Partnerships Lead

Modern Intelligence

• $180K — $240K *
Aerospace & Defense
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 4+ years in sales, partnerships, or business development in B2B, hardware, defense, dual-use, or deep-tech sectors
  • Proven ability to build a pipeline through outbound efforts
  • Experience closing licensing agreements with hardware manufacturers or systems integrators
  • Familiarity with defense procurement processes and DoD programs
  • Ability to pitch technical products to engineers in the defense sector
  • Proficient in maintaining CRM systems and reporting to executives
  • Fluency with AI tools for prospecting and research

Responsibilities

  • Build and manage relationships with unmanned vehicle manufacturers
  • Own the partner pipeline from initial contact to signed agreements
  • Negotiate various partnership agreements including licensing and joint development
  • Collaborate with the Deployments team for integration and field testing
  • Travel 25-33% for partner meetings and industry events

Benefits

  • Full medical coverage for employee and family
  • Comprehensive dental and vision plans for employee and partial for dependents
  • Generous and flexible paid time off (PTO)
  • Paid federal holidays plus the last two weeks of the year
  • 12 weeks of paid parental leave
Full Job Description
We have been founder-led on sales since 2021 and have closed contracts with both primes and vendors. You will be our first dedicated partnerships hire, building relationships with unmanned vehicle manufacturers and owning the partner pipeline from first call to signed deal.

Our primary buyers are companies that build UAVs, UGVs, USVs, UUVs, and other UxVs and want Sovereign running on their vehicles. You will find and qualify those manufacturers, then negotiate the agreements that put Sovereign on their platforms, such as licensing, teaming, joint development, or reseller deals. Once a manufacturer signs, you will work with our Deployments team to schedule integration and field testing.
This role is on-site in Austin, or remote from the DC area until we open an office there.

Expect to travel 25-33% of the time for partner meetings, field tests, conferences, and industry events.

Requirements

  • 4+ years in sales, partnerships, or business development at a B2B, hardware, defense, dual-use, or deep-tech company
  • You have built your own pipeline through outbound, not only worked inbound leads or accounts you were handed
  • Experience closing licensing agreements with hardware manufacturers, primes, or systems integrators
  • Experience selling into defense, and an understanding of how DoW programs buy
  • Experience pitching a technical product to engineers in defense
  • Experience keeping a CRM up to date and reporting pipeline to the exec team
  • Fluency with AI tools for prospecting, note taking, researching, and drafting
  • Must be a U.S. person (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)). This role works with export-controlled technology.


Preferred Qualifications

  • Existing relationships at U.S. unmanned vehicle manufacturers (air, ground, or maritime) and the primes and integrators around them
  • Experience getting software integrated onto an OEM's vehicle and into production
  • Experience building the GTM, partnerships or sales function at a startup
  • Experience selling to international vendors


$150,000 - $200,000 semi monthly

Compensation Specifics
  • Final offer depends on experience and demonstrated ownership of partner or OEM pipeline
  • Uncapped commission is included on top of the base salary
  • Equity is granted on top of base for every full-time role.
Benefits
  • Full medical for employee and family
  • Full dental and vision for employee and partial coverage for your dependents.
  • Generous and flexible PTO
  • Paid Holidays: All federal holidays + last two weeks of the calendar year
  • Paid Parental Leave: 12 weeks


Modern Intelligence builds Sovereign: edge targeting software for unmanned systems, already in use on live missions. You'll be our first dedicated partnerships hire, signing the manufacturers that put Sovereign on their vehicles and working directly with the founders. If you're hungry and move with agency, you should apply.

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