Business Development Lead (AI), Netherlands

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands; on-site. Candidates must be based within the assigned region or willing to relocate to a strategic location within the territory.

Company

hirify.global is a venture-backed defence technology company developing AI pilot systems, autonomous aircraft, unmanned aircraft systems, ISR capabilities, and autonomy software for defence and security operations.

What you will do

• Own and execute the go-to-market strategy for assigned Netherlands markets.
• Build and manage a pipeline across autonomy, aircraft, ISR, and mission-system opportunities.
• Lead account planning, customer shaping, competitive positioning, proposals, negotiations, and contract closure against a sales quota.
• Engage military leaders, Ministries of Defence, procurement authorities, sovereign stakeholders, and strategic industry partners.
• Develop regional partnerships, consultants, industrial participation structures, and offset-aligned strategies.
• Coordinate Business Development, Product, Engineering, Government Relations, Legal, Contracts, Export Compliance, Operations, and Customer teams while maintaining forecasts and market intelligence.

Requirements

• 6+ years of experience in business development, capture, sales, strategic engagement, account management, or related customer-facing roles in defence, aerospace, national security, or advanced technology.
• Experience working across international defence, government, or regulated markets and complex procurement environments.
• Proven success advancing complex opportunities involving long sales cycles, senior stakeholders, and technically differentiated solutions.
• Strong executive presence, communication, negotiation, stakeholder management, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Technical aptitude in autonomous systems, ISR, mission systems, AI-enabled capabilities, or related defence technologies.
• Fluency in English and relevant regional languages; frequent travel throughout the territory and internationally is required.

Nice to have

• Experience with UAS, autonomy, ISR, mission systems, aerospace, or AI-enabled operational capabilities.
• Relationships with defence ministries, military organisations, procurement authorities, or strategic industry partners.
• Experience with direct commercial sales, Foreign Military Sales, or international government procurement programmes.
• Prior military, operational defence, government, or national security experience.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional, military, or operational experience.

Culture & Benefits

• Work at the forefront of AI, autonomy, and next-generation defence systems.
• Operate in an entrepreneurial and mission-driven environment.
• Contribute directly to international growth and strategic defence partnerships.
• Collaborate on complex operational challenges with multidisciplinary teams.