Head of Global Growth & Partnership

Title: Head of Global Growth & Partnership Company: Heven AeroTech Location: United States - East Coast FLSA: Exempt Reports To: Chief Executive Officer About Our Company: At Heven AeroTech (Heven), we don’t just believe in the power of people—we build our success on it. As a recognized leader in hydrogen-powered drones, we’ve earned recognition for creating a workplace where innovation thrives, collaboration is second nature, and every employee feels valued. Our culture is anchored in trust and a shared commitment to excellence. We believe great teams are built on individuals who are humble, hungry, and smart—those who put team success first, take initiative to continuously improve, and demonstrate strong interpersonal awareness. At Heven, your voice matters, your ideas are heard, and your contributions make a tangible impact as you grow through hands-on experience and collaboration across the team. Role Summary: Heven Aerotech is at a pivotal moment: scaling from a pioneering European aerospace innovator into a true transatlantic force. We are seeking a visionary Head of Global Growth & Partnerships to lead three interlocking mandates: launching a Manufacturing-as-a-Service (MaaS) business line in the United States, driving Heven's European expansion from its first market in Romania through a multi-country HoldCo structure, and acting as the strategic bridge between Heven Europe and Heven USA. This is a senior executive role reporting directly to the CEO. You will build strategy and execute it personally, close anchor partnerships, coordinate closely with the Heven Europe HoldCo Managing Director, and hire the teams around you. Essential Responsibilities: Launch Manufacturing-as-a-Service (MaaS) in the United States Define and validate the MaaS value proposition for European companies seeking US manufacturing capacity and US companies seeking aerospace-grade production capabilities. Develop go-to-market strategy, pricing models, service tiers, and contractual frameworks for the MaaS business line. Identify, negotiate, and close anchor customer contracts with European OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, and US aerospace companies. Build and manage a MaaS prospect pipeline; own revenue targets from concept through first signed contracts. Collaborate with operations, engineering, and finance to define service capacity, SLAs, and unit economics. Establish strategic manufacturing and co-production partnerships in the US to accelerate capacity ramp. Represent Heven at US industry events, trade shows, and governmental forums (DoD, FAA, AFWERX, NASA). Design, staff, and lead the MaaS team. European Expansion — Market Entry, HoldCo Build-Out & Team Development Lead Heven's European expansion starting with Romania as the first priority market, developing a full market entry plan including commercial, regulatory, and operational dimensions. Work in close partnership with the Heven Europe HoldCo Managing Director to build and execute the multi-country European growth strategy. Support the progressive build-out of Heven's European HoldCo structure, coordinating with legal, finance, and leadership to establish branches and subsidiaries in priority European countries. Identify, recruit, and help onboard local market leadership and commercial teams across European markets. Develop and activate country-level partnership networks including industrial partners, distributors, system integrators, and government stakeholders. Track market entry milestones, report on European expansion progress to CEO and Board, and course-correct execution as needed. European Institutional Relations — EU Funding, Defense & R&D Programs Identify and advise Heven on financial and governmental support programs available to European operations, including national grants, investment incentives, and EU structural funds. Lead Heven's engagement with European Commission R&D and innovation programs, positioning the company for funding and partnership opportunities. Support participation in and applications to European Defence Fund (EDF) programs, advising on consortium formation and proposal strategy. Build relationships with the European Defence Agency (EDA), national Ministries of Defence, and relevant government bodies to support Heven's dual-use and defense positioning in Europe. Monitor the European funding landscape and proactively identify new grant, co-investment, and collaborative R&D opportunities relevant to Heven's technology roadmap. Industry Presence — Demonstrations, Events & High-Level Engagements Organize and lead drone demonstration events across European markets, coordinating with technical, regulatory, and communications teams to maximize strategic impact. Represent Heven at high-level industry forums, government meetings, trade shows, and ministerial events in both Europe and the US. Develop relationships with senior stakeholders in aerospace, defense, and government to build Heven's institutional profile across key European markets. Support Heven leadership in preparation for and follow-up from strategic meetings, including briefing materials, stakeholder mapping, and action tracking. Transatlantic Liaison — Heven Europe & Heven USA Serve as the primary strategic and operational liaison between Heven Europe and Heven USA, ensuring alignment on priorities, strategy, and key decisions across both organizations. Facilitate communication and collaboration between US and European teams on commercial opportunities, customer relationships, and joint programs. Identify and capture synergies between the US MaaS business and European manufacturing, R&D, and commercial activities. Represent European market needs and intelligence to US leadership, and US capabilities and developments to European stakeholders. Coordinate transatlantic business development activities, ensuring a unified Heven brand and value proposition across geographies. Global Partnerships & Business Development Own the full business development lifecycle across both geographies: opportunity identification, qualification, negotiation, and close. Build and manage a global partnership pipeline spanning commercial, defense, and dual-use aerospace segments. Collaborate with product, engineering, and legal teams to structure agreements that protect and advance Heven's IP and strategic interests. Provide regular reporting to the CEO and Board on pipeline, revenue, and market intelligence Qualifications & Experience: Required: 10+ years of experience in business development, partnerships, or commercial leadership in aerospace, defense, advanced manufacturing, or deep tech. Demonstrated track record of building new business lines or revenue streams from zero to meaningful scale. Experience operating across both US and European markets, with strong professional networks on both continents. Deep understanding of aerospace and/or defense procurement, including complex sales cycles, regulatory constraints, and stakeholder dynamics. Familiarity with EU institutional funding mechanisms — European Commission programs, EDF, EDA, or equivalent national programs. Experience closing large, complex B2B contracts; strong negotiation skills. Entrepreneurial mindset: comfortable with ambiguity and capable of building structure where none exists. Exceptional communication and executive presence; able to represent Heven at the highest levels of industry and government. Willingness and ability to travel frequently across the US and Europe. Preferred: Prior experience with Manufacturing-as-a-Service, contract manufacturing, or industrial services business models. Knowledge of or existing relationships in the Romanian market — business, government, or defense ecosystem. Existing relationships with European aerospace primes, defense agencies, or government bodies (EDA, ESA, national MoDs). Relationships within the US aerospace and defense ecosystem (DoD, AFWERX, primes, Tier-1s). Experience supporting or building multi-country European corporate structures (HoldCo / subsidiary networks). Experience in a high-growth startup or scale-up environment operating without large support structures. Multilingual capability (English required; Romanian, French, German, or another European language a strong plus). Background in UAV/drone, propulsion, or adjacent advanced aerospace technology. Physical Requirements: Ability to work in a professional office environment and perform tasks requiring prolonged periods of sitting, standing, walking, and computer use. Ability to communicate effectively in person, by telephone, and through virtual meeting platforms with internal and external stakeholders across multiple time zones. Ability to travel extensively, both domestically and internationally, including frequent air travel throughout the United States and Europe (up to 50-70% travel, as business needs require). Ability to attend and actively participate in industry conferences, trade shows, customer meetings, government engagements, manufacturing site visits, and drone demonstration events. Ability to move throughout office, manufacturing, warehouse, laboratory, testing, and aerospace production environments while complying with applicable safety requirements. Ability to walk moderate distances, climb stairs, and navigate large industrial facilities, exhibition centers, military installations, airports, and customer sites. Ability to occasionally lift and carry materials related to business development activities, trade shows, demonstrations, and presentations, typically up to 25 pounds. Ability to visually inspect facilities, equipment, demonstrations, presentations, and operational activities, including close and distance vision. Ability to maintain a flexible work schedule, including early morning, evening, and occasional weekend commitments to accommodate international travel, customer requirements, and global business operations. Ability to obtain and maintain required travel documentation and, where applicable, access credentials necessary to visit customer, government, defense, aerospace, and manufacturing facilities. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. Benefits Overview: Heven AeroTech offers a competitive benefits package designed to support the health, financial security, and overall well-being of our employees and their families. Benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, retirement plans, paid time off/sick, and additional protections such as critical illness, hospital indemnity, accident coverage, and short- and long-term disability. Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: Heven AeroTech is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. Salary Range:

$200,000—$260,000 USD