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Modular Unmanned Autonomous Systems | Designed for the Warfighter, Built at the Edge.
The Role
The Business Development Manager will drive growth for Firestorm in SOCOM and CENTCOM, managing accounts, customer engagement, and contracting pathways, while developing strategies to meet defense needs.
Summary Generated by Built In
Firestorm is hiring a Business Development Manager to own customer engagement, capture, and growth across U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). You will be the face of Firestorm to operators, program managers, acquisition staff, and component commands — translating warfighter problems into Firestorm capability, and Firestorm capability into funded programs of record, OTAs, and rapid acquisition contracts.
This is a high-autonomy, high-impact seat for someone who knows the SOF and CENTCOM customer cold, can navigate MacDill and component HQs without an org chart, and wants to help shape a portfolio rather than inherit one.
Prior SOF or CENTCOM operational experience is a strong differentiator — not a requirement. We will weigh time in or with the special operations community heavily, but we are equally interested in industry BD professionals who have built real credibility with these customers.
What You’ll Do
- Account strategy. Build and execute the Firestorm growth plan for SOCOM (USASOC, NAVSPECWARCOM, AFSOC, MARSOC, JSOC, SOCOM HQ J-staffs, SOF AT&L) and CENTCOM (HQ, components, and forward task forces).
- Capture management. Identify, qualify, and capture opportunities across contested logistics and sUAS — from early problem-shaping through RFI/RFP, proposal, and award. Own pipeline hygiene, win strategies, gate reviews, and bid/no-bid recommendations.
- Customer engagement. Establish trusted relationships with operators, program managers, acquisition leads, and senior staff. Be present at MacDill and forward when it matters — demos, exercises, AARs, and warfighter touchpoints.
- Requirements translation. Convert mission gaps into capability briefs, white papers, and demonstration concepts that Firestorm engineering and product teams can execute against.
- Contracting pathways. Drive opportunities through SOFWERX, SOCOM Vulcan, DIU, AFWERX, OTAs, CSOs, and traditional FAR-based vehicles. Partner with our contracts and finance teams to structure winnable, executable deals.
- Teaming and ecosystem. Build the right teaming arrangements with primes, non-traditionals, and integrators. Represent Firestorm at SOF Week, AUSA, AFA, NDIA, and customer-facing industry events.
- Forecasting and reporting. Maintain rigorous CRM discipline, deliver accurate forecasts, and brief the VP of BD and executive team on pipeline, risks, and competitive intelligence.
- Draft Executive communications: Proposals, capability briefs, white papers, talking points to drive senior leader decision making.
- Perform other duties as required
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or equivalent field
- U.S. Citizenship required due to ITAR regulations
- Have active a Secret Clearance (SC) with the ability to obtain a Top Secret (TS) Clearance
- 5+ years of business development, capture, and/or program management experience in the defense industry, or equivalent uniformed/civilian experience working acquisition, requirements, and/or operations for SOCOM and/or CENTCOM.
- Experience with components, the commands, the stakeholders, and the budget cycles for SOF and CENTCOM customers.
- Experience moving opportunities from cold lead to funded contract, including experience with non-traditional pathways (OTAs, CSOs, SOFWERX, DIU, AFWERX, rapid prototyping etc.).
- Working knowledge of contested logistics, sUAS, autonomy, and/or adjacent capability areas that will allow for a credible technical conversation with an operator and/or program manager.
- Have a bias for action, comfort with ambiguity, and the judgment to operate with minimal supervision in a startup environment.
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior service in SOF, Army Aviation, USMC, USAF, or Navy with operational time in the CENTCOM AOR.
- Existing relationships with SOCOM PEO-SOF Warrior, PEO-Fixed Wing, PEO-Rotary Wing, SOF AT&L, or CENTCOM J-codes.
- Hands-on familiarity with sUAS employment, Group 1–3 platforms, or contested/expeditionary logistics concepts (e.g., distributed maritime ops, agile combat employment, SOF resupply).
- Experience standing up a new account or AOR from scratch inside a growth-stage defense company.
- MBA, M.S., or relevant graduate-level defense/policy education.
Work Environment
- Will work remotely, but will need to be based in Tampa, FL
- We welcome candidates who are local or open to relocating; relocation assistance is available and may be included in the offer package where appropriate.
- Willingness and ability to travel ~30–50%, including occasional OCONUS to forward-deployed customers.
Compensation
Base salary: $150,000 – $180,000 base, commensurate with experience
Equity: Meaningful equity grant in a growth-stage defense technology company
The posted salary range reflects an estimate based on a variety of compensation factors, including but not limited to relevant experience, education, certifications, specialized skills, geographic location, and business needs. Actual compensation may vary, and this range is subject to change as our compensation structure or market conditions evolve.
Who We Are
Firestorm is a defense technology company building the future of contested logistics and small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS). We design, build, and field affordable, attritable, mission-configurable platforms that give U.S. and allied warfighters an asymmetric edge in environments where traditional logistics break down and air superiority can no longer be assumed.
Our customers are operators. We move at their tempo — from concept to flight test to forward employment — and we measure ourselves on whether we put capability in their hands when it matters.
Why Firestorm
- Mission that matters. We build for operators, and they use what we build.
- Real ownership. You will shape the SOCOM/CENTCOM portfolio and drive product market fit and procurement of Firestorm technologies across these commands.
- Fast tempo, short cycles. Engineering, product, and BD sit at the same table — decisions happen in days, not quarters.
- Equity in a growth-stage company building category-defining capability.
- A team of operators, builders, and serious professionals who care about the warfighter.
Benefits & Perks
Our culture fosters collaboration, respect, and trust, empowering passionate people to do their best work. We offer a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for career growth. In addition to an opportunity to take part in an innovative, collaborative and fast-growing business with a highly motivated and skilled team, we also take pride in taking care of our employees. Here are just a few ways that we show our appreciation:
- We offer comprehensive medical, dental, and visions plans
- 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan to invest in your long-term retirement goals
- Equity grants for new hires
- Unlimited PTO
- Extremely generous company holiday calendar, including a holiday hiatus in November, & December.
- Generous Parental Leave
- Lifestyle Spending Account
- FSA
- DCFSA
- HSA
- Hospital Indemnity insurance
- Critical Illness insurance
- Accident insurance
- Basic Life/AD&D, short-term and long-term disability insurance, 100% covered by Firestorm. Plus, the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your family.
- Mental Health Resources: We provide free mental health resources 24/7 including therapy and more. Additional work-life services, such as free legal and financial support, are available to you as well.
Export Control Compliance
To conform to U.S. government export control regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or otherwise eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State or U.S. Department of Commerce.
Equal Opportunity Statement
Firestorm is an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, and upholding equitable hiring practices. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic under federal, state, or local law, including those with a criminal history, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the CA Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. We actively encourage members of recognized minorities, women, Veterans, and those with disabilities to apply, and we work to create a welcoming and supportive environment for all applicants throughout the interview process.
Firestorm is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible work environment. If you require accommodations or assistance during the application process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected] so we can provide the support you need.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or equivalent field
- U.S. Citizenship required due to ITAR regulations
- Active Secret Clearance with ability to obtain Top Secret Clearance
- 5+ years of business development, capture, and/or program management in defense industry
- Experience with components, commands, stakeholders, and budget cycles for SOF and CENTCOM
- Experience moving opportunities from cold lead to funded contract
- Working knowledge of contested logistics, sUAS, and autonomy
- Comfort with ambiguity and judgment to operate in a startup environment
Firestorm Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Firestorm and has not been reviewed or approved by Firestorm.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is described as comprehensive across medical, dental, and vision, with company‑paid life/AD&D and short‑ and long‑term disability plus optional hospital indemnity, critical illness, and accident insurance. Tax‑advantaged accounts and mental‑health resources are also highlighted.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off includes “unlimited PTO” and an unusually generous holiday calendar that features a year‑end hiatus. Generous parental leave is also called out.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Multiple postings list explicit salary ranges for roles across engineering, operations, and field positions, and internship hourly rates are published. These disclosures provide clearer expectations on cash compensation for many candidates.
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The Company
What We Do
We are building the future of modular, open-source architectures supporting the Department of Defense requirements to create Affordable Mass. Firestorm is redefining military expectations for on-site modularity to support the widest array of mission areas.
