Director of Business Development – US

Arkeus Career; Stafford (VA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

ESOP

Career progression

Intern program mentorship

Real-world deployment

Job summary

Arkeus is seeking a Business Development Director for the U.S. market to lead the sales pipeline for autonomous sensing systems and edge-AI payloads directed at DoD UAS programs.

You will win prime opportunities with DoD branches and drive sub-contracts with Tier-1 and Tier-2 OEMs, turning technical demos into multi-million-dollar production contracts and expanding Arkeus’ footprint in defense sectors.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in defense business development or sales.
• Deep knowledge of US DoD procurement pathways and contract vehicles.
• Experience with UAS payloads, sensors, and MOSA architectures.
• Ability to discuss sensor specifications and edge computing with operators.
• Extensive network across US DoD UAS program offices and primes.
• Willingness to travel up to 50%.

Responsibilities

• Trusted Advisor: Build relationships with DoD stakeholders and OEMs.
• Pipeline Execution: Source, qualify, and close multi-million-dollar opportunities.
• OEM Account Management: Scale strategic relationships with US UAS manufacturers.
• Capture & Proposal Leadership: Lead capture for US govt RFPs, OTAs, SBIR/STTR.
• Mission-Aligned Selling: Translate requirements into Arkeus configurations.
• Flight Tests & Demos: Plan and execute demonstrations and flight trials.
• Market Intelligence: Report requirements and competitor insights to product teams.
• Leadership: Demonstrate ownership and audacity in customer engagements.

Skills

Defense BD

UAS domain knowledge

Procurement knowledge

Technical credibility

DoD network

Clearance readiness

Job description

Arkeus builds AI-powered sensing systems that help autonomous platforms detect, track and understand what's happening in the most complex and contested environments. Our technology is deployed across defence and national security applications — already protecting lives and strengthening security across the U.S. and allied markets.

Backed by QIC, Main Sequence, R+VC, Salus Ventures, Folklore Ventures, DYNE Ventures and Beaten Zone Venture Partners, Arkeus is entering a major growth phase. We are a small, fast-moving company with the energy and ambition of a start-up and the technical credibility of a world-class defence technology provider.

We work at the intersection of optics, autonomy, robotics and real-time AI and we deploy what we build. If you want to ship technology that matters, not technology that ships decks, this is where you belong.

We have developed an inclusive, transparent and engaging culture that focuses on building a diverse workforce — realising that to attract the very best, we need to ensure our culture is ready to welcome people from all ages, genders and backgrounds.

About the Role

As the Business Development Director for US, your primary mission is to get Arkeus’ autonomous sensing systems and edge-AI perception payloads, led by our Warden, integrated and deployed into the US military’s uncrewed aerial fleet. This is an elite hunter role. You will own the sales pipeline, customer relationships, and capture strategies for US Department of Defense (DoD) UAS programs, Group 1 through Group 4.

You will focus heavily on two fronts: winning prime opportunities directly with DoD innovation and acquisition branches (e.g., DIU, AFRL, NAVAIR, Army PM UAS), and driving sub-contract integration wins by selling directly to Tier-1 and Tier-2 UAS Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs). You will turn technical demonstrations into multi-million-dollar production contracts.

As an entrepreneur, you will become a trusted advisor within the US autonomous systems ecosystem – developing opportunities to extend the value we can bring through extensions to our current products, or drive evolutions through close collaboration with our advanced development and product teams.

About You

You are a relentless defense business development professional with an established, active network in the US military UAS ecosystem. You know the programs, the key decision-makers, and the major industry primes. You aren't just a relationship manager; you understand payload integration, SWaP-C (Size, Weight, Power, and Cost) constraints, and how computer vision, machine learning and artificial intelligence changes the game for ISR.

You thrive in high-autonomy, venture-backed startup environments. You don't wait for incoming leads—you actively map requirements, identify program gaps, and position our technology as the must-have solution for software-defined warfare.

You thrive in ambiguity, excel at translating cutting-edge AI capability into high-value customer propositions, and know how to build pipelines with a strong MOAT from the ground up.

What You'll Do

• Trusted Advisor: Develop a trusted advisor relationship with key stakeholders and influencers within the US Department of Defence (DoD) and US OEM’s
• Pipeline Execution: Source, qualify, and close multi-million-dollar sales opportunities within the US Air Force, Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Special Operations UAS, or related, programs.
• OEM Account Management: Establish and scale strategic commercial relationships with leading US UAS manufacturers to design Arkeus payloads into their next-generation airframes.
• Capture & Proposal Leadership: Lead the capture strategy for targeted US government RFPs, OTAs, and SBIR/STTR transitions. Write winning proposals backed by deep technical understanding.
• Mission-Aligned Selling: Translate complex user requirements (e.g., GPS-denied navigation, autonomous targeting, multi-domain ISR) into tailored Arkeus system configurations.
• Flight Tests & Demos: Coordinate and execute high-impact product demonstrations and military flight trials alongside our technical Customer Success and Integration teams.
• Market Intelligence: Feed critical US customer requirements, policy updates (such as Replicator initiatives), and competitor insights back to the product and engineering teams, driving information sharing through our CRM.
• Leadership: Demonstrate leadership through example by putting our customers first through a culture of leadership, ownership, disruption and audacity.

What success looks like

In your first 90 days:

• You have mapped the top 10 US military UAS program opportunities and Tier-1 OEM targets for Arkeus.
• You have established a seamless working rhythm with the US leadership and international product and engineering teams.
• You have secured your first set of introductory pipeline meetings with target program offices or OEMs.

In your first year:

• You have successfully secured at least two major program wins or hardware integration contracts with US defense UAS customers/primes.
• You have built a robust, qualified multi-year sales pipeline that ensures predictable revenue growth for the US entity.
• Arkeus is actively participating in key US military operational exercises and flight demonstrations.
• You have established Arkeus as the premier choice for autonomous sensing payloads among targeted US drone manufacturers

Your Experience and Skills

• Defense BD Track Record: 5+ years of proven success in defense business development, capture management, or sales, with a verifiable history of meeting or exceeding revenue targets.
• UAS Domain Expertise: Deep knowledge of the uncrewed aerial systems market, including payloads, sensors (EO/IR, radar), open architectures (MOSA), and autonomous software.
• Procurement Fluency: Comprehensive understanding of US DoD procurement pathways, budget cycles, and contract vehicles (e.g., FAR, non-FAR, OTAs).
• Technical Credibility: Ability to confidently discuss sensor specifications, edge-computing limits, and airborne software architectures with military operators and aerospace engineers.
• Military/Industry Network: An active, relevant network of contacts across the US DoD UAS program offices and defense aerospace primes.
• Clearance: Must hold, or be readily capable of obtaining, a U.S. Secret (or higher) security clearance. (Prior military or civil service experience is highly valued).
• Culture: Passion for a fast-paced, dynamic, and creative environment that prioritizes our Customers receiving a Compelling Experience through demonstration of leadership, ownership, disruption and audacity.
• Travel: Must be willing to travel up to 50%.

What We Offer

• You will work on the hardest problems in deep-tech — optics, autonomy, real-time AI and hardware-software integration in a single product. The gap between what you build and where it ends up is almost nonexistent.
• You will collaborate with exceptional leaders who have decades of combined experience in AI, optics and defense. You will be learning from — and contributing to — the best in the field.
• You will become part of a close-knit, ego-free team where ideas compete on merit, not seniority. Low politics, high trust. The kind of team you will still be talking about in ten years.
• You will work hard and be expected to bring your best — and in return you will grow faster than you ever would at a large organization.
• You will work on technology that is already deployed in real environments — protecting lives and strengthening security across defense and national security applications.
• You will receive a competitive, market-benchmarked salary, structured career pathways built to grow with you, and the opportunity to participate in our Employee Share Option Plan (ESOP).
• You will have the opportunity to mentor bright emerging talent through our highly sought-after intern program and strong connections with leading universities.