Business Development Lead – US Defense UAS

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in United States.

📋 Description

• Create a target map from scratch that includes organizations, programs, and individuals involved in planning and executing missions.

• Connect with defense UAS operators via warm introductions, events, ranges, veteran networks, and direct outreach efforts.

• Take ownership of sourcing, contacting, following up, scheduling, and travel arrangements.

• Conduct discovery discussions utilizing the company’s interview guide.

• Perform structured product evaluations by presenting SFP to operators and observing their real mission planning processes.

• Represent Shearwater at defense UAS events, ranges, and exercises.

• Document after-action reports for every discussion and evaluation, incorporating operators' feedback.

• Keep organized records of contacts and maintain a disciplined approach to tracking follow-ups.

• Secure follow-up engagements with operators.

• Identify recurring challenges, unexpected workflows, competing tools, and requested capabilities on a weekly basis.

• Develop a market analysis that includes over 50 target organizations and more than 100 named individuals within the first 30 days.

• Conduct 30 conversations with target operators, ensuring founders are present in at least 15 of those discussions during the initial 90 days.

• Validate or dismiss the top three pain hypotheses and arrange 10 follow-up conversations or evaluations.

• Cultivate operator relationships through evaluation, adoption, and initial revenue as commercial ownership transitions.

⛳️ Requirements

• Established credibility with UAS operators through planning or executing real missions, or through extensive experience selling/supporting a similar product to operators.

• Ability to engage in technical discussions regarding mission planning and execution.

• Existing network within the US defense UAS community.

• Immediate fluency with UAS acronyms, culture, and contacts from day one.

• Proven self-directed outreach capability and experience in building a contact list from the ground up.

• Comfort with rejection, disciplined follow-up, and thorough contact tracking.

• Willingness and capability to travel throughout the US and to Canada.

• Must qualify as a US Person.

• Ability to write clearly and quickly.

• Preferred: BVLOS operational experience or familiarity with CONOPS/waiver work.

• Preferred: Knowledge of GCS tools, such as Mission Planner, QGC, and UgCS.

• Preferred: Experience in customer discovery, capture analysis, field research, or FSR roles.

• Preferred: Existing relationships with test ranges or defense services primes' flight test organizations.

• Plus: Experience in capture, business development, or defense sales.

• An active or recently active US security clearance is an asset, though not a requirement; the company cannot currently sponsor or maintain one.

• US military service in a UAS, aviation, or mission-planning role, or reserve affiliation is not mandatory.

• Must be available for full-time work; part-time consultants will not be suitable.

• References from operators you have flown with, supported, or sold to.

🏝️ Benefits

• Significant early-stage equity.

• Commission on closed business, targeted at 2–5%.

• Full coverage of travel expenses.

• Available 3–6 month contract-to-hire structure for candidates who prefer to mitigate risk mutually.