Aerospace Business Development Associate

etc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Exploration Technology Corp. is seeking a driven Business Development Associate to support growth at our SF HQ. You will bridge technology and strategy, helping identify opportunities, support proposals, and translate complex concepts into compelling business cases for government and commercial customers.

You’ll work at the intersection of hardware and software for DoD missions and NASA programs, coordinating with engineering and leadership to drive pipeline and win strategies.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 1–3 years inBusiness Admin, Economics, Political Science, Finance, Intl Relations, or related fields.
• Strong interest and foundational knowledge in aerospace, defense acquisition, market analysis, or startups.
• Self-motivated with a passion for exploration and tech innovation.
• Highly organized with ability to manage several deadlines across proposals, events, and orders.
• Willingness to travel for conferences and customer meetings.
• Experience with project management (Airtable, Linear) or CRM software (Excel pipelines, Hubspot) is a plus.
• Familiarity with technical writing, government solicitations, or financial modeling is desirable.
• Familiarity with export controls (ITAR/EAR) or hardware sales processes (quotes, PO) is a plus.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills.

Responsibilities

• Proposal Support: Draft, edit, and organize white papers, grants, SBIR/STTR proposals, and RFIs; manage calendars and submissions.
• Customer Discovery: Build relationships with stakeholders; prepare briefing decks and meeting memos.
• CRM and Pipeline Management: Maintain CRM; track leads and deal flow; produce pipeline reports.
• Market Intelligence: Research DoD/NASA priorities, forecasts, and emerging space markets.
• Opportunity Identification: Monitor SAM.gov and SBIR/STTR for funding opportunities.
• Competitive Analysis: Track competitor activities and tech advancements.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work with engineering to translate specs into business language.
• Commercial and Government Sales: Generate leads, run sales calls, attend conferences.
• Flight Hardware Sales: Organize quotes, lead times, NDAs, purchase orders, and delivery updates.
• Conference/Event Coordination: Manage conferences/tradeshows logistics and follow up on leads.

Skills

Aerospace knowledge

Organizational skills

Project management tools

CRM proficiency

Technical writing familiarity

Export controls familiarity

Communication and teamwork

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Airtable

Linear

Hubspot

Excel pipelines

Job description

Exploration Technology Corp. is seeking a driven Business Development Associate to support growth at our SF HQ. You will bridge technology and strategy, helping identify opportunities, support proposals, and translate complex concepts into compelling business cases for government and commercial customers.

You’ll work at the intersection of hardware and software for DoD missions and NASA programs, coordinating with engineering and leadership to drive pipeline and win strategies.