Manager – Defense Business Operations & Partnerships

Solugen

14549 Minetta St., Houston TX 77035

Position

Manager – Defense Business Operations & Partnerships

Location

Houston, TX or Washington D.C

About Solugen

At Solugen, we believe planet-scale change starts with the chemistry we use every day. We have built the world’s first carbon-negative molecule factory, fusing biology, chemistry, and technology to manufacture the materials needed to sustain modern life. Founded in 2016, Solugen is a post–Series D venture-backed biotechnology company supported by leading investors including Founders Fund, FiftyYears, Refactor, Y Combinator, Temasek, GIC, and Baillie Gifford. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Solugen operates the Bioforge™, a first-of-its-kind carbon-negative manufacturing facility producing bio-based chemistries for applications across industry, infrastructure, and national security.

Solugen employs 100+ full-time employees and is expanding rapidly into defense and national security–related industrial partnerships.

Role Summary

The Manager – Defense Business Operations & Partnerships supports Solugen’s growing defense and national security business by enabling and executing complex partnerships across the defense industry. The role is primarily focused on business operations and partnership execution—facilitating multi-party relationships to drive revenue through partnerships, agreements, and programs.

The role sits at the intersection of defense business development, operations, government engagement, and finance. In addition to enabling partnerships, the Manager supports defense revenue forecasting, board and investor materials, and executive-level reporting related to the defense portfolio. The primary thrust of the role, however, is facilitating revenue generation through effective coordination and execution of defense industry partnerships.

The Manager works closely with Solugen’s Vice President of External Affairs, Government Capture Manager, and the (to be hired) Senior Director of Defense Business Development. The Government Capture Manager leads government funding efforts, including proposal coordination and submission, while the Senior Director of Defense Business Development serves as the senior sales lead and owner of top-of-funnel opportunities.

In support of these efforts, this role functions as the customer success engine for the defense business and as Solugen’s ambassador to the customer—identifying and advancing private-sector partnerships, independently driving discussions, operationalizing agreements, and coordinating internal and external stakeholders from first contact through execution. The role partners closely with the Capture Manager to bring private-sector companies into government proposals and to pursue government funding that supports private-sector partnerships and business opportunities.

External engagement in this role is directly tied to partnership execution and program advancement and may include participation in industry forums, trade shows, customer site-visits, government program manager engagements, and meetings with relevant government stakeholders, including the Department of Defense and Members of Congress.

Key Outcomes:

• Execute and operationalize 5–10 substantive defense industry partnerships per year—including MOUs, teaming agreements, supply agreements, and JV or pilot structures—in coordination with senior BD leadership, driving private partnerships from initial discussions to revenue-generating agreements within 12 months.
• Advance ≥75–90% of prioritized private-sector partnership discussions into executable agreements, proposals, or funded programs.
• Support integration of private-sector partners into active government capture efforts, working closely with the Government Capture Manager.
• Enable on-time execution readiness for all awarded or shortlisted defense programs, including partner alignment, internal coordination, and compliance support.
• Maintain defense revenue forecasts within ±10% variance, supporting quarterly board materials, investor updates, and executive reporting.
• Deliver 100% of defense-related board, investor, and executive materials on schedule, with clear articulation of partnership status, contacts list, revenue implications, and execution risks.
• Identify and surface execution risks early and drive resolution plans in coordination with senior leadership.

Key Responsibilities Include:

Defense Business Operations & Partnership Execution

• Execute and operationalize defense industry partnerships, including coordinating internal teams and external partners/organizations.
• Support structuring, negotiation, and execution of partnership agreements (e.g., MOUs, business plans, teaming agreements, supply agreements, related collateral), in coordination with internal teams.
• Independently advance partnership discussions and execution workstreams once opportunities are identified, escalating issues or decision points as needed.
• Coordinate across technical, commercial, legal, finance, and government-facing teams to ensure timely execution and revenue realization with private sector partners.
• Manage administrative and tracking functions associated with defense partnerships, including maintaining contact lists, deal/project trackers, and coordination notes across internal and external stakeholders.
  

Capture Enablement & Program Support

• Work closely with the Government Capture Manager to integrate private-sector partners into government proposals and funded programs.
• Support proposal execution by coordinating partner inputs, schedules, and compliance requirements.
• Assist in post-award transition from proposal to execution readiness.
  

Financial & Executive Support

• Support defense revenue forecasting, pipeline tracking, and scenario planning.
• Prepare and maintain defense-related inputs for board decks, investor materials, and executive reviews.
• Respond to internal and external data requests related to defense partnerships and programs.

External Engagement

• Participate in external meetings and events in support of commercial partnerships and programs, including industry forums, trade shows, customer site-visits, government program manager engagements, and meetings with relevant government stakeholders, including the Department of Defense and Members of Congress.

Key Competencies:

Job Specific

• Execution-focused operator: Strong ability to translate partnership intent into concrete execution plans and outcomes.
• Partnership facilitator: Comfortable coordinating complex, multi-party relationships across private industry and government-adjacent environments.
• Cross-functional collaborator: Proven ability to work across legal, technical, finance, and business teams without formal authority.
• Clear communicator: Able to produce concise, accurate updates for senior executives and external stakeholders.
• Judgment in regulated environments: Comfortable operating in defense, national security, government, or otherwise regulated contexts.
• Detail-oriented and proactive: Anticipates issues, tracks dependencies, and drives resolution.
• Adaptable: Thrives in ambiguity and fast-moving environments

Qualifications

1. Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a relevant field, or equivalent practical experience.

2. 3-5 years of fulltime experience in business operations, consulting, program management, government contracting, or defense-adjacent roles.

3. Experience supporting complex partnerships, agreements, or multi-party initiatives.

4. Familiarity with defense industry, government contracting, or regulated industrial environments preferred.

5. Strong project management, organizational, and stakeholder coordination skills.

6. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

7. Ability to independently advance workstreams while operating within a clear senior leadership structure.

Travel: +25%

Salary: $135,000-$165,000 annually, based on experience and location

Solugen is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, age, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other legally protected status.