Head of Business Development

About this position

Parallax Space is building critical mission infrastructure to enable rapid, reliable, and scalable access to space. We partner with commercial, civil, and national security customers to deliver high-performance satellite components, integrated payload systems, and mission capabilities that close critical gaps in modern space architecture.

Our model combines advanced engineering, mission execution, and scalable manufacturing to deliver high-TRL products and flight-ready systems at speed.

We are building the infrastructure backbone for the next generation of space systems.

Position Overview

Parallax Space is seeking a Business Development Lead to drive customer growth across the company’s space products, payload solutions, and integrated mission systems.

This individual will be responsible for identifying opportunities, developing customer relationships, shaping requirements, building capture strategies, and converting customer demand into funded programs and product orders. The role will operate across both product-focused business development and larger mission opportunities requiring integration of multiple Parallax capabilities into complete customer solutions.

The Business Development Lead will work directly with executive leadership, engineering, program management, and operations to translate customer mission needs into executable technical and commercial solutions. The successful candidate will combine strong aerospace market knowledge with technical credibility, customer engagement skills, and disciplined opportunity execution.

This is a hands‑on growth role for an individual who can develop relationships at the mission level while maintaining the execution discipline required to move opportunities from initial customer engagement through proposal, negotiation, contract award, and transition into program execution.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Pipeline Growth

• Identify, qualify, and pursue new business opportunities across commercial, civil, defense, and national security space markets
• Build and maintain a qualified opportunity pipeline aligned with company revenue objectives and strategic priorities
• Develop account strategies for targeted customers, programs, and market segments
• Establish relationships with government customers, spacecraft primes, satellite operators, payload providers, and other strategic partners
• Maintain disciplined opportunity tracking including customer need, funding status, competitive position, probability of award, timing, and next actions
• Drive opportunities from early customer engagement through capture, proposal, negotiation, and award
• Provide leadership with clear visibility into pipeline health, bookings outlook, customer priorities, and market activity

Product Business Development

• Drive adoption and sales of Parallax spacecraft components, subsystems, payload products, and related product offerings
• Identify customer programs where existing or planned Parallax products provide a strong technical and commercial fit
• Develop product positioning based on customer requirements, mission needs, price, schedule, performance, and competitive alternatives
• Work with engineering and product leadership to translate market demand into product requirements and roadmap priorities
• Support development of product pricing strategies, recurring sales models, volume opportunities, and strategic customer agreements
• Build long‑term relationships that convert initial product sales into recurring program and production demand

Mission Systems & Integrated Solutions

• Develop opportunities requiring integrated payloads, hosted mission capabilities, spacecraft integration, mission services, and multi‑product solutions
• Engage customers early to understand mission objectives, CONOPS, technical requirements, schedule, budget, and acquisition strategy
• Partner with engineering and program leadership to develop executable mission architectures and customer solutions
• Identify opportunities to combine Parallax products, engineering capabilities, mission integration, and external partners into differentiated mission offerings
• Support make/buy/partner decisions and strategic teaming arrangements required to deliver complete mission solutions

Capture & Proposal Execution

• Own or support capture strategy for priority opportunities
• Develop win strategies, competitive assessments, customer engagement plans, pricing approaches, and capture schedules
• Coordinate proposal development across technical, programmatic, financial, contracts, and executive stakeholders
• Translate customer requirements and solicitation language into clear internal proposal requirements
• Support development of technical volumes, management approaches, schedules, pricing inputs, statements of work, and commercial terms
• Drive proposal schedules and ensure timely, compliant, and compelling submissions
• Support contract negotiations and transition awarded opportunities into program execution

Customer & Market Engagement

• Serve as a primary customer‑facing representative for assigned markets, accounts, and opportunities
• Develop relationships with technical, programmatic, acquisition, and executive stakeholders
• Represent Parallax at customer meetings, conferences, industry events, technical exchanges, and strategic partner engagements
• Develop a strong understanding of customer acquisition strategies, budgets, program timelines, and emerging mission requirements
• Monitor competitive activity and provide structured market intelligence to company leadership and product teams

Government & National Security Business Development

• Develop opportunities across DoD, Space Force, SDA, intelligence community, NASA, and other government organizations
• Understand government acquisition pathways including FAR-based procurements, OTAs, SBIR/STTR, BAAs, CSOs, and other rapid acquisition mechanisms
• Track relevant government budgets, solicitations, program offices, acquisition strategies, and industry engagement activities
• Build relationships with government program offices, primes, integrators, and strategic industry partners
• Support teaming strategies and partner development for larger government opportunities

Cross‑Functional Execution

• Partner closely with executive leadership, engineering, programs, finance, contracts, supply chain, and operations
• Ensure customer commitments are technically executable and commercially sound before contract award
• Establish clear handoffs from business development and capture into program execution
• Support program teams during strategic customer engagements and scope expansion discussions
• Provide customer and market feedback into strategic planning, product roadmaps, investment priorities, and capacity planning

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Aerospace, or a related field
• 7+ years of experience in business development, capture, product management, program management, engineering, or related aerospace and defense roles
• Demonstrated experience developing business within the space, aerospace, defense, or national security markets
• Strong understanding of spacecraft, payloads, satellite subsystems, or related space technologies
• Experience developing and managing customer relationships across technical and business organizations
• Demonstrated ability to identify opportunities and advance them through capture, proposal, negotiation, and award
• Strong technical aptitude and ability to communicate effectively with engineering teams and technical customers
• Experience developing proposals, presentations, customer briefings, and commercial strategies
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to operate independently and manage multiple opportunities simultaneously in a fast‑paced environment
• Willingness to travel as required for customer and industry engagements
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience selling spacecraft hardware, payloads, subsystems, or integrated space systems
• Experience with national security space programs and customers
• Existing relationships across DoD, Space Force, SDA, intelligence community, spacecraft primes, or commercial satellite operators
• Experience with both product sales and complex mission/program capture
• Familiarity with FAR/DFARS contracting and government acquisition processes
• Experience with OTAs, SBIR/STTR, BAAs, CSOs, or other nontraditional acquisition pathways
• Experience developing pricing strategies and supporting contract negotiations
• Experience working in a startup or growth‑stage aerospace company
• Technical engineering background in spacecraft, payloads, mission systems, or satellite subsystems
• Active U.S. security clearance

Core Competencies

• Customer Focus
• Ownership
• Business Development
• Technical Credibility
• Capture Strategy
• Strategic Thinking
• Relationship Development
• Commercial Judgment
• Execution Bias
• Communication
• Cross‑Functional Leadership
• Accountability

Why Join Parallax Space

Join a team building critical infrastructure for the future of space. At Parallax Space, you will work on real hardware, real missions, and meaningful national‑scale challenges alongside a high‑performing team of engineers, operators, and builders.

This role offers the opportunity to own meaningful electrical design work, develop PCB hardware that supports flight systems, and help build the engineering foundation of a rapidly scaling aerospace company.

Compliance

Parallax Space is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on merit, qualifications, and business needs. Certain positions may require eligibility to access export‑controlled information under ITAR/EAR regulations and/or the ability to obtain a U.S. security clearance.