Technical Business Development Lead, SATCOM

About Oso Semiconductor

Oso Semiconductor is an early-stage fabless semiconductor company developing next-generation mmWave beamforming technology. Founded by UC Berkeley PhDs, our proprietary RFIC architecture delivers 2-4x power reduction for phased array systems across satellite communication (SATCOM), 5G, and radar. We've raised Series A funding, built our first chipsets, secured our first defense and commercial customers, and are preparing to scale the team 3X.

The Role

As Technical Business Development Lead, you will be a key member of the leadership team and work side by side with Engineering and Operations to get Oso Semi's beamforming chipsets designed into our customers' phased-array platforms. You'll combine strong RF and semiconductor expertise with commercial ownership to help Oso Semi secure early design wins, engage the right partners, and accelerate our SATCOM product and go-to-market strategy.

This is a solutions-led business development role that comes with and requires a high degree of autonomy. You should be equally comfortable in deeply technical conversations and strategic business discussions defending our architecture and system level benefits. You will be the front line in understanding terminal architectures, translating Oso Semi's RFIC performance into measurable system-level value, and moving opportunities from initial technical engagement through evaluation, design-in, and commercial commitment. Your technical credibility and market awareness are essential to recognizing the customers' pain points, proposing solutions using our differentiated products, and shepherding the lead from design-in to volume revenue.

Responsibilities

• Convert from Curiosity to Contract – Identify and qualify design-in opportunities across LEO, MEO, and GEO terminals (ground and space), engaging customers early enough to inform their architecture. Lead architecture trade studies covering EIRP and G/T, element count and array partitioning, beam steering and calibration, gain, noise figure, P1dB, power and thermal budgets. Shape and drive the creation of the collateral required to earn customer confidence including evaluation kit briefs, reference designs, integration guides, application notes, characterization data, and customer-specific business cases.
• Own the Design-In from Lead to Volume Revenue – Carry opportunities through every stage: qualify the lead, run technical discovery against the customer's system requirements, get evaluation hardware into their lab, support schematic and layout review, execute the technical evaluation, close the design win, then shepherd the program through NPI, qualification, and ramp to volume production. Own the pipeline, forecast, next actions and the honest status of every opportunity in the funnel.
• Develop Strategic Partnerships – Build, manage, and expand strategic relationships across the SATCOM ecosystem, including satellite operators, terminal OEMs, ground station providers, integrators, government organizations, and industry partners. Establish connections with key decision-makers, create pathways for long-term collaboration and technology adoption, and cultivate trusted relationships that drive repeat business, market access, and future growth opportunities.
• Drive Go-to-Market (GTM) Strategy – Help shape Oso Semi's commercial strategy and market positioning by developing compelling value propositions, competitive differentiation, customer-facing materials, demonstration plans, and sales narratives. Provide market intelligence on customer requirements, competitive developments, and industry trends to inform product roadmap, business strategy, and commercialization efforts. Act as the voice of the customer into Engineering and Operations: your field data and insights should directly shape the requirements.
• Build Pipeline & Drive Revenue Growth – Develop and cultivate a qualified pipeline of strategic opportunities, guide customer engagements from initial introduction through evaluation and commercial agreement, and support negotiations that lead to design wins and revenue generation. Work closely with leadership to prioritize opportunities, accelerate customer adoption, and expand Oso Semi's commercial footprint across SATCOM and adjacent RF markets.
• Represent Oso Semi – Represent Oso Semi at industry conferences, trade shows, and strategic events to increase company visibility and strengthen industry relationships. Drive high-value introductions, coordinate customer and partner meetings, and expand Oso Semi's presence across the SATCOM and RF ecosystem. Contribute the technical content behind non-dilutive funding proposals — SBIR, AFWERX, DARPA, and other government programs.

What Success Looks Like

• 3 months – Fluent in the chipset: you can bring up the eval board unaided, walk a customer through our characterization data, and articulate where we win and lose against other BFIC vendors. You own the technical relationship at our target defense and commercial accounts. Meet existing pipeline of customers starting with those who have purchased evaluation kits.

• 6 months – A qualified pipeline of 5 active design-in opportunities, with evaluation hardware powered up and measured at a minimum of 3 customers.

• 12 months – At least 2 design wins committed to production with a signed forecast, and a repeatable design-in playbook the next hire can run.

Required Qualifications

• BSEE/MSEE or equivalent hands-on experience, plus 5+ years in a customer-facing technical role (Field Applications Engineer, Applications Engineer, Technical Product Manager, Solutions Architect, or Systems Engineer) supporting RF/mmWave, phased array or semiconductor products.
• Demonstrated ownership of semiconductor or RF component design-ins/wins from first customer engagement through design win and into volume production.
• Working knowledge of phased array system design: link budgets, EIRP and G/T, beamforming and calibration, array architectures and spacing considerations, scan performance, and gain / noise figure / P1dB / linearity \budgeting across the front end.
• Understanding of SATCOM ecosystem: LEO/MEO/GEO markets, terminal architectures, key players.
• Ability to translate complex RF/semiconductor features into business value, and to translate customer requirements back into silicon and roadmap requirements for our design team.
• Willing to travel 30-50% to customer sites, integration labs and industry events.

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep experience with phased arrays, ESAs, or mmWave front-end solutions.
• Experience taking a chipset or RF module through NPI, qualification, and a high-volume ramp with an OEM, ODM, or contract manufacturer.
• Existing relationships with SATCOM ecosystem: terminal OEMs, antenna manufacturers, satellite operations, ground-station integrators, or equipment vendors. 
• Understanding of SATCOM regulatory and spectrum challenges (FCC, ITU).
• Knowledge of and connections in adjacent markets like radar and 5G/6G.
• Relationships with defense/government SATCOM programs (DoW, Space Force, AFRL).
• Familiarity with other players in this space: Skyworks/Qorvo, Renesas/Axiro, Sivers, pSemi, Analog Devices.

Why Oso Semi?

• Start-up Impact: Have a direct impact on technology that could change the world.
• Hands-on + strategic:  Not a pure management role. You'll be in the design tools.
• Meaningful equity:  Senior-level grant with real upside at our stage.
• UC Berkeley DNA:  Founded by PhDs published in IEEE conferences and journals.
• First Principles Innovation: Multiple patents providing 2-4x reductions in power. 
• Established Traction: Signed multi-year, high-volume customer agreements in defense and commercial markets (SATCOM, radar, and 5G).

What We Offer

• Bonuses: Additional results-based bonuses and compensation to reward impact, tied to design wins and production revenue. 
• Equity: Stock option grant with 4-year vesting and 1-year cliff.
• Medical, Dental & Vision: Comprehensive health coverage with employer-sponsored medical, dental, and vision plans.
• Hybrid Schedule: Monday–Wednesday in office.
• Time Off: Unlimited PTO.
• 401(k): Employer-matched retirement plan.
• Team Culture: Regular team lunches, events, and celebrations.
• Life Insurance: Company-paid life insurance.
• FSA & HSA: Flexible spending and health savings account options available.
• Commuter Benefits: Pre-tax transit and parking benefits.

Oso Semiconductor is an equal opportunity employer. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.

This role may involve exposure to ITAR/EAR-controlled information. Candidates must be U.S. persons (U.S. citizen, permanent resident, asylee, or refugee) or eligible for an export license.