Senior Business Development Director (Defense AI)

Location: Remote, US; preference for the East Coast / Washington, D.C. area. Approximately 30% travel is required for customer engagements, demonstrations, and industry events.

Company

hirify.global is a Veteran-owned, venture-backed technology company developing autonomous orchestration solutions for heterogeneous unmanned systems across air, sea, land, and space for defense, intelligence, and commercial applications.

What you will do

• Develop and execute business development strategy across U.S. Department of Defense components, Program Executive Offices, and adjacent mission organizations.
• Build relationships with operators, mission planners, acquisition professionals, contracting officers, laboratories, innovation organizations, prime contractors, and senior government stakeholders.
• Identify, qualify, shape, and capture opportunities from early customer engagement through proposal, negotiation, contract award, and transition to execution.
• Lead capture planning, including customer engagement, competitive assessments, solution shaping, teaming, pricing support, win themes, proposals, bid/no-bid recommendations, and executive gate reviews.
• Maintain a multi-quarter pipeline through accurate forecasting, opportunity qualification, and disciplined CRM management.
• Partner with Engineering, Product, Mission Operations, Contracts, and Executive Leadership; represent NODA at demonstrations, exercises, and industry events; and prepare executive briefings, capability presentations, white papers, and strategic communications.

Requirements

• 8+ years of business development, capture management, military, government, or related DoD experience.
• Demonstrated success winning new business from customer engagement through contract award.
• Strong understanding of the DoD enterprise, acquisition organizations, budget cycles, and procurement processes.
• Experience with FAR-based contracting and non-traditional acquisition pathways, including OTAs, CSOs, SBIR/STTR, IDIQs, and rapid acquisition efforts.
• Technical fluency in autonomous systems, unmanned platforms, and AI-enabled software, with the ability to connect operational requirements and engineering capabilities.
• Established relationships across DoD components, program offices, and defense innovation organizations.
• Ability to discuss autonomy, AI-enabled software, robotics, interoperability, and unmanned systems credibly with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience developing account strategies, capture plans, competitive positioning, and win strategies.
• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of military, government, and industry experience; ability to travel approximately 30%.
• U.S. citizenship is required due to ITAR regulations, with the ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance.
• Strategic thinking, executive presence, relationship-building, communication, presentation, negotiation, influencing, forecasting, pipeline management, organization, collaboration, resilience, adaptability, accountability, and results orientation.

Nice to have

• Prior military service or extensive experience supporting DoD organizations across services or combatant commands.
• Existing relationships across OSD, service acquisition executives, combatant commands, DARPA, DIU, AFWERX, NavalX, or other defense innovation organizations.
• Experience with autonomous systems, AI-enabled software, unmanned systems, ISR, C5ISR, robotics, mission autonomy, or adjacent defense technologies.
• Experience in a venture-backed or high-growth defense technology company.
• Experience supporting demonstrations, experimentation campaigns, or technology transition efforts.
• Active Top Secret or TS/SCI security clearance.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative, respectful, and trust-based culture focused on innovation, rapid iteration, and meaningful mission outcomes.
• Premium medical, dental, and vision coverage with zero paycheck premiums for employees and families.
• 401(k) plan with company match, equity grants for new hires, FSA, DCFSA, and HSA.
• Unlimited PTO, 11 paid holidays, an extended holiday calendar, generous parental leave, and military leave.
• Professional development opportunities, One Medical access, 24/7 mental health resources, and additional legal and financial support.