Business Development Director - Defence

Key Responsibilities

• Pipeline Ownership & Deal Closure
  • Own and deliver defence revenue targets
  • Personally lead priority defence deals from first contact through commercial close
  • Maintain disciplined pipeline management and deal accountability
• Capture Leadership & Commercial Execution
  • Lead capture strategy for defence opportunities, including:
  • Opportunity qualification and go/no-go decisions
  • Customer alignment and sponsorship
  • Key account management and relationship development
  • Shape and negotiate complex commercial agreements
  • Play a hands-on role in negotiation, remaining directly involved through signature
• Defence Customer Engagement That Converts
  • Act as ZeroAvia’s senior commercial interface with national defence ministries, international defence agencies, defence primes and system integrators
  • Build trust and credibility at the level required to unlock funding decisions and programme starts
  • Secure customer champions capable of driving internal approval and budget release
• Partnerships That Generate Revenue
  • Establish and manage partnerships with primes and system integrators
  • Align partner requirements with ZeroAvia’s technology roadmaps and commercial objectives

Required Experience & Background

Essential

• 10+ years’ experience in defence or aerospace markets with direct commercial responsibility
• Clear, demonstrable personal track record of delivering full sales cycles from origination to closure in defence
• Experience selling into national defence ministries and international defence agencies and partnering with defence primes and Tier 1s
• Deep understanding of defence budgeting, funding and procurement processes
• Evidence of owning revenue outcomes, not just supporting bids or partnerships

Highly Desirable

• Experience commercialising new or disruptive technologies into defence markets
• Background in aerospace propulsion, power systems or aircraft systems
• Proven history of converting demonstrations into funded programmes, partnerships and recurring revenue
• Existing Security Check or Direct Vetting clearance

Personal Attributes

• Strong bias toward closure and revenue generation
• Comfortable being personally accountable for deal outcomes
• Commercially assertive and credible in defence environments
• Persistent, resilient, and effective in long and complex sales cycles
• Able to operate with ambiguity while maintaining commercial discipline

What You'll Do

Lead and execute defence revenue growth initiatives, manage end-to-end opportunities from identification to contract signature, and coordinate with ministries, agencies, primes, and partners to convert sovereign technologies into commercial success.

Who You Are

Senior commercial leader with extensive defence market experience, proven deal-closure capability, and strong relationships with defence ministries, agencies, primes, and system integrators.

Tech Stack

Not specified in the description.

Team Description

Collaborates with national defence ministries, international defence agencies, defence primes, and platform partners; operates within ZeroAvia’s Defence business scope.

Benefits & Perks

• Private health and dental care
• Mental health support
• Free lunch and healthy snacks
• Sports, games and culture clubs
• Stock options
• 25 days holiday, plus public holidays
• Free EV Charging and EV Club membership
• Salary Sacrifice Schemes for EV Club, Curry's Tech, Cycle to Work, and Ikea Furniture
• Weekly Spot Bonuses
• Income Protection and Legal Support
• Relocation Support

Location

Cotswold Airport (Kemble), UK