Director, Defense Business Development – Europe & Middle East

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Germany, +4 more countries.

📋 Description

• Establish and enhance Machina Labs’ footprint with European defense primes.

• Identify programs and alliances where Machina’s technologies and facilities can deliver the most significant impact.

• Cultivate trusted relationships within European defense enterprises.

• Transform relationships into technical collaborations, proof-of-concept initiatives, qualification programs, and production opportunities.

• Expand Machina’s business within the European defense sector, initially targeting major primes and programs related to missiles, hypersonics, and strikes.

• Recognize technical challenges and turn them into POCs, qualification activities, and production initiatives.

• Formulate an account and market strategy for Europe, encompassing partnerships and investment priorities.

• Provide regional market insights to inform Machina’s European strategy.

• Work alongside U.S. business development, engineering, manufacturing, leadership, and defense subsidiary teams.

• Develop target-account and program strategies across the European defense landscape.

• Forge senior and technical relationships with key European primes.

• Create proof-of-concept initiatives that lead to qualification and production pathways.

• Construct a qualified pipeline of longer-term production prospects.

• Evaluate where future European manufacturing or Edge Factory presence could generate strategic advantages.

⛳️ Requirements

• Strong technical background, preferably in engineering, followed by experience in business development, capture, program leadership, or a similar customer-facing role.

• Comprehensive understanding of missiles, hypersonics, strikes, propulsion, weapons systems, or closely related aerospace/defense technologies and their design and manufacturing processes.

• Proven experience in building business with European defense primes and navigating complex technical organizations.

• Experience in advancing opportunities beyond relationship development into technical assessments, qualification, and production.

• Capability to work independently, define strategy, and generate momentum without a pre-established local team or guideline.

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to establish credibility with both technical and executive stakeholders.

• Willingness to travel extensively throughout Europe and occasionally to Machina’s headquarters in Los Angeles.

• Candidates must be based in Europe.

🏝️ Benefits

• Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity employer.

• Accessible job application process.

• Reasonable accommodations available for applicants with disabilities.

• Significant autonomy in role.

• Opportunity to work with technologies supported by Lockheed Martin, Toyota, and NVIDIA.

• Flexibility to work remotely from Europe.

• Opportunity to travel across Europe and occasionally to Los Angeles.