Business Development Manager, Air Force Programs

About the Role

• Identify, qualify, and mature U.S. Air Force opportunities from early shaping through capture and award. • Own the full business development lifecycle across multiple concurrent pursuits, ensuring disciplined qualification and strong position‑to‑win strategies. • Continuously monitor the Air Force market to understand mission needs, emerging requirements, budget dynamics, and acquisition pathways. • Develop and execute customer engagement plans that surface capability gaps and future program opportunities. • Build and maintain trusted relationships with Air Force program offices, labs, operational units, and industry partners. • Lead competitive assessments, identify differentiators, and craft clear win themes. • Identify and qualify teaming partners that strengthen Firestorm’s competitive position. • Partner closely with engineering and technical SMEs to shape differentiated, mission‑relevant solutions. • Translate complex technical concepts into clear, compelling value propositions for Air Force stakeholders. • Support and guide proposal development efforts in collaboration with capture, pricing, contracts, and marketing partners. • Develop market analysis, competitive intelligence, and capability presentations for internal and external audiences. • Track and communicate pipeline health, capture progress, and key risks to leadership. • Represent Firestorm at customer meetings, industry events, and defense innovation forums.

Key Responsibilities

• ▸capture management
• ▸market analysis
• ▸customer engagement
• ▸partner development
• ▸technical solutions
• ▸proposal development

What You Bring

Firestorm is seeking a mission‑driven Business Development Manager to lead growth across U.S. Air Force programs. The role owns the full business development lifecycle, shaping strategy, forging relationships, and guiding opportunities from early shaping through capture and award while working closely with engineering, product, and leadership. It is ideal for a self‑starter who thrives in a fast‑moving, autonomous environment and brings disciplined execution to business development. • Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, or a related field. • 8+ years of experience in defense business development, capture management, or Air Force acquisition operations. • U.S. citizenship required for ITAR compliance and ability to obtain a DoD security clearance. • Proven success building and executing a growth pipeline within U.S. Air Force programs. • Established relationships and past performance with U.S. Air Force UAS stakeholders (SOF/ISR PEO, AFSOC, Headquarters Air Force). • Strong understanding of the U.S. Air Force acquisition process, including Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs). • Ability to shape opportunities, position solutions against competitors, and lead capture efforts. • Experience engaging and influencing senior Air Force and government decision‑makers. • Strong strategic, analytical, and presentation skills. • Financial and business acumen, including cost structures, tradeoffs, and ROI. • Clear, concise communication across technical and non‑technical audiences. • Self‑starter comfortable operating with limited structure in a startup environment. • Excellent organizational, communication, and leadership skills to align cross‑functional teams. • 12+ years of progressively increasing functional experience in the Federal government or defense industry. • Training in Shipley BD/Capture Management or equivalent professional methodology. • Experience supporting advanced aerospace, autonomous, or mission‑critical defense technologies. • Background in unmanned systems, aerospace platforms, or advanced technology insertion. • Familiarity with Air Force innovation and rapid acquisition pathways such as AFWERX, Rapid Capabilities Office, or SBIR/STTR. • Knowledge of structured capture and proposal development methodologies (Shipley or equivalent). • Existing network within the U.S. Air Force ecosystem, including program offices, labs, or operational units. • Prior experience with fast‑growth or venture‑backed defense technology companies.

Requirements

• ▸bachelor’s
• ▸us citizenship
• ▸8+ years
• ▸shipley
• ▸unmanned systems
• ▸afwerx

Benefits

The position is based on‑site at our San Diego headquarters, with up to 25 % domestic travel and a standard office/manufacturing environment that may include exposure to noise, heat, dust or chemicals. The salary range is $148,000‑$183,000 USD plus equity, and the role offers comprehensive medical, dental, vision, 401(k), unlimited PTO, generous holidays, parental leave, and a suite of insurance and wellness benefits. • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans. • 401(k) retirement savings plan. • Equity grants for new hires. • Unlimited paid time off. • Generous holiday calendar with a November‑December hiatus. • Generous parental leave. • Lifestyle spending account. • Flexible Spending Account (FSA), Dependent Care FSA, and Health Savings Account (HSA). • Hospital indemnity, critical illness, and accident insurance. • Basic Life/AD&D, short‑term and long‑term disability insurance fully covered by Firestorm, with optional additional life coverage. • 24/7 free mental health resources, including therapy. • Access to free legal and financial support services.

Work Environment

Onsite