Director of Business Development – Europe

Director of Business Development – Europe

Who we are

Arkeus builds AI-powered sensing systems that help autonomous platforms detect, track and understand what's happening in the most complex and contested environments. Our technology is deployed across defence and national security applications — already protecting lives and strengthening security across the U.S. and allied markets.

Backed by QIC, Main Sequence, R+VC, Salus Ventures, Folklore Ventures, DYNE Ventures and Beaten Zone Venture Partners, Arkeus is entering a major growth phase. We are a small, fast-moving company with the energy and ambition of a start-up and the technical credibility of a world-class defence technology provider.

We work at the intersection of optics, autonomy, robotics and real-time AI and we deploy what we build. If you want to ship technology that matters, not technology that ships decks, this is where you belong.

We have developed an inclusive, transparent and engaging culture that focuses on building a diverse workforce — realising that to attract the very best, we need to ensure our culture is ready to welcome people from all ages, genders and backgrounds.

As the Business Development Director for Europe, your primary mission is to introduce, integrate, and deploy Arkeus’ autonomous sensing systems and edge-AI perception payloads—led by our Warden platform—into the European military uncrewed aerial fleet. Because Europe represents a less developed market for Arkeus, this is an elite pioneering and hunter role. You will build the sales pipeline, local customer relationships, and capture strategies from our initial foundations.

You will navigate a dual-track strategy:

Break into deeply established, complex procurement networks in Germany and France by positioning our edge-AI capability as a force multiplier for legacy programs.

Capture immediate, fast-tracked deployment opportunities in high-growth, front-line regions like Poland, where uncrewed systems demand are rapid scaling.

You will focus heavily on winning prime opportunities directly with national defense innovation agencies and driving sub-contract integration wins by selling directly to European Tier-1 and Tier-2 UAS Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs).

You are a relentless defense business development professional with an established, active network in the European military UAS ecosystem. You know the programs, the key decision-makers, and the major industry primes. You aren't just a relationship manager; you understand payload integration, SWaP-C (Size, Weight, Power, and Cost) constraints, and how computer vision, machine learning and artificial intelligence changes the game for ISR.

You thrive in high-autonomy, venture-backed startup environments. You don't wait for incoming leads—you actively map requirements, identify program gaps, and position our technology as the must-have solution for software-defined warfare.

You thrive in ambiguity, excel at translating cutting-edge AI capability into high-value customer propositions, and know how to build pipelines with a strong MOAT from the ground up.

• Market Entry & Advocacy:
  Establish Arkeus as a trusted advisor to key stakeholders, military operators, and procurement bodies within European Ministries of Defence (MoDs) and European OEMs.
• Pipeline Execution:
  Source, qualify, and close multi-million-dollar sales opportunities across European armed forces, navigating disparate regional requirements.
• OEM Design-Ins:
  Build strategic commercial relationships with leading European drone and aerospace manufacturers to design Arkeus payloads into next-generation airframes.
• Capture & Proposal Leadership:
  Lead the capture strategy for targeted European government tenders, bilateral defense contracts, and rapid procurement initiatives. Write winning proposals backed by deep technical understanding.
• Mission-Aligned Selling:
  Translate complex European theater requirements (e.g., GPS-denied navigation, autonomous targeting in contested airspace, Baltic/Eastern European multi-domain ISR) into tailored Arkeus system configurations.
• Fligh…