Kepler is on an audacious mission to deliver Internet connectivity to space, creating the infrastructure to support the rapidly increasing data needs of the space economy. With 23 satellites launched to date and our optical constellation on the horizon, our ambition is to improve access to space-generated data, whether in LEO, MEO, GEO, or beyond! Kepler is hard at work innovating and continuing to grow and expand our most important asset – the Team!
As Kepler’s business grows in Canada and Europe, our next step is to expand the Kepler footprint in the United States, both commercially and by supporting the US Government. We are seeking a highly driven Business Development Director to lead our capture efforts across the US DoD and Intelligence customer base.
Reporting to our US Senior Director of Business Development and as part of a small team of passionate and accomplished experts, you will play a pivotal role in growing the business through the development of Kepler offerings, customer relationships, and strategic vision – laser-focused on the Kepler vision of putting the internet in space. In this hands-on position, you will work with colleagues in business development, leadership, and engineering teams, as well as our customers, driving growth and market presence for Kepler.
The ideal candidate is a driven, hunter-minded professional with experience working with government and commercial customers, an existing network of relevant industry contacts, and a solid understanding of government and commercial drivers of success in the space sector. The candidate has intellectual horsepower with the ability to identify new opportunities, drive clarity, create focus, and make tough decisions in complex and dynamic contexts.
Day-to-day Activities:
- Engage with customers to understand architectures, requirements, acquisition plans, budgets, and key stakeholders.
- Develop and execute US Government capture strategies targeting departments and agencies within the DoD and intelligence community.
- Identify, qualify, pursue, and close new business opportunities within the US Government and related US commercial space sectors.
- Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders including commanders, directors, program managers, contracting officers, and prime contractors.
- Collaborate with Kepler internal teams to shape solutions that meet customer requirements.
Product & Operations:
- Maintain an accurate sales forecast and pipeline in Salesforce in collaboration with other capture managers.
- Support Kepler’s long-term forecasts and planning.
- Guide strategic product road maps and internal research & development to achieve product market fit.
- Support budget reviews and planning for forthcoming bid and proposal efforts.
Capture & Proposal Management:
- Navigate government procurement cycles, including FAR-based contracts, SBIRs, BAAs, OTAs, and sole-source opportunities.
- Lead efforts on competitive cost-plus and firm-fixed-priced bids for space systems and relay services.
- Provide capture management leadership in addition to writing, evaluating, and/or managing large government proposals.
Travel & Marketing:
- Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and government meetings.
- Travel approximately 25-30% of the time, mostly domestic with some international travel.
- Support the Public Relations team on their press releases, marketing materials, and social media accounts.
Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in STEM or related field.
- 10+ years of business development and capture experience in the space or defense sectors.
- Proven track record of hunting and securing US government contracts.
- Must be a US citizen with active US Department of Defense TS/SCI clearance.
- Able to regularly report to the Sterling, VA office.
- Strong oral and written communication skills.
- Proficiency with Sales Force, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.
Bonus Points:
- Master’s degree in a STEM field or MBA.
- Experience selling to the Space Force, NRO, SDA, DIU, Navy, Army etc...