Director of Business Development, Indo-Pacific Defense Strategy (Aerospace)

Location: On-site in Honolulu, Hawaii, United States; must be based in or willing to relocate to Honolulu and travel up to 50% throughout the Pacific Rim and the continental U.S.

Salary: $200,000–$235,000 per year, adjusted for Honolulu locality.

Company

hirify.global develops in-orbit manufacturing infrastructure, reentry capsules, pharmaceutical processing payloads, and hypersonic and reentry testbeds for commercial and defense customers.

What you will do

• Serve as the primary interface with USPACOM, PACFLT, USARPAC, PACAF, SPACEFOR-PACOM, and MARFORPAC.
• Develop and close defense business with Japan, South Korea, Australia, and other Pacific Rim allies.
• Align Varda's hypersonic reentry, space cargo delivery, and missile defense capabilities with theater requirements.
• Lead solicitations from white paper development through final proposal submission and contract close.
• Analyze defense budgets, procurement schedules, funding milestones, exercises, and test programs.
• Represent Varda at regional defense forums and collaborate with engineering and mission management teams on INDOPACOM-specific solutions.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, international relations, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of professional experience in DoD aerospace, defense technology, or international strategic development.
• U.S. citizenship and U.S. person eligibility are required for ITAR-controlled access.
• Active TS/SCI clearance or ability to be fast-tracked for one.
• Experience managing defense solicitations end-to-end, including international contract requirements.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including white papers and strategic policy recommendations for senior military leadership.

Nice to have

• Master's degree in strategic studies, international security, or business management.
• Deep knowledge of the PACOM Area of Responsibility and PMTEC.
• Relationships with the Honolulu defense community, U.S. Embassy country teams, and Pacific Rim defense ministries.
• Experience closing Foreign Military Sales or Direct Commercial Sales transactions.
• Experience engaging in policy discussions on hypersonic threats and Pacific missile defense architecture.

Culture & Benefits

• Full-time, exempt position with on-site work in Honolulu.
• Eligible for long-term incentives, including stock options and cash awards.
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
• Work alongside aerospace, pharmaceutical, defense, and technology specialists building Varda's vehicles and orbital infrastructure in-house.