Senior Manager, Business Development - Defense (Navy & U.S. Marine Corp)

Advanced Navigation; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 134,000 - 202,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) match

Professional development

Paid time off

Job summary

Advanced Navigation seeks a Senior Business Development Manager for hybrid onsite in Huntsville, AL or remote from select US locations. You will bridge technical innovation and customer acquisition by promoting navigation hardware to Navy primes and OEMs, aiming for a 2–4 year adoption horizon across maritime domains.

You will generate pipeline, lead technical writing for bids, and drive the full sales cycle to contract closure while collaborating with Product, Support, Marketing and Engineering

Qualifications

• 4–7 years in Defense BD or Sales; promote sub-component products to primes/OEMs.
• Technical fluency with inertial navigation and APNT ecosystem.
• Familiarity with USN/USMC organizations and bases.
• Excellent writing and communication; able to be technical and analytical.
• STEM degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Generate and qualify Prime/OEM leads and Navy centers.
• Support full sales cycle from opening to contract closure.
• Lead writing for White Papers, RFIs, and Sources Sought.
• Coordinate with Product and Support to reflect customer requirements.
• Maintain Salesforce accuracy for pipeline & forecasting.
• Collaborate across BD, Marketing, Sales Ops, and Engineering on GTM.

Skills

Defense BD/Sales

Inertial navigation

Communication

USN/USMC knowledge

STEM degree preferred

Education

STEM degree (Engineering or related field)

Job description

Advanced Navigation is the world’s most determined innovator in AI robotics and navigation technologies across land, air, sea and space applications. Founded on a culture of research and discovery, Advanced Navigation's mission is to be the catalyst of the autonomy revolution. Fields of expertise include artificial intelligence, underwater sonar, GNSS, radio frequency systems, inertial sensors, robotics, quantum sensors and photonics.

Today, Advanced Navigation is a supplier to some of the world's largest companies, including Airbus, Boeing, Google, Tesla, NASA, Apple, and General Motors. Discover it for yourself: https://youtu.be/F7uAqs1gtuk

Location:

Hybrid onsite in Huntsville, AL or Remote from: California, DC Metro Area (Virginia / Maryland), Florida

Overview of Position:

The Business Development Senior Manager is an individual contributor "hunter" role focused on tactical execution and pipeline growth. You will bridge the gap between technical innovation and customer acquisition by promoting AdNav’s hardware directly to DefensePrimes and OEMs that support the Navy and Marine Corps. Your mission is to secure long-term adoption (2–4 year horizon) across maritime domains, specifically focusing on Vessel Navigation, and autonomous platforms (UxV//UxS).

Essential Functions:

• Pipeline Generation: Proactively identify and qualify leads within Prime/OEM engineering groups and Navy Research/Warfare Centers (ONR, NSWC, NAWCAD, MARCORSYSCOM).
• Technical Sales: Support the execution of the full sales cycle for navigation products, moving from "opening the door" to technical demonstrations and final contract closure with Industry partners.
• Bids & Proposals: Lead the development of technical writing for White Papers, Sources Sought, and RFI responses to position AdNav technology as the preferred solution provider.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Product and Support teams to ensure customer technical requirements (e.g., Radar stabilization or UUV autonomy) are reflected in internal roadmaps.
• CRM Management: Ensure 100% accuracy in Salesforce for tracking pipeline health, customer touchpoints, and long-term order forecasting.
• Team Contribution: Act as a strong team player, collaborating across Business Development, Marketing, Sales Ops, and Engineering to accelerate Go To Market strategies.

Qualification Requirements:

• Experience: 4–7 years in Defense Business Development or Sales, with experience in promoting sub-component level products to Primes/OEMs, or recently retired / separated from Navy or Marine Corps.
• Technical Fluency: Ability to engage deeply with engineers regarding inertial navigation, the APNT ecosystem, and autonomous platforms.
• Naval Knowledge: Familiarity with USN/USMC organizations and their operational footprints (e.g., Pax River, China Lake, Quantico).
• Communication: Excellent writing and communication skills with the ability to be both technical and analytical.
• Education: STEM degree (Engineering or related technical field) preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• A strong team player who is passionate about building and creating in a small-team environment.
• Coach-able and invested in long-term professional development.
• Proven time management skills and a decisive, responsive disposition.
• Adaptable to fast-changing environments and international/distributed team structures

Physical Demands:

List physical demands of the position. Sample physical demands include: Strength, stooping, crawling, fingering, hearing, color vision, climbing, kneeling, reaching, feeling, tasting/smelling, depth perception, field of vision, balancing, crouching, handling, and talking.* Be specific, such as, “Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds frequently.”

Traveling, Supporting Customer locations (CONUS & OCONUS), Hardware Demonstration Support Activities

Work Environment:

Describe the work environment. Examples: exposure to weather, extreme heat or cold, noise intensity level, atmospheric conditions, exposure to electrical shock, exposure to radiation, exposure to toxic or caustic chemicals, wet and/or humid, vibration, proximity to moving mechanical parts, working high exposed places, working with explosives, any other applicable environment conditions. Be sure to describe the work duties that are affected by the applicable work environment (for example, “Operates x-ray equipment. Worker is subject to possible bodily injury from exposure to gamma and neutron radiation).

Benefits & Perks:

• Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance options to support you and your family's well-being.
• Retirement Planning: Generous 401(k) retirement savings plan with a competitive company matching contribution up to 7%.
• Continuous Learning: Professional development allowance and budget allocations to support continuous security certifications, licensing, and education.
• Work-Life Balance: Generous paid time off (PTO), sick leave, and paid company holidays to ensure you rest and recharge.

EEO Statement:

Advanced Navigation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Reasonable Accommodation:

It is Advanced Navigations business philosophy and practice to provide reasonable accommodations, according to applicable state and federal laws, to all qualified individuals with physical or mental disabilities.

Disclaimer:

The statements contained in this job description are intended to describe the general content and requirements for performance of this job. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all job duties, responsibilities, and requirements. Other duties may be assigned.

This job description is not an employment agreement or contract and does not alter the at-will status of the employment relationship. Management has the exclusive right to alter the scope of work within the framework of this job description at any time without prior notice.

Compensation Details:

The full range for this role is 134,400 - 201,600 base, with the expected target base salary of $168,000 per year. Actual compensation will be determined by factors such as location, skills, qualifications, and experience.