-based incentives/commission tied directly to transitioned non-SBIR government contracts (Phase III, IDIQ task orders, sole-source awards) and commercial UAS product revenue
• Total on-target earnings (OTE): $190,000-$240,000+, with upside driven by transitioned revenue and product commercialization
• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• 401(k) Safe Harbor plan with company contribution
• 100% company-paid medical (HMO) for employees and dependents; dental and vision coverage
• FSA / Dependent Care, Life and Long-Term Disability insurance, Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Domestic travel up to 30%
• Must qualify as a U.S. Person under ITAR/EAR (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident not affiliated with a foreign company/government, or political asylee)
