Business Development Director (Space & Launch)

Karman Space & Defense; Mukilteo (WA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid time off

HSA with company contribution

FSA

Life and AD&D insurance

Disability insurance

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

Karman Space & Defense is seeking a seasoned Business Development professional to drive revenue in the space and launch markets. You will serve NASA, DoD, and commercial customers, shaping strategy, leading capture efforts, and coordinating with engineering and operations to win new programs.

The role requires a strong track record in aerospace sales, excellent negotiation skills, and willingness to travel.

Qualifications

• Five or more years of experience in aerospace, spacecraft, satellite, or defense industries.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degrees are a plus.
• Proven success in business development, sales, or program management for space systems.

Responsibilities

• Serves as primary contact for customers and stakeholders to build long-term partnerships.
• Leads capture and sales strategies across NASA, DoD, and commercial space clients.
• Shapes product roadmaps and collaborates with engineering and operations teams.
• Develops proposals, opportunities, and bookings to drive growth.
• Creates price-to-win analyses and competitive intelligence to mitigate risk.
• Tracks KPI performance for bookings, revenue, and margins.
• Represents the company at conferences and industry events.
• Supports contract negotiations including pricing and delivery schedules.

Skills

Business development

Sales

Program management

Communication

Negotiation

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

CRM

Forecasting tools

MS Excel

Job description

Karman Space & Defense is a leader in the rapid design, development, and production of critical, next-generation system solutions that align with the U.S. Department of War and its allies’ core mission priorities, and meet the accelerating demand for access to space. Building on nearly 50 years of success, we deliver Payload & Protection Systems, Aero/Hydrodynamic Interstage Systems, and Propulsion & Launch Systems to more than 80 prime contractors supporting over 130 space and defense programs.

This role is part of our Space and Launch business, which has contributed to the nation’s space programs for decades by delivering complete solutions from concept to flight. We enable successful space operations with mission-critical technology supporting every step from first launch to final landing, including launch vehicle subsystems, propulsion systems, aerodynamic and interstage systems, and payload protection and deployment. Our high-performance solutions are engineered to operate in the most extreme environments and meet precise mission requirements.

In this role, you will drive growth in the space and launch market by serving as the primary point of contact for customers across NASA, government prime contractors, and commercial space companies. You will lead capture and sales strategies, shape product roadmaps, collaborate with engineering and operations teams, and deliver business development results that expand Karman’s presence across spacecraft and satellite programs.

Responsibilities

• Serves as the primary point of contact for key customers and stakeholders, ensuring satisfaction and fostering long‑term partnerships.
• Communicates directly with customers in person and remotely to maintain responsiveness and high‑quality engagement.
• Represents Karman at conferences and industry events.
• Leads teams to achieve sales growth targets across spacecraft and satellite markets.
• Develops product and market growth strategies to generate new opportunities, proposals, and bookings.
• Creates capture strategies including price‑to‑win assessments, competitive intelligence, and risk mitigation.
• Collaborates with engineering, business development, and operations to develop long‑term product roadmaps aligned with market trends.
• Tracks and monitors sales performance against key performance indicators (KPIs) to exceed goals for bookings, revenue, margin, and customer satisfaction.
• Produces and manages customer relationship management (CRM) data to support high conversion rates from lead to deal.
• Presents financial forecasting results to leadership to inform market strategy and customer insights.
• Supports contract negotiations including pricing and delivery schedules to balance profitability and competitiveness.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree; advanced degrees are a plus.
• Five or more years of experience in aerospace, spacecraft, satellite, or defense industries.
• Demonstrated success in business development, sales, program management, or engineering for space systems.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ten or more years of experience in aerospace, spacecraft, satellite, or defense industries.
• Experience working with spacecraft prime contractors or government customers such as NASA or the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).
• Experience with CRM and financial forecasting tools.
• Ability to present highly technical information to diverse audiences.
• Ability to travel more than 25 percent.

Special Mentions

• Extensive travel: more than 25 percent to our Mukilteo, WA and Huntington Beach, CA locations.

This position requires U.S. person status under U.S. export control laws, including U.S. citizens and nationals, lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid time off
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with company contribution
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Company‑paid life and AD&D insurance
• Short‑ and long‑term disability coverage
• Tuition reimbursement

Karman Space and Defense is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.