Director, Business Development - Mission Autonomy

ABOUT THE TEAM 

The Mission Autonomy (MA) Business Development (BD) team within the Air Dominance and Strike (AD&S) Division at Anduril is responsible for identifying, shaping, capturing, and growing new opportunities and capabilities to make Anduril the leading provider of Autonomy Software for DoD. BD team members serve as the bridge between clients and the broader Anduril team; they convey client perspectives to other teams across the enterprise while also serving as the Anduril brand ambassador externally. MA BD team members are given significant autonomy in job function to empower them to deliver the best Autonomy Software to the DoD. They partner extensively with the broader AD&S division team, to include engineering and program management, to ensure that Anduril products exceed client expectations and mission demands and to drive continuous product improvements in response to client needs.

ABOUT THE JOB

We are looking for a Director, Business Development to join our rapidly growing team in Costa Mesa, CA or Washington, DC with the following attributes:

Demonstrated Software Sales Experience within DoD or the Commercial Sector. We're looking for a candidate who has effectively led and closed software sales, preferably related to autonomous platforms and weapons within DoD. Furthermore, as a supplier of autonomy software for first- and third-party platforms and weapons, we seek a candidate who understands the procurement behaviors, ecosystems, and processes of Prime Contractors, government program offices, and defense innovation organizations. Pre-existing relationships with these customer communities are expected. Specific emphasis will be placed on candidates with experience working with OSD organizations, such as DIU and CDAO, and other relevant innovation and autonomy organizations inside DoD.

Mission First Mindset. We put the needs of the mission and our clients first. We actively seek out opportunities to better understand our clients’ mission needs, with a goal to build the best possible products for the warfighter and radically evolve our national and international defense capabilities. We push ourselves and the limits of our capabilities in the pursuit of this goal.

Ownership Mentality.We’re looking for owners; those who have a natural bias to assume responsibility, a healthy dose of skepticism, and contribute to a culture of performance. We empower our individuals to quickly assume high levels of responsibility and entrust them to actively own their account and shape its success.

Technical Aptitude and Intellectual Curiosity.We are first and foremost a technology company, working at the leading edge of capabilities like machine learning, autonomy, distributed networking, and multi-modal sensor fusion. These capabilities form the foundation of our product offerings, so we are looking for those who are comfortable communicating technical concepts and can articulate them in the context of the client’s mission. Candidates with an engineering or technical background are strongly preferred.

Structured Thinker and Problem Solver. Leading technical programs requires clear communication and well-thought-out plans. We are looking for assertive communicators who bring a thoughtful perspective and honest dialogue. A solution-driven approach, the ability to distill complexity into its essential, digestible components, and the ability to supervise execution are critical to ensure mission success.

High Value Team Member. Do you enjoy working as part of a team? At Anduril, the path to success weaves through the organization - account teams, engineering, logistics, technical operations, and more. It requires humility, an eagerness to learn, and empathy toward your fellow team member. We assume best intentions and empathize with clients just as we do with our colleagues. Can you develop rapport at both the user and executive levels? Do you enjoy sharing successes? We are a low ego group that promotes teamwork and collaboration to bring about success.

360 Degree Leader. We are a flat, non-hierarchical organization with a largely matrix structure that is dynamic and evolving. We expect you to be self-aware enough to recognize your position of unstated leadership within the company. You should have a demonstrated ability to lead and influence people through both formal and informal constructs and in situations where there is lack of clarity across teams. Finally, we need people who identify gaps and breakdowns and solve them immediately, rather than point them out and step back. You should also seek 360 feedback to help inform your growth trajectory as a leader.

Diversity & Inclusion.Our mission is reshaping our world. And at the heart of our mission is our people. Their diversity is our strength. They reflect the world in which we do business and the communities in which we live. We celebrate diversity and welcome applications from people of all walks of life and encourage you to confidently share your unique experiences with us.

WHAT YOU’LL DO 

• Generate and capture business opportunities.The BD team is ultimately responsible for growing revenue. Specifically, this role will focus on building business for Lattice for Mission Autonomy (MA) software. This is achieved by developing a deep understanding of the existing and prospective client base, knowing the current or planned programmatic and technical roadmaps, and being cognizant of the competitive landscape. This expertise will inform capture strategies, revenue forecasts, and aid in technology development plans. Tactically, you will manage continuous engagements with current and future clients, generate growth strategies, and monitor buying cycles for opportunities, lead specific proposals and new capture efforts, and close contracts that unlock new business for the business line. Specific emphasis will be placed on candidates with experience in engaging with unmanned and autonomous platforms and weapons, and a focus on organizations within the Defense Innovation Ecosystem, such as DIU and AFWERX.
• Grow existing business. You will partner with adjacent business lines and product engineers to grow business with current clients. This does not simply include expanding upon current work, but also leveraging existing partnerships to explore new areas of work or opportunities by sustaining and building upon the strong foundation of those client relationships.
• Communicate our value to clients. BD team members represent Anduril to a broad audience: clients, partners, competitors, and the interested public. You must project the company’s ethos, conveying insights that illustrate our approach to building next-generation defense technology and our competitive edges in doing so.
• Inform product development.As you will often be the first Anduril employee to engage a client, you are charged with translating their problem set back into our engineering organization. The team must trust your value judgement and assessment of the required mission outcome as you interpret and convey various client needs. Internally, you will provide the necessary clarity to inform priorities, keep Anduril stakeholders informed, determine key milestones, and proactively provide clear communications to appropriate levels of the company. Your assessment of clients’ needs will inform new product decisions, and your ongoing engagement with clients will yield crucial input that helps Anduril ensure our product suite is best-in-class.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Prior experience in DoD Capture and Sales, specifically related to software.
• Ability to interface with a wide range of US DoD and international customers, with specific emphasis on experience with OSD organizations such as DIU and CDAO.
• Experience with software across autonomous platforms and weapons. The preferred candidate will have work experience in the defense industry, specifically in autonomy software related to complex systems.
• Ability to travel a 40-60% required.
• Experience with government business development, government contract structures, and government proposal processes. The preferred candidate will have strong writing skills, with experience in writing white papers, RFI and proposal responses.
• Experience with complex systems involving hardware and software.
• Currently possesses and is able to maintain an active U.S. Top Secret security clearance

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with commercial software sales or development a plus.
• Expertise in AI and autonomous systems a plus.
• STEM degree a plus.
• Prior military or contracting experience can be helpful.
• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. TS clearance.