Business Development Manager

iRiS Recruiting Solutions; Rapid City (SD); On-site; USD 20,000,000 - 30,000,000; Full time

Job summary

iRiS Recruiting Solutions in the Southern California area seeks a Business Development Manager (Aerospace) to drive new business development, technical sales, and market expansion. This individual contributor role combines a strong technical foundation with a commercial mindset to identify opportunities and push them to completion.

You will own annual sales goals of $20M–$30M, build a pipeline of tech sales opportunities, and collaborate with engineering and operations to craft solutions for

Qualifications

• Approximately 5+ years of engineering or technical experience.
• Additional 3–5 years of business development, technical sales, or customer-facing commercial experience.
• Aerospace, defense, space, UAV, or similarly technical manufacturing experience.
• Comfortable having detailed technical conversations with customers and engineers.
• Strong new-business hunter mentality with demonstrated success developing leads and winning business.
• Critical thinker who is detail-oriented, results-driven, and comfortable personally executing.

Responsibilities

• Approximately 90% focused on new business, new customers, and new products.
• Own annual sales goals of approximately $20M–$30M.
• Develop and manage a pipeline of multiple technical sales opportunities simultaneously.
• Identify emerging platforms, programs, and market opportunities across space, defense, and UAV systems.
• Partner closely with engineering and operations to develop technical solutions for customers.
• Manage opportunities from initial lead and technical discussions through commercial execution.
• Support relationships with major aerospace, defense, and government customers.
• Approximately 30–40% domestic and international travel.

Skills

New business development

Technical sales

Market expansion

Hunter mentality

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

Title: Business Development Manager (Aerospace)

Location: Southern California area

We are looking to hire a Business Development Manager focused heavily on new business development, technical sales, and market expansion.

This is an individual contributor opportunity for someone who combines a strong technical foundation with the energy and commercial mindset to identify opportunities and drive them through the finish line.

The Opportunity:

• Approximately 90% focused on new business, new customers, and new products
• Own annual sales goals of approximately $20M–$30M
• Develop and manage a pipeline of multiple technical sales opportunities simultaneously
• Identify emerging platforms, programs, and market opportunities across space, defense, and UAV systems
• Partner closely with engineering and operations to develop technical solutions for customers
• Manage opportunities from initial lead and technical discussions through commercial execution
• Support relationships with major aerospace, defense, and government customers
• Approximately 30–40% domestic and international travel

Ideal Background:

• Approximately 5+ years of engineering or technical experience
• Additional 3–5 years of business development, technical sales, or customer-facing commercial experience
• Aerospace, defense, space, UAV, or similarly technical manufacturing experience
• Comfortable having detailed technical conversations with customers and engineers
• Strong new-business hunter mentality with demonstrated success developing leads and winning business
• Critical thinker who is detail-oriented, results-driven, and comfortable personally executing

This is an excellent opportunity for someone with a high-growth mindset who wants significant visibility within an established aerospace organization and the opportunity to help shape its next phase of growth.