Head of Customer - Defence

Vertical Aerospace; Bristol; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days holiday plus bank holidays

5 extra days to buy or sell

4 extra days holiday for marriage

4% salary for extra benefits

Company performance-based bonus

Company Share Scheme

5% Pension Scheme matched

Daily breakfast

Job summary

Vertical Aerospace in Bristol is seeking a Head of Customer – Defence to lead the commercial approach for defence opportunities across the UK and allied nations. The candidate will be responsible for securing government support and funding, developing compelling market propositions, and managing relationships with defence stakeholders. Ideal qualifications include strong leadership in defence sales, a proven network in the MOD, and relevant industry experience. The role offers a dynamic environment and various employee benefits including a performance-based bonus and holidays.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership experience in defence sales or business development.
• Proven experience working with UK MOD or NATO-aligned customers.
• Experience in developing pitches or funding proposals for defence programs.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-moving environment.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead defence sales and execute commercial strategy.
• Secure funding for hybrid aircraft through government support.
• Develop defence value propositions for specific mission needs.
• Build relationships across defence ministries and procurement bodies.
• Shape defence product direction based on market needs.

Skills

Leadership experience

Defence sales experience

Stakeholder management

Commercial acumen

Negotiation skills

Education

Degree-level study in relevant field

Job description

Our Mission

At Vertical Aerospace, we are pioneering the way for electric aviation. The Valo, our eVTOL (electric, vertical, take‑off and landing), “zero emissions” aircraft will set a new safety standard for how we will navigate the sky. We will not follow legacy processes; we want to redefine aerospace best practices. We are growing quickly from a prototype business to a scaling SME, and the next few years will be critical to our success and delivering on our ambitious goals. Valo is targeting airliner‑level safety certification in 2028 ahead of entering service with our airline and operator customers.

What to Expect

You will be joining Vertical Aerospace as Head of Customer – Defence, leading our commercial approach for defence opportunities focused mainly on the UK, Europe, NATO and allied nations.

You will be accountable for defining and executing the strategy to secure government support, funding and defence partnerships that help progress our hybrid aircraft ambitions and shape our defence offering.

What You’ll Do

• Lead Vertical Aerospace’s defence sales activity, building and executing a commercial strategy focused on UK, European, NATO and allied nation opportunities.
• Secure government support and funding to advance our hybrid aircraft roadmap, including opportunities linked to defence innovation programmes and operational demonstration activity.
• Develop compelling defence value propositions and campaign plans that position our aircraft and related technologies against relevant mission needs.
• Build and maintain senior relationships across ministries of defence, armed forces, procurement bodies, innovation organisations and defence stakeholders.
• Identify, assess and pursue opportunities to place Vertical on relevant defence programmes, demonstrations and future programmes of record.
• Establish and grow the partnership ecosystem needed to bring a defence solution to market, including engagement with defence primes, mission system providers, autonomy partners and propulsion‑related collaborators.
• Help shape the defence product direction by translating market and operator needs into clear commercial input for internal teams.
• Work cross‑functionally with engineering, procurement, programme, strategy and leadership teams to support bids, proposals and externally funded opportunities.
• Provide clear insight on market priorities, competitor positioning and route‑to‑market options to guide Vertical’s defence growth.
• Explore adjacent commercial opportunities for powertrain and technology‑related sales where Vertical’s capabilities may have defence relevance.
• Represent Vertical Aerospace credibly in external defence forums, customer discussions and partner engagements.
• Build the foundations of Vertical’s defence commercial capability as a highly self‑directed leader operating effectively in a lean, fast‑moving environment.

What You’ll Bring

• Strong leadership experience in defence sales, business development or strategic partnerships, with a track record of winning and shaping complex opportunities.
• Proven experience selling into or working with UK MOD, European defence organisations, NATO‑aligned customers or allied government stakeholders.
• A well‑established professional network and the credibility to open doors, build trust and navigate defence buying environments at senior levels.
• Experience developing pitches, submissions, bids or funding cases for defence innovation programmes, operational demonstrations or longer‑term capability programmes.
• Good understanding of how to position air platforms, advanced aviation, UAV, drone, helicopter or adjacent aerospace capabilities for defence use cases.
• Ability to work independently and resourcefully, with the judgement to prioritise opportunities and drive momentum without relying on a large team.
• Experience building effective partnerships across a complex ecosystem, including defence primes, technology providers and industrial collaborators.
• Commercial acumen combined with the ability to translate customer and market needs into clear product and business recommendations.
• Confidence working cross‑functionally with technical and engineering teams to shape credible external propositions.
• Strong communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills in high‑stakes, evolving environments.
• International outlook with experience operating across non‑US defence markets, particularly in the UK and Europe.
• Relevant commercial, engineering, aerospace or defence background through degree‑level study or equivalent industry experience.

Our Benefits

• 26 days holiday, plus bank holiday
• 5 extra days per year to buy (or sell)
• 5 extra days holiday when you get married or enter a civil partnership
• Additional 4% of your salary to spend on extra benefits
• Award‑winning digital health and wellbeing service (Help@Hand)
• Company performance‑based bonus – rewarding company and individual performance
• Company Share Scheme – open to every Vertical employeeCompany Pension Scheme – 5% and we match it
• Breakfast on us, every day

We encourage you to apply even if you may not have all the experience listed in the advert. We recognize that talent comes in various forms and we are committed to providing opportunities that create an environment of growth, diversity, and inclusion for everyone. As part of our desire to review and make our processes fair, we may ask you questions related to these aspects during the application process. For more information on how we will use your data, see our Legal section.