Business Development Director

Title: Business Development Director

Status: Exempt (Administrative, Supervisory, Learned Professional (Engineer); Outside Salesperson)
Reports to: CEO
Rate of Pay: As Described in Offer Letter

Please Note: To conform with the United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., conditional resident, asylee or refugee (protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

The Organization:

Imagine combining the excitement of building something new with the confidence of joining a company that already knows how to win. As a globally established organization with a strong history of success abroad, we are expanding into the United States and forming a new division designed for growth, innovation, and long-term impact.

Sodern America has come to Colorado! Backed by Sodern’s 60+ years of cutting-edge innovation as an internationally recognized space equipment manufacturer and leader in optronic systems including star trackers and space cameras, Sodern America will feature a production line and operations dedicated to the US market to better serve its growing North American customer base and strengthen partnerships across the region.

This is more than a job; it is a chance to be part of a founding team. You will help establish processes, shape culture, and influence strategy, all while supported by an experienced international parent company that has already demonstrated sustainable success. For those who thrive in dynamic environments and want to leave a tangible mark, this is a unique opportunity to build with purpose.

The Position:

The Business Development Director is responsible for leading and executing the company’s U.S. revenue growth strategy through the development, management, and successful close of complex sales opportunities. This role owns the full sales lifecycle, from market development and prospect identification through contract negotiation and implementation, ensuring disciplined execution and sustainable revenue expansion.

The Business Development Director will exercise discretion and make decisions in independent significance. The Business Development Director has some authority to hire and fire, and in other circumstances the Business Development Director’s recommendations will be given significant weight.

The Business Development Director will build, supervise, lead, and mentor a high-performing sales team while personally driving strategic customer engagements. This role serves as the primary commercial leader for the U.S. market and is accountable for establishing strong customer relationships, structuring competitive commercial proposals, and securing profitable agreements aligned with the company’s long-term objectives.

The Business Development Director will oversee customer relationships throughout the sales process and into implementation, partnering closely with a Mission Manager who will lead post-contract delivery. Success in this role requires strategic thinking, strong executive presence, negotiation expertise, and the ability to navigate complex, commercial sales environments.

Essential Functions:

• Demonstrate excellent organizational and communication skills and follow-through
• Communicate clearly and frequently with the CEO about activities, duties and developments
• Identify and create opportunities to originate and close upon Sodern America sales within the U.S. market
• Develop and execute annual and multi-year sales strategy aligned with company growth objectives
• Develop and manage sales forecasts
• Maintain relationships with Sodern’s existing U.S. customers
• Perform opportunity identification and lead generation
• Build relationships with customers and prospects
• Drive customer retention and expansion strategies
• Develop and implement processes supporting the full sales business cycle
• Lead CRM implementation and ensure effective adoption and utilization
• Develop and manage proposals involving coordination across necessary internal resources
• Manage complex commercial offers with the support of the Sodern France technical team
• Oversee the post-contract implementation process with the support of a Mission Manager who will report to you
• Participate in the follow-up of offers to achieve annual order intake targets
• Maintain performance tracking & reporting / KPI management
• Perform competitive intelligence (competition, market evaluation, etc.)
• Participate in trade shows and events
• Participate in the execution of the commercial roadmap for star trackers and space cameras
• Manage and develop the sales team
• Attend meetings in a timely manner and demonstrate consistent attendance
• Communicate clearly and frequently with Sodern France leadership about activities, duties and developments
• Perform other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Past business development / sales experience required; experience in aerospace and defense required
• Past management experience required
• Background in engineering preferred; knowledge of AOCS engineering in the space industry is an advantage
• Knowledge of star tracker system architecture and optronics is an advantage
• Post-sales implementation and support experience preferred
• Strong presentation and negotiation skills and experience interacting with contractors, buyers and customers
• Strong understanding of formal procurement processes and RFP response / proposal management
• Financial acumen including pricing models, margin analysis and contract structures
• Ability to synthesize technical and commercial information into compelling value propositions
• Proficiency in CRM systems and sales analytics tools
• Relationship building skills that inspire confidence, trust, collaboration, and respect with all stakeholders
• Strong leadership, coaching and performance management capabilities
• French language competency is an advantage

Experience:

A minimum of 10 years of sales experience is required. Sales in aerospace and defense is strongly preferred

Education:

A bachelor’s degree is required; engineering degree is preferred

Working Environment:

The Company’s working environment is that associated with an entrepreneurial start up. This environment may expose the Business Development Director to stressful conditions with shifting goals and tight deadlines.

• At the beginning of the Company formation, while the Company builds out the office space, employees will work from home.
• When the office is built out, work will be generally performed in an indoor professional office environment in Englewood, CO.
• Domestic and International travel on behalf of the organization is required.
• While the Company strives to accomplish much of its work during typical working hours, this position and many other senior positions will require flexibility of scheduled work hours, including early morning, evening, and weekend hours for a variety of meetings and events.

Salary:

Summary Salary Range: $120,000 - $165,000 annually plus eligible for performance bonuses.

The salary information above is a general guideline. Difference in wages may depend upon a) a seniority system, b) a merit system, c) a system that measures earnings by quantity or quality of production, d) the geographic location of the work, e) education, training, or experience, to the extent reasonably related to the work, or f) travel that is regular and necessary for the work.

Benefits for all employees are subject to any policy or plan changes, and currently include health, dental and vision insurance, basic life and disability coverage, retirement benefits, as well as additional supplemental benefits, and paid time off.

Application Instructions:

Please submit your resume and optional cover letter expressing why you are a good candidate for the position. The position will remain open until it is filled.

Sodern America is committed to the principles of equal employment. We are committed to complying with all federal, state, and local laws providing equal employment opportunities and all other employment laws and regulations. We intend to maintain a work environment that is free of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation because of all protected activity or status protected by federal, state, or local laws. The Organization is dedicated to fulfilling this policy regarding all aspects of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, placement, transfer, training, promotion, rates of pay, and other compensation, termination, and all other terms, conditions, and privileges of employment.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment.