SOCOM Maritime Autonomy Business Lead

Front Door Defense

Tampa (FL)

On-site

USD 120,000 - 190,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental & Vision

PTO & Holidays

Parental Leave

Salary + Bonuses

401(k) Plan

Stock Options

Life & Disability

Pet Insurance

Free Lunch & Snacks

Job summary

Saronic Technologies is seeking a Business Development Manager to drive growth within USSOCOM and related Special Operations organizations, leveraging an established network across government, industry, and end users to shape opportunities from early engagement through contract award.

The role requires deep knowledge of DoD acquisition, autonomous maritime technologies, and the ability to build trusted partnerships while navigating a fast-paced startup environment. Travel of 40–60% is expected.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Political Science, International Relations, or related field.
8+ years of business development, capture, military, or government experience supporting the DoD.
Proven success winning and capturing DoD opportunities from identification through contract award.
Existing relationships across USSOCOM, SOF Components, Program Executive Offices, acquisition organizations, or the broader Special Operations enterprise.
Strong understanding of DoD and SOF acquisition processes, OTA agreements, FAR-based contracting, SBIR/STTR programs, and rapid acquisition pathways.
Knowledge of autonomous systems, unmanned maritime platforms, defense technology, or related capabilities.
Excellent executive communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship management skills.
Ability to thrive in a fast‑paced startup environment with minimal oversight.
Willingness to travel approximately 40–60%.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the business development strategy for USSOCOM and related Special Operations organizations.
Build and maintain trusted relationships with key stakeholders across USSOCOM, TSOCs, SOF Components, Program Executive Offices, Program Managers, operational units, and acquisition organizations.
Identify, qualify, and mature new opportunities across autonomous maritime systems, unmanned surface vessels (USVs), maritime ISR, logistics, force protection, and expeditionary operations.
Develop and manage a qualified pipeline from early customer engagement through capture, proposal, negotiation, and award.
Influence customer requirements by maintaining regular engagement with operators, acquisition professionals, and mission planners.
Lead capture planning, competitive assessments, win strategies, and customer engagement activities for priority pursuits.
Partner with Engineering, Product Management, Government Affairs, and Program Management to align customer needs with Saronic's product roadmap.
Represent Saronic at SOF industry conferences, experimentation events, demonstrations, exercises, and customer engagements.
Identify strategic partnerships with prime contractors, technology companies, and mission partners to strengthen competitive positioning.
Monitor acquisition strategies, funding opportunities, congressional priorities, and emerging SOF capability gaps to inform business strategy.
Support proposal development, pricing strategy, and contract negotiations for strategic opportunities.
Maintain accurate opportunity forecasting, pipeline reporting, and CRM data.