Commercial Space Account Associate

aero; Virginia (MN); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

The Aerospace Corporation, based in Crystal City, VA, is seeking a Commercial Space Account Associate (Business Development Staff II) to lead growth with Direct Commercial Programs. You will cultivate strategic relationships across federal civil space and commercial customers, guiding opportunities from pursuit through capture while aligning with Aerospace's value proposition.

This full-time, hybrid role requires a bachelor’s degree and 3+ years in business development or program management,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate discipline.
• At least 3 years of progressively responsible technical experience in BD, account management and program management with federal/commercial customers.
• Experience developing and capturing space industry products or services and closing new business opportunities.
• Ability to work in distributed teams and understand federal/commercial programs, budgets and market drivers.
• Experience using enterprise CRM with qualified pipeline and performance metrics.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with customers and staff.
• Proficiency in Microsoft 365 and collaboration technologies.
• Excellent oral and written communication.
• Willing to travel domestically ~25%.
• U.S. citizenship required to obtain security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Partner with LOB leadership to define growth strategies and pursue opportunities across the US.
• Identify and pursue additional, expanded, and new business opportunities.
• Maintain relationships across federal civil space and other customers.
• Engage with targeted accounts and build trust as a problem solver.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including capture management and proposal teams.
• Interface with contracts, legal, and pricing to manage vehicles.
• Lead multiple opportunities through a structured capture process.
• Maintain customer information and BD pipeline databases.

Skills

Communication skills

Relationship management

Strategic planning

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

CRM software

Microsoft 365

Collaboration tools

Job description

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators. Join us and take your place in space.

Building on The Aerospace Corporation's reputation as a trusted, impartial advisor with integrity and dedication to mission success, the Civil Systems Group (CSG) combines deep technical expertise with market-leading innovation to help our customers solve complex systems engineering and integration challenges. CSG is organized by core customer-facing lines of business to manage and grow programs within NASA, NOAA, and the NNSA, while extending our capabilities to other civilian federal government agencies fully integrated within Aerospace rules, regulations, processes, values, and behaviors.

The Civil Systems Group (CSG) is seeking a qualified individual for the position of Commercial Space Account Associate (Business Development Staff II) as a Customer Support Account Lead to our Direct Commercial Programs (DCP) Directorate. This Line of Business (LOB) is responsible for providing full lifecycle independent assessments, systems engineering and integration (SE&I) support, and mission assurance to companies across the commercial space enterprise. In conjunction with the Federal & Commercial Programs Systems Director, and other CSG account managers, the candidate selected for this position will be responsible for strategic and business development dimensions of relationships within the federal and commercial community markets to deliver SE&I FFRDC value for our customers. This includes working with various Aerospace LOB leaders to establish and evolve our growth strategy and plans aligned with customer needs, value propositions, long-term opportunity identification, and capture execution.

This is a full-time position based in Crystal City, VA area that allows telecommuting for 1-2 days per week, depending on the needs of the team and customer.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Partner with Direct Commercial Line of Business (LOB) leadership in defining future value growth strategies and plansacross the US and Allied space industrial base. Lead strategy, planning, development, pursuit, and capture of opportunities, consistent with corporate policies/practices, goals, and business development objectives.
• Seek and identify opportunities for additional, expanded, and new business. Assist management in the evaluation, pursuit, and capture of near- and long-term opportunities.
• Maintain and expand customer relationships across the federal civil space and other federal and commercial entity landscape, and partner with program and project management personnel to ensure customer needs are met.
• Engage with the targeted accounts regularly and maintain effective relationships with customer decision-makers. Establish and maintain a reputation with customers as a problem solver and thought leader.
• Work as part of an integrated team consisting of account representatives and experts in capture management, proposal management, program management, program execution, administration, and technical applications.
• Support interfaces to Aerospace contracts, legal, and pricing for managing contract vehicles.
• Lead multiple concurrent opportunities through a structured capture process.
• Review, update, and maintain customer information and business development pipeline databases on a regular basis.

What You Need to be Successful – Business Development Staff II

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate discipline
• At least 3 years of progressively responsible technical experience including direct hands‑on experience in business development, account management and program management roles with a variety of federal government and/or commercial customers
• Experience developing and capturing space industry products or services with demonstrated ability to close new business opportunities with commercial companies.
• Ability to work both as part of a geographically distributed team and autonomously. Knowledge of, and experience with federal and commercial programs, budgets, and market drivers.
• Experience using enterprise class Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software with accountability for qualified pipeline and other performance metrics.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all levels of customers and corporate staff.
• Competency in the use of Microsoft 365 and collaboration technologies.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Willing to travel domestically approx. 25%
• This position may require ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, which is issued by the U.S. government. U.S. citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.

How You Can Stand Out

It would be impressive if you have one or more of these:

• An advanced degree in engineering discipline and/or business administration.
• Progressively responsible technical experience including direct hands‑on experience in business development, account management and program management roles with a variety of federal government and/or commercial customers
• An established network with a range of federal civil government and commercial space customers.
• Experience in a variety of program office and/or technical engineering roles.