Business Development Manager

Instant Teams; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary with equity

Comprehensive health insurance

Company retreats

Job summary

Airbase builds the software platform for radio frequency spectrum licensing, coordination, and intelligence. Based at Airbase HQ in NYC or Washington, DC, you will spearhead efforts to build meaningful relationships and craft dynamic business strategies to drive our growth engine.

As a senior leader in the defense and commercial space, you will own the pipeline for DoW and federal accounts, navigate regulators and Pentagon staff, and accelerate pilots with commercial partners to expand Airbase's

Qualifications

• Acquisition fluency with DoW/federal procurement processes and ability to navigate the valley of death.
• Strong domain knowledge in tactical communications, EW, C2, or space systems.
• Startup DNA: autonomous, scrappy, thrives in ambiguity within a small team.
• Outstanding written/verbal communication, able to brief senior leaders and contractors in one day.

Responsibilities

• Own the pipeline for DoD and federal accounts, shaping procurement vehicles and transitioning prototypes to enterprise software revenue.
• Expand relationships across Army, Navy, Air Force, USSOCOM, and regulators; position Airbase as the modern standard for spectrum coordination.
• Identify and execute strategic partnerships with defense primes and tech disruptors to embed Airbase in JADC2/NGC2 architectures.
• Lead pilots with commercial satellite operators and telecoms to drive dual-use revenue growth.
• Translate deep-tech capabilities into tangible operational value for commanders at the tactical edge.

Skills

Acquisition Fluency

Domain Knowledge

Startup DNA

Exceptional Communicator

Job description

Job Overview

Airbase builds the software platform for radio frequency spectrum licensing, coordination, and intelligence. Backed by a16z, we are a fast-moving, dual-use startup transforming wireless communication from a static, analog bottleneck into a dynamic, software-defined advantage.

Today, the world’s most advanced hardware—from satellite mega-constellations to Army UAS swarms and Electronic Warfare systems is grounded by 20th-century paperwork. Spectrum coordination relies on fragmented databases, missing systems of record, and decades of static PDFs. Airbase is fixing this. We’ve built novel AI pipelines to digitize this analog bureaucracy and translate it into a software-defined, machine-readable data layer. We are transforming the spectrum from a static bottleneck into a dynamic advantage, delivering machine-speed tactical deconfliction for the military and automated licensing for commercial innovators.

Based at Airbase HQ in NYC or Washington, DC, you will spearhead efforts to build meaningful relationships and craft dynamic business strategies to drive our growth engine.

What You’ll Do

• Drive Defense Revenue: Own the pipeline for DoW and federal accounts. Identify, shape, and capture non-traditional procurement vehicles (OTAs, SBIRs, BAAs) and transition prototype contracts into recurring enterprise software revenue.

• Navigate the Joint Force & Regulators: Expand our relationships across Army, Navy, Air Force, and USSOCOM PEOs while also engaging with regulators (NTIA, FCC) and Capitol Hill staff to position Airbase as the modern standard for spectrum coordination.

• Build Prime Partnerships: Identify and execute strategic partnerships with major defense primes and fast-moving tech disruptors to embed Airbase as the spectrum integration layer for broader JADC2 and NGC2 architectures.

• Accelerate Commercial Pilots: Leverage our unclassified capabilities to stand up early pilots with commercial satellite operators, telecom companies, and private test ranges, driving our dual-use revenue strategy.

• Translate Tech to Tactics: Serve as the bridge between our engineering team and the warfighter. Translate our deep-tech capabilities (AI data pipelines, dynamic APIs) into immediate, tangible operational value for commanders at the tactical edge.

What We’re Looking For

• Acquisition Fluency: Deep, practical understanding of the DoW acquisition process. You know how to navigate the “valley of death” and understand the mechanics of transitioning a prototype to a Program of Record.

• Domain Knowledge: A strong foundational understanding of tactical communications, Electronic Warfare (EW), Command and Control (C2), or Space systems. You know why spectrum matters to the warfighter.

• Startup DNA: You are a builder. We are a small team; there is no massive support staff to build your slide decks or write your proposals. You are highly autonomous, scrappy, and thrive in ambiguity.

• Exceptional Communicator: You can write a punchy BLUF email to a 2-star general, brief a technical PM at a prime contractor, and explain the mission to a commercial satellite executive—all in the same day.

Bonus Points

• Active Secret or TS/SCI security clearance.

• Existing network within FCC, NTIA, USSOCOM, Army CEMA/G6, DoW CIO, DISA, or the Joint Staff J6.

• Experience selling “dual-use” software to both government and commercial enterprise customers.

Things you’ll say in your first month:

• “Woah, that software is from the 20th century”

• “Hold on, these agencies use completely different units here? And this all happens over email?”

• “This spreadsheet maintained by a guy named Mike is the entire system of record?”

Benefits & Perks

• Competitive salary, with opportunities for growth, and equity in an early stage startup.

• Comprehensive health insurance plans & 401k.

• Regular team-building events and company retreats.

Airbase is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.