Business Development Manager - U.S Defense

Emesent is a global leader in drone autonomy and LiDAR mapping technology. They are seeking a Business Development Manager to navigate DoD procurement and build relationships within the U.S. defense community, bringing innovative mapping solutions to address operational challenges.

Responsibilities:

• Build and grow DoD relationships
• Engage DoD end users, program offices, acquisition commands and prime contractors
• Understand mission objectives, operational constraints and procurement priorities
• Stay current on DoD modernisation initiatives, budget cycles and the competitive landscape
• Identify where Emesent’s technology creates the most compelling operational value
• Drive new business development
• Prospect across Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, SOCOM and relevant civilian agencies
• Present mission-oriented value propositions that address real operational needs
• Build compelling business cases that speak to safety, efficiency and long-term program success
• Cultivate a healthy, qualified pipeline with genuine close potential
• Lead the sales process end-to-end
• Qualify and advance opportunities through complex, multi-stakeholder procurement cycles
• Conduct technical capability demonstrations and field evaluations
• Support responses to RFIs and RFPs with compelling, well-structured proposals
• Negotiate commercial terms within guidelines and navigate multi-phase acquisition processes
• Collaborate across the business
• Partner with marketing, product, engineering and customer success to align solutions with DoD requirements
• Bring customer feedback into product and roadmap conversations
• Coordinate internal resources to support pilots, evaluations and deployments
• Represent Emesent credibly at defense events, expos and industry forums
• Forecast accurately and report clearly
• Track pipeline status, key metrics and revenue forecasts for the DoD segment
• Provide regular, accurate reports to sales leadership
• Maintain disciplined CRM hygiene in HubSpot – accounts, contacts, activities and opportunities

Requirements:

• Five or more years of defense or federal sales experience, ideally with a technical or hardware product
• Demonstrated track record selling into U.S. DoD – direct and/or through primes and integrators
• Strong understanding of federal acquisition processes, budget cycles and procurement vehicles
• Active U.S. security clearance or eligibility to obtain one
• Excellent written and verbal communication – with technical teams and senior stakeholders alike
• Disciplined approach to pipeline management and CRM use
• Willingness to travel regularly within the U.S. and occasionally internationally
• Background in robotics, autonomous systems, drones, LiDAR or geospatial technology
• Established relationships within SOCOM, Army Engineers, or relevant civilian agencies
• Experience with OTA agreements, SBIR programs or other non-traditional acquisition pathways