Foreign Military Sales

Harmattan AI; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Harmattan AI in Austin, TX is seeking a seasoned business development lead to source and close international defense opportunities, guiding them through U.S. government processes.

You will coordinate with legal, engineering and program teams on LOAs, funding pathways and licensing, and travel as cases require.

The ideal candidate has a proven leadership record in defense deals, ITAR fluency, and the ability to drive large, complex programs to a successful close.

Qualifications

• Educational background in engineering, CS, or business.
• Proven leadership sourcing and closing international defense deals.
• Experience with FMS, security cooperation, LOA and funding authorities; ITAR/export control fluency.
• Ability to manage large-scale, complex projects and lead diverse stakeholders.
• Willingness to travel to support cases as needed.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, capable of influencing diverse senior executives.

Responsibilities

• Own the US FMS and security cooperation pipeline from sourcing to close.
• Move partners from interest to funded action: LOA, Letter of Request and Letter of Offer and Acceptance.
• Choose the right pathway (FMS, DCS, BPC or FMF) and build funding/approval strategy.
• Map and engage decision-makers across the field to advance opportunities.
• Coordinate releasability, exportability and licensing with legal, engineering and program teams.
• Onboard Harmattan AI as a supplier in target nations and unblock stalled cases.

Skills

Leadership

Business development

Defense industry knowledge

ITAR/export control

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Travel readiness

Education

Engineering/CS/Business degree

Job description

About Us

Harmattan AI is a next-generation defense prime building autonomous and scalable defense systems. Following the close of a $200M Series B, valuing the company at $1.4 billion, we are expanding our teams and capabilities to deliver mission-critical systems to allied forces.

Our work is guided by clear values: building technologies with real-world impact, pursuing excellence in everything we do, setting ambitious goals, and taking on the hardest technical challenges. We operate in a demanding environment where rigor, ownership, and execution are expected.

About the Role

You will own the pathway end to end: sourcing partner-nation opportunities, working them through the U.S. government system, and closing them yourself, with live cases waiting rather than a function to build on paper.

Responsibilities

• Own the US FMS and security cooperation pipeline against a number, source, qualify, advance and close partner-nation opportunities.

• Move partners from stated interest to funded action: formal requirement, Letter of Request, Letter of Offer and Acceptance.

• Choose the right pathway for each case — FMS, DCS, BPC or FMF — and build the funding and approval strategy behind it.

• Map and work the decision-makers in your field

• Drive releasability, exportability and licensing to resolution with internal legal, engineering and program teams.

• Get Harmattan onboarded as an approved supplier in target nations, and unblock stalled cases by finding the real constraint.

Candidate Requirements

• Educational Background: A strong academic record—ideally in a technical or business field (e.g., Engineering, Computer Science, Business Administration).

• Proven Leadership: A record of personally sourcing and closing international defense business — deals you owned, with outcomes you can speak to — and of leading legal, engineering, program and government stakeholders to a close without authority over any of them.

• Security Cooperation Depth: Real FMS and security cooperation experience — case and LOA development, funding authorities, pathway selection — plus ITAR and export control fluency, foreign supplier onboarding, embassy-level engagement

• Complex Project Management: Avid learner with a demonstrated capacity to handle large-scale, complex projects – offering innovative solutions and leading teams to deliver outstanding results.

• Adaptability & Mobility: Thrives under pressure in a fast-paced, dynamic environment; embraces a "no-task-is-too-small" mentality. Willing to travel as cases require.

• Communication & Influence: Excellent written and verbal communication, capable of leading diverse principals – from junior members to senior executives.

• Commitment: 100% dedication to Harmattan AI's mission, vision, and ambitious growth plans, ready to go the extra mile to ensure operational excellence.

We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.