Job Description

Overview:

About Poseidon Aerospace: Poseidon Aerospace is redefining maritime logistics with unmanned, ground-effect sea gliders that can carry up to 2 tons of cargo with no runways required. In an era where contested littorals, island chains, and austere shorelines demand resilient supply lines, our mission is to give U.S. forces and their allies a faster, more flexible, and radically cost-effective way to move critical supplies. Fresh off a successful seed round, we are expanding the team to help deliver our first operational vehicles. Join us in charting a new sea-air frontier and equipping warfighters and commercial partners alike.

Role Overview: We are seeking an experienced Business Development Lead with deep expertise in Department of Defense (DoD) acquisitions and extensive experience in defense strategy and government relations. This key position will spearhead our strategic growth initiatives, leverage high-level relationships within the DoD, and facilitate the integration of our products into defense and adjacent markets. You will be pivotal in advancing our strategic engagements, shaping policy interactions, and driving revenue through established and emerging channels.

Key Responsibilities:

Capture & Growth

• Build and execute the DoD capture plan to win $50 M+ in prototype and production awards (OTA, SBIR, FAR) within 24 months.
• Leverage an existing senior-level network across USMC CD&I / MCSC, SOCOM, and PACFLT to shape requirements and insert Poseidon into POM cycles.
• Own the entire capture lifecycle - from early opportunity shaping through contract award.

Government Relations & Advocacy

• Serve as Poseidon’s point of contact to acquisition executives, congressional defense committees, and appropriators.
• Craft and advance legislative strategies (NDAA language, plus-ups, congressional marks) that secure RDT&E and procurement funding for unmanned seaplane capability gaps.
• Represent Poseidon at industry days, Hill briefings, technical experimentation events, and flag-level demos.

Market Development

• Develop and nurture customer champions inside key DoD and congressional offices, turning early adopters into advocates who accelerate funding and smooth acquisition pathways.
• Translate customer CONOPS into product road-map inputs (payload modularity, expeditionary basing features, etc.)
• Quantify adjacent opportunities including DHS and USCG.

Cross-functional Leadership

• Partner with Engineering to align TRL milestones with contracting timelines and cash-flow forecasts.
• Establish BD processes (CRM, gate criteria, KPI dashboards) and mentor junior capture analysts.

What you bring:

Experience

• Demonstrated success in DoD business development, acquisitions, government relations, or strategic roles within defense contracting.
• Proven experience in high-level DoD acquisitions, legislative liaison roles, or strategic product management within defense contexts.
• Introduced a platform or system to the DoD and built support through the development and refinement of the system.
• Strong existing network and relationships within military, legislative, and federal acquisition communities.

Skills

• Expert grasp of OTAs, Middle-Tier Acquisition, SBIR/STTR, and rapid prototyping pathways.
• Proven capability to lead complex initiatives from conception through successful execution in a startup or dynamic environment.
• Experience working with Special Operations Commands or related rapid-acquisition programs.
• Executive-level communication and negotiation skills; comfort briefing SES and General/Flag officers.

Qualifications

• Able to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance

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