Associate Director, Business Development

GROW WITH US AND STAY EXTRAORDINARY:
Launch your career to new heights with Innoflight—one of San Diego’s fastest-growing Aerospace and Defense innovators. Here, visionary minds engineer the future of space technology through pioneering, compact, and cyber-secure solutions. From software-defined radios to cutting-edge cryptographic systems and avionics, everything we build powers the next era of New Space. Join our small, agile, and mission-driven team where your work has real impact and your growth has no limits. We’re not just reaching for the stars—we’re engineering them. Let’s innovate the infinite, together.
A DAY IN THE LIFE:
As the Associate Director, Business Development, you will play a pivotal role in driving Innoflight’s growth across defense, civil, and commercial space markets. Your responsibilities will center on identifying and qualifying new business leads, supporting capture plans, and contributing to high-impact proposals that advance strategic goals. You will be instrumental in shaping customer engagement strategies and strengthening our market presence in military space, national security space, civil and commercial space, and related technology areas.

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

• Drives Business Opportunity Identification: Supports the qualification of new business opportunities aligned with the company’s strategic objectives and technical capabilities.
• Leads Capture Efforts: Leads or co-leads the pursuit of small to mid-sized contract opportunities, guiding proposal development, technical strategies, pricing, and schedules.
• Develops Winning Proposals: Contributes to bid and proposal activities in competitive and sole source environments, coordinating efforts with cross-functional teams.
• Builds Strategic Relationships: Develops and maintains strong relationships with existing and potential customers, partners, and industry contacts, and identifies new partnership opportunities.
• Collaborates Across Teams: Works closely with engineering, contracts, and finance departments to ensure aligned, value-driven business development initiatives.
• Promotes Innoflight’s Value: Stays informed on company roadmaps and offerings to effectively communicate the organization’s strengths to prospective clients.
• Leads Outreach Efforts: Represents Innoflight at industry events, trade shows, and conferences, and contributes to the development of marketing materials, white papers, and technical briefs.
• Ensures Process Excellence: Maintains detailed records of activities in CRM systems and SharePoint, provides regular updates to leadership, and supports continuous improvement of business development processes and tools.

YOU’RE AWESOME AT:

• Strategic Business Development: Proven ability to identify, qualify, and capture new business opportunities aligned with organizational goals and market trends.
• Customer Engagement: Skilled in building and maintaining strong relationships with government and industry customers, partners, and stakeholders.
• Proposal and Capture Management: Experienced in leading or supporting proposal efforts and capture plans in both competitive and sole source environments.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Effective at working across internal teams: engineering, finance, contracts—to deliver high-quality, value-driven business development solutions.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

• Bachelor’s degree required; degree in Engineering or a technical discipline is preferred.
• 8 or more years of professional experience, including 3 or more years in business development, capture, or technical sales.
• Experience in aerospace, defense, or electronics industries; space industry experience preferred.
• Knowledge of U.S. government acquisition and contracting processes.
• Demonstrated customer-centric mindset and positive attitude.
• Ability to develop and communicate technical and strategic business solutions.
• Exceptional organizational, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in CRM systems and collaborative tools like SharePoint.
• Active Secret (or above) U.S. Security Clearance is required, TS/SCI preferred.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS:
The starting base salary for this position ranges from $165,000 to $185,000 per year, depending on the candidate’s job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. In addition to a competitive base salary, Innoflight offers a well-rounded compensation package that includes a Profit-Sharing Bonus and a Cash Performance Bonus to reward both individual and company performance. Additional benefits include:

• 401(k) with 3% company match (automatic enrollment)
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, HSA & life insurance
• 10 paid holidays + 120 hours PTO (starting in year one)
• Access to ancillary benefits such as critical illness, accident, disability, legal and pet insurance.

WHY YOU’LL LOVE WORKING HERE:

• Flexible Work-Life Balance: Enjoy a 9/80 work schedule with every other Friday off—whether you use it to recharge, work on a passion project, or spend time with family, the choice is yours.
• Continuous Learning & Development: We’re serious about professional development. From tuition reimbursement to internal "Ask Me Anything" sessions and weekly “Lunch & Learns,” we make learning a core part of the job.
• Mission-Driven Culture: We aren’t just building tech—we’re enabling the next era of space exploration. Our Culture Ambassadors help lead initiatives around inclusion, positivity, recognition, and transparency. Here, your voice is heard, your work is respected, and your individuality is celebrated.

BE YOU, WITH US:
At Innoflight, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace where everyone belongs. We recognize that great talent comes in many forms, and you don’t need to meet every requirement to bring value to our team. If this role excites you, we encourage you to apply—even if you don’t check every box.
YOU SHOULD KNOW:
Potential new employees must successfully complete a background check which includes criminal search, education certification and employment verification prior to hire. Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S as you must have the ability to obtain a security clearance. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa.
A NOTE TO STAFFING AGENCIES:
Innoflight does not accept unsolicited resumes from agencies, recruiters, or any third-party sources. Any such submissions will be considered property of Innoflight, and no fees will be paid in the event a candidate is hired from an unsolicited referral.
To California residents applying for this job, please read Innoflight’s CCPA Notice: https://www.innoflight.com/careers/california-consumer-privacy-act-notice-for-job-applicants.
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