Director, Business Development - Space & Defense

NorthStar Earth & Space; Montreal; On-site; CAD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Retirement plans

Job summary

NorthStar Earth & Space seeks a seasoned business development leader with a strong technical background in defence, aerospace, or space systems. Location: Montreal, QC or Ottawa, ON.

You will develop trusted relationships with government and industry, identify emerging operational needs, and drive adoption of SDA services to meet national priorities. This role requires translating complex technical concepts for diverse stakeholders, leading proposals, and collaborating with engineering teams and

Qualifications

• Background in systems engineering, space systems, mission operations, or technical space program leadership.
• Directly communicate complex technical concepts to customers and partners.
• Experience developing solution architectures or system-level narratives in response to mission needs.
• Hands-on experience contributing to and co-authoring proposals, white papers, concept notes, or technical responses.
• Understanding government acquisition processes and common contracting vehicles (e.g., FFP, IDIQ, T&M).
• Minimum 10 years' experience in the Canadian space or national security space ecosystem.
• Canadian citizenship; active or eligible TS/SCI clearance.
• Motivated by solving hard, real-world mission problems that lack clean or mature solutions.

Responsibilities

• Develop trusted relationships with national and allied defence organizations and industrial partners, including DND, CAF, CSA, DRDC, NATO.
• Engage with operators, technical specialists and mission architects to understand emerging priorities.
• Advance customer adoption of NorthStar’s services into operational environments.
• Articulate future concepts, mission architectures, and capability roadmaps leveraging commercial innovation and IRAD.
• Work closely with customers, partners, engineering teams, and senior leadership to support market engagement, opportunity development, partnerships, and long-term growth initiatives.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Analyze industry trends and competitor activities to inform strategic planning.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulations, policies, and procedures.

Skills

Strong technical background

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic growth thinking

Executive communication

Proposal development experience

Security clearance readiness

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in engineering/physics/astronomy/mathematics

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Contracting processes (FFP/IDIQ/T&M)

Proposal writing

Job description

Location: Montreal, QC or Ottawa, ON

Security clearance : Canadian Citizen, Active or prior Top Secret/SCI clearance (or eligible) is preferred.

Position Summary

NorthStar is seeking a n experienced business development and strategic growth leader with a strong technical background in defence, intelligence, aerospace, space systems or advanced technologies.

This position is responsible for developing trusted relationships with government, defence, and industry stakeholders while help ing to identify emerging operational needs and opportunities where advanced commercial space domain awareness ( SDA ) services can deliver mission value aligned with national government priorities .

What you will do

Develop trusted relationships across national and allied defence organizations and industrial partners , including DND, CAF, CSA, DRDC, NATO .

Engage directly with operator s, technical specialists and mission architect s to understand emerging priorities.

A dvanc e customer a dop t io n of NorthStar’s services into operational environments.

Articulate future operational concepts, mission architectures, and capability roadmaps that leverage commercial innovation and guide Internal Research and Development (IRAD) .

W ork closely with customers, partners, engineering teams, and senior leadership to support market engagement, opportunity development, strategic partnerships, and long-term growth initiatives.

Additional Responsibilities

Collaborate with cross-functional teams .

Analy s e industry trends and competitor activities to inform strategic planning.

Ensure compliance with applicable regulations, policies, and procedures .

Important Role Characteristics

This role is not a large ‑ team management or staff ‑ oversight position.

Success in this role requires personal initiative and execution, including leading proposal development and direct technical customer engagement.

The role is for an individual who enjoy s building new capabilities from first principles and engaging deeply with technical customers.

What you bring to the table

Required Qualifications

Background in systems engineering, space systems, mission operations, or technical space program leadership, with subsequent experience in customer ‑ facing or commerciali s ation roles.

Demonstrated ability to directly communicate complex technical concepts to customers and partners .

Experience developing solution architectures, or system ‑ level narratives in response to mission needs.

Hands-on experience contributing to and co-authoring proposals, white papers, concept notes, or technical responses.

Understanding government acquisition processes and common contracting vehicles (e.g., FFP, IDIQ, T&M).

Minimum 10 years' experience in the Canadian space or national security space ecosystem.

Canadian citizenship; active or eligible TS/SCI clearance.

Bachelor ’s or master’s degree in engineering, physics, astronomy, mathematics, or a related technical field; A dvanced degree preferred.

M otivated by solving hard, real ‑ world mission problems that lack clean or mature solutions.

Preferred Qualifications

Familiarity with S DA

Experience in orbit dynamics, mission design, and mission operations.

Established relationships within the IC or National Security Space ecosystem.

Experience transitioning capabilities from R&D into operational use.

Compensation & Benefits

NorthStar offers a competitive compensation package, including base salary, performance incentives, comprehensive health benefits, retirement plans, paid time off, and opportunities for professional development. Salary range and benefits are commensurate with experience and market standards.

About NorthStar

NorthStar is a global leader in space-based data and analytics, specializing in Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and Space Domain Awareness (SDA) for government and commercial clients. Operating across North America, Europe, and allied markets, NorthStar delivers advanced space surveillance and analytics capabilities that support national security, operational resilience, and the safe and sustainable use of space. With a truly global footprint, NorthStar delivers first-in-class space surveillance capabilities, validated by leading defense agencies such as DARPA, and directly supporting the security, resilience, and sustainability objectives of NATO, the US, Canada, the EU, and allied partners.

NorthStar is an equal opportunity employer. We provide equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants for employment and do not and will not discriminate against employees or applicants on the basis of any category protected under local, state or federal law.