Director of Business Development

A New Paradigm For Space Operations. Who We Are Space Kinetic is a dual use space technology startup building a completely new architecture for space operations – one that brings the advantages of proliferated drone technology (low-cost, operationally flexible, attainable, distributed) to space missions while reducing the ecosystem's reliance on consumable fuel. In a world where many companies are focused on incrementally improving the status quo, we are focused on creating something entirely different – an architecture underpinned by new first principles to meet the opportunities and challenges of the third space age head-on. Our goal is to move away from one-to-one space architectures – where each satellite in a constellation has one (or a small # of) primary payloads attached to the bus -- and unlock a ‘one-to-many’ system, where each satellite has a large number of payloads which can be deployed from their host spacecraft at high velocities without firing a thruster. This is not a role for someone looking for a traditional 40-hour work week. Space Kinetic is building ambitious, first-of-its-kind technology, and that requires urgency, ownership, and a high level of commitment to changing the foundational assumptions for everything we do in space. What You’ll Do We are seeking a Government and Business Development Director to identify, shape, capture, and grow opportunities across the U.S. government and national security market. The Government and Business Development Director is responsible for developing relationships with current and prospective government customers, identifying new business opportunities, and leading capture efforts from early customer engagement through proposal and contract award. This role combines government customer engagement, business development strategy, capture planning, strategic partnerships, and market intelligence to position Space Kinetic for long-term growth. This individual will serve as a central point of coordination between government customers, engineering, programs, finance, contracts, leadership, and external partners. Job Responsibilities Identify, qualify, shape, capture, and grow government business opportunities aligned with Space Kinetic’s technology and strategic priorities Build and maintain relationships with current and prospective customers across the Department of Defense, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Air Force, Intelligence Community, and other relevant government organizations Develop a strong understanding of customer missions, operational needs, acquisition priorities, budgets, technical roadmaps, and buying cycles Build and manage a qualified government business development pipeline, including opportunity value, timing, stakeholders, acquisition pathways, and next steps Develop customer engagement strategies, account plans, and capture plans for priority organizations and opportunities Lead opportunities from early customer engagement through proposal development, negotiation, and contract award Coordinate responses to requests for information, requests for proposals, broad agency announcements, white papers, capability requests, and other government solicitations Partner with engineering, programs, finance, contracts, and leadership to develop technically credible and executable solutions Represent Space Kinetic in customer meetings, executive briefings, demonstrations, conferences, industry days, and other external engagements Clearly communicate Space Kinetic’s mission, capabilities, technical advantages, and value proposition to government customers and industry partners Translate customer needs and desired mission outcomes into clear insights for engineering and company leadership Provide customer feedback and market intelligence to help inform product development, technical priorities, and company strategy Identify and develop strategic partnerships, teaming arrangements, and subcontracting opportunities with prime contractors and other industry partners Grow existing customer relationships and identify follow‑on opportunities arising from current contracts, demonstrations, and partnerships Monitor relevant government budgets, acquisition activity, market trends, policy developments, and competitive activity Prepare pipeline forecasts, capture updates, market assessments, and strategic recommendations for executive leadership Support continuous improvement in business development processes, tools, reporting structures, and operating rhythms What It Takes Basic Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Public Policy, International Affairs, National Security, or a related field 7+ years of relevant experience in government business development, capture management, defense programs, government acquisition, military operations, or a related field Experience working with the Department of Defense, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Air Force, Intelligence Community, or other national security customers Demonstrated experience identifying, shaping, or capturing government business opportunities Strong understanding of government acquisition, budgeting, contracting, and procurement processes Experience developing capture plans, proposals, white papers, customer presentations, or related business development materials Ability to understand complex technical concepts and communicate them effectively to technical and nontechnical audiences Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, relationship‑building, and cross-functional collaboration skills Preferred Qualifications 10+ years of relevant experience in aerospace, defense, space, national security, or advanced technology Established experience engaging with the Department of Defense, U.S. Space Force, U.S. Air Force, or Intelligence Community Demonstrated success leading or contributing to government captures and contract awards Experience with government acquisition pathways such as OTAs, SBIR/STTR programs, BAAs, IDIQs, or FAR-based contracts Experience working with complex aerospace, spacecraft, defense, hardware, or software systems Where You’ll Be The position is onsite at our headquarters in El Segundo, CA. Domestic travel may be required, approximately 25% to 40% of the year. What We Offer Equity‑Based Compensation Highly Competitive PTO and Holiday Calendar Comprehensive Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage Unique Performance‑Based Bonus Structure ITAR Requirements To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) refugee under 8 U.S.C., (iv) asylee under 8 U.S.C., or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about ITAR here. Equal Employment Opportunity Space Kinetic provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status. Compensation The annual base salary for this role is below. Pay Grades are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual pay will be determined on a case‑by‑case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: interviews and an assessment of several factors that are unique to each candidate, job‑related skills, relevant education/experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate and internal equity. Pay Range: $150,000 USD – $180,000 USD #J-18808-Ljbffr