Business Development Manager

The role works closely with Technical Program Management, Operations, Engineering, Field Service, Manufacturing and executive leadership to ensure customer requirements, product capability, commercial positioning, pricing and delivery expectations remain aligned. The BDM is accountable for maintaining accurate pipeline visibility and driving assigned opportunities toward funded procurement and revenue.

Essential Job Functions

Business Development – Americas & Europe

• Develop and execute business development activities across the Americas and Europe in alignment with company strategy, product priorities and revenue objectives.
• Identify, qualify and develop new business opportunities with defense, national-security and allied government customers.
• Maintain primary focus on U.S. defense opportunities while actively developing qualified opportunities across European and other assigned allied markets.
• Own assigned opportunities through the full business development lifecycle, from initial engagement through qualification, capture, proposal, negotiation and contract award.
• Develop and maintain relationships with military end users, program offices, acquisition organizations, government stakeholders, prime contractors, integrators and industry partners.
• Develop a detailed understanding of customer operational requirements, funding pathways, acquisition strategies, procurement timelines and decision-making processes.
• Maintain structured customer and account engagement plans for priority organizations and opportunities.
• Identify new markets, customer segments and routes to market consistent with Skyborne's strategic priorities.

Pipeline, Capture & Opportunity Conversion

• Build, maintain and actively manage a qualified pipeline of opportunities across the assigned territory.
• Progress opportunities through Skyborne's defined commercial stages and maintain clear next actions, customer milestones and internal responsibilities.
• Develop capture strategies for priority opportunities, including customer need, funding pathway, acquisition route, competitive environment, key stakeholders, decision criteria and schedule.
• Drive assigned opportunities toward funded procurement and measurable revenue outcomes.
• Maintain accurate and timely customer, opportunity, pipeline and activity records within the company CRM, including opportunity stage, value, probability, expected timing, next actions and ownership.
• Provide reliable pipeline and forecast inputs to the CEO – USA and executive leadership.
• Maintain appropriate distinction between early-stage pipeline and sufficiently mature opportunities supporting revenue forecasting.
• Support formal Go/No-Go decisions for opportunities requiring material company resources, engineering effort, demonstration expenditure or proposal investment.
• Identify stalled or low-probability opportunities and recommend appropriate actions, including reprioritization or closure.

Customer Engagement & Market Development

• Serve as a primary commercial interface with assigned customers and stakeholders across the Americas and Europe.
• Engage directly with operational users to understand mission requirements, capability gaps and emerging needs.
• Develop relationships across relevant acquisition, requirements, test, procurement and operational communities.
• Conduct customer briefings and capability presentations with appropriate support from technical personnel.
• Capture customer feedback and communicate actionable market intelligence to Product, Engineering, Operations and leadership.
• Maintain disciplined follow-up following meetings, demonstrations, industry events and customer engagements.
• Represent Skyborne professionally at customer sites, military installations, conferences, trade shows, demonstrations and other industry engagements.

Proposals, Capture & Commercial Execution

• Lead or coordinate responses to RFIs, RFQs, RFPs, white papers, capability requests and other customer solicitations.
• Develop and maintain capture plans for priority opportunities.
• Coordinate proposal inputs across Engineering, Technical Program Management, Operations, Manufacturing, Finance and executive leadership.