About the role
The Senior Commercial Partnership Manager is responsible for defining, building, and managing Destinus partnerships. This role covers system integrators, capability providers, manufacturing partners, joint ventures, and co-production arrangements – to unlock market access, accelerate sovereign alignment, and enable scalable industrialization across core and emerging markets. The position is a key enabler for building Destinus’ global partnership ecosystem.
At Destinus, we are revolutionizing the defense industry with cutting-edge Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs). Our innovative technologies are designed to meet the unique demands of modern defense operations, delivering unparalleled speed, precision, and cost effectiveness. Destinus partners with government agencies and defense organizations worldwide to provide advanced solutions for mission-critical operations, enabling a new era of efficiency and technological superiority. Join us in shaping the future of defense with groundbreaking aerospace innovations.
What You´ll Do
- Commercial Partnerships, JVs & Industrialisation
- Co-create and execute Destinus’ global partnership strategy as a primary lever for market access, sovereign alignment, and industrial scale-up
- Own and Manage system integration partnerships enabling NATO-aligned and customer-specific architectures
- Own and Manage capability partnerships supporting seekers, interceptors, networking, payloads, and critical subsystems
- Manage industrial partnerships and manufacturing alliances to enable scalable production, localization, cost-down trajectories, and supply chain resilience
- Support the evaluation, structuring, and commercial negotiation of joint ventures and long-term industrial partnerships
- Support business cases for strategic initiatives such as JVs, local industrialization, and co-production in countries outside core markets
- Analyze market trends, procurement frameworks, and the competitive landscape to identify strategic opportunities and partnerships.
- B2B Relationship Management & Growth
- Build and maintain a portfolio of high-value B2B relationships with defence primes, integrators, and sovereign industrial partners
- Develop account-level relationship strategies for key partners aligned to the commercial roadmap and programe milestones
- Serve as senior commercial interface for partner organizations, ensuring trust, transparency, and mutual value creation
- Identify opportunities for expanding partnership scope – cross-selling, co-development, and new capability integration.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Partner with various internal stakeholders (a.o. Legal, M&A, Finance, Engineering, Production) to ensure proposed collaborations are feasible, compliant, and aligned with product roadmaps
- Provide market feedback to enhance future product capabilities.
Requirements
What You’ll Need
- MBA or advanced degree in Business, International Relations, Engineering, or a related discipline
- 10+ years in commercial partnerships, business development, or strategic alliances within defence, aerospace, or adjacent high-technology sectors
- Track record of structuring and negotiating complex partnership agreements, joint ventures, or industrial cooperation deals
- Deep understanding of the European and NATO-aligned defence-industrial landscape, including procurement frameworks, offset requirements, and sovereign industrial policies
- Excellent negotiation and stakeholder management skills in multicultural, multi-jurisdictional environments
- Experience with hypersonic, missile defence, advanced weapons systems, or dual-use technology programmes and familiarity with export control regimes (i.e. ITAR, EAR, EU dual-use regulations) is an advantage
- Fluency in at least two European languages (English required. Preference for German, knowledge of French, or Spanish is an asset).
Who You Are
You are a strategic and outward-facing professional who doesn’t shy away from operational tasks, and have a strong military or defence background. You understand how defence organizations operate, and how to build trusted relationships within the defence ecosystem. You thrive in high pressure (scale-up) environments, communicate confidently, and are motivated by the challenge of bringing advanced UAV capabilities into real operational use.
Skills Required
- MBA or advanced degree in Business, International Relations, Engineering, or a related discipline
- 10+ years of experience in commercial partnerships, business development, or strategic alliances within defense, aerospace, or adjacent high-technology sectors
- Track record of structuring and negotiating complex partnership agreements, joint ventures, or industrial cooperation deals
- Deep understanding of the European and NATO-aligned defense-industrial landscape, including procurement frameworks, offset requirements, and sovereign industrial policies
- Excellent negotiation and stakeholder management skills in multicultural, multi-jurisdictional environments
- Experience with hypersonic, missile defense, advanced weapons systems, or dual-use technology programs
- Familiarity with export control regimes including ITAR, EAR, and EU dual-use regulations
- Fluency in at least two European languages, with English required
- Strong military or defense background
What We Do
Destinus is a European aerospace and defense company that designs and manufactures autonomous flight systems, including drones, strike-effectors, and counter-drone systems. They utilize a vertically integrated model, handling design, airframe engineering, propulsion, and AI software in-house. Their mission focuses on advancing aerospace technology across the speed spectrum to enhance defense capabilities and global connectivity, with a particular emphasis on scalable strike and air defense systems for European and allied forces.
