Director, Business Development (Mission Solutions)

Umbra builds next-generation space systems that observe the Earth in unprecedented fidelity. 

Our mission: Deliver global omniscience. 

To stay ahead of climate change, geopolitical risk, and other major crises and issues, we need a global understanding of what is changing, where, and how fast. Umbra creates the highest quality synthetic aperture radar data available commercially and supports a growing number of inspiring and innovative organizations monitoring the Earth in unprecedented fidelity. We empower our customers to create the solutions that inform and address our planet’s most pressing needs. We’re helping to create a brand-new industry that has never meaningfully existed before.  

If you are passionate about new space and the commercial Earth observation industry and want to take a leading role in helping to grow it over the coming years, this position offers a unique chance to have outsized impact.  

We are looking for a dynamic and results-driven Director of Business Development to join our team. As a key member of the senior leadership for Umbra’s newly established Mission Solutions business group, you will report directly to the General Manager, Mission Solutions. In this role, you will play a critical part in shaping and driving the growth strategy for Mission Solutions by identifying new business opportunities, expanding and managing our pipeline, building strategic partnerships, and converting opportunities into contract awards. Your focus will be on pre-RFP customer engagement and opportunity shaping. Additionally, you will act as the primary voice of the customer, providing valuable insights to inform our internal development roadmaps and bid and capture strategies.

Our aim is to hire this position in to work in Umbra's Arlington, VA office.  However, we are open to considering Hybrid applicants located in the VA/DC/MD area.

Key Responsibilities 

• Manage the full lifecycle of the Mission Solutions sales pipeline, from opportunity identification to contract award.
• Oversee all business development efforts for Umbra’s Mission Solutions group.
• Lead and mentor a growing team of senior business development professionals.
• Play a critical role in shaping Umbra’s Mission Solutions strategy to secure new business, with a focus on developing a pipeline of funded programs aligned with key campaigns, both domestically and internationally, leading to large-scale programs of record.
• Collaborate with capture and program management teams to support proposal development and strategy.
• Cultivate and maintain strong, long-term relationships with key customers.
• Build and expand partnership ecosystems to create additional sales opportunities.
• Maintain comprehensive and accurate models of the global mission solutions market.
• Work closely with Umbra’s communications and marketing teams to ensure consistent messaging and brand visibility for Mission Solutions, including at industry events, through publications, and across social media platforms.
• Partner with the government affairs team to establish and strengthen relationships across the U.S. government, ensuring Umbra’s inclusion in defense, intelligence, and civil mission strategies, as well as fostering global partnerships to support export-approved programs.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
  

Required Qualifications

• 15+ years professional experience in the aerospace and defense industry, with a focus on space applications and missions.
• Proven experience in sales and business development related to remote sensing products or satellite technology.
• Bachelors Degree in STEM or equivalent experience.
• Demonstrated success in growing technology portfolios within the aerospace and defense sector.
• Experience supporting or leading the capture of a wide range of U.S. Government programs, from early-stage opportunities to major acquisitions.
• Experience supporting or leading the capture of international programs.
• Ability to travel 25-50% of the time, both CONUS and OCONUS.
• Strong aptitude for understanding technical concepts and effectively communicating them to non-technical audiences.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
• A continuous learner who embraces uncertainty, takes calculated risks, and learns from challenges.
• Proactive and solution-oriented, consistently taking initiative to address important issues.
• High emotional intelligence, with the ability to engage and empathize with staff, colleagues, cross-functional teams, and customers.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic startup environment with a nationally distributed team.
• Experience with multiple relevant U.S. Government or partner-nation space agencies and acquisition offices.
  

Desired Qualifications

• Active TS/SCI clearance.

Benefits

• Flexible Time Off, Sick, Family & Medical Leave
• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, LTD, STD (employer funded)
• Vol Life, Critical Illness, Accidental, Hospital Indemnity, Pet Insurance (employee funded)
• 401k with 3% non-elective company contribution
• Stock Options

Umbra is an Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We take affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics.

 

Employment Eligibility Verification

In compliance with federal laws, all hired persons will be required to verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States by completing the required Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9 Form) upon hire.

 

ITAR/EAR Requirements

This position may include access to technology and/or data that is subject to U.S. export controls pursuant to ITAR and EAR. To comply with federal export controls, all persons hired must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, U.S. lawful permanent resident, refugee or asylee as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3), or must otherwise be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or U.S. Department of Commerce as applicable.

 

Pay Transparency
This job posting may span more than one career level. To provide greater transparency to candidates, we share base ranges for all job postings regardless of state. We set standard base pay ranges for all roles based on function and level benchmarked against similar stage growth companies. Final offer amounts are determined by skills, responsibilities and relevant work experience.