Business Development Manager - Defense Drones

Business Development Manager – UAS Flight Control & Autonomy

Los Angeles / Hawthorne, CA · Hybrid · Up to 30% travel

ABOUT THE COMPANY

A private, 100% employee-owned (ESOP) engineering and product development company with a 60+ year track record building safety-critical systems for government and commercial customers. It runs with startup agility but has the credibility of a longstanding aerospace player — every employee has a direct hand in what's next.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We're looking for a Business Development Manager to grow sales of our flight control, autopilot, guidance, navigation, and autonomy technology by building direct relationships with drone and UAS manufacturers who sell into the Department of Defense. This is an outreach-driven role — prospecting, relationship-building, and positioning our technology as the flight control/autonomy solution inside other companies' platforms. Familiarity with SBIR/STTR programs is a plus but not required.

This role has a clear path to Director of Business Development as the pipeline and book of business grow.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

     Prospect and build relationships with UAS/drone manufacturers, integrators, and primes that sell to the DoD

     Position the company's flight control and autonomy technology as a component/solution for partners' platforms

     Own and grow the sales pipeline for flight control and autonomy products, with clear pipeline and conversion metrics

     Represent the company at UAS-focused conferences, industry days, and trade shows

     Translate customer needs into requirements the technical team can act on

     Identify strategic and ecosystem partners to support go-to-market

     Support the transition of SBIR/STTR-funded technology into follow-on contracts when the opportunity arises (not the core focus of the role)

     Partner with technical leadership so business development efforts stay aligned with what the product roadmap can support

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

     Business development or sales experience, ideally in defense, aerospace, or UAS markets

     A demonstrated ability to prospect and build new relationships from scratch

     Comfortable translating technical capabilities into a customer-facing pitch

     Strong written and verbal communication skills

Preferred

     Existing relationships with defense-focused drone/UAS manufacturers, primes, or integrators

     Familiarity with SBIR/STTR programs and Phase III transitions

     Prior defense drone industry experience

     Active security clearance

     Pilot, instructor, or operational aviation background

COMPENSATION & LOGISTICS

     Base salary: $150,000–$185,000 (DOE), plus performance-based incentives tied to closed business and product revenue

     Total on-target earnings (OTE): $190,000–$240,000+

     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)