Marketing Manager, Founding Marketing

Marketing Manager, Founding Marketing Hire

Herndon, VA (hybrid) — 20% travel

Company: Name disclosed upon mutual interest ·
Location: Herndon, VA (on-site/hybrid) — 20% travel ·
Reports to: CEO or CRO, with direct exposure to the founders ·
Comp: $140,000–$170,000 base, plus bonus and equity

The client is a defense-technology company building a family of high-altitude and long-range systems: tactical balloon platforms, balloon-deployed ISR and communications buses, an autonomous glide munition, specialty-purpose dispensers, and a family of ultra long range one-way attack and ISR drones. The company has recently closed a funding round backed by a top-tier venture syndicate, and as it scales toward its next round, it is building its first dedicated marketing function from the ground up.

This is the founding marketing hire — someone who can own the full marketing function end to end from day one and grow into a leadership role as the team scales. You'll work directly with the founders and executive team, shape how the company shows up publicly in a fast-moving defense-tech and national security landscape, and build the systems and team needed to support a company scaling through its next stage of growth and beyond.

Strong performance in this role comes with a clear path to Head of Marketing, including hiring and managing a team.

• The company's social media presence and brand voice across all platforms
• Content generation, from concept through production, in partnership with outside creative resources
• Inbound and outbound marketing campaigns, including planning, execution, and performance tracking
• A social and content calendar aligned to product milestones, funding announcements, and industry events
• Sourcing, hiring, and managing photography and video vendors/contractors
• Product collateral development (data sheets, one-pagers, web content, trade show materials) in partnership with engineering and product
• Client and partner-facing marketing support at conferences, demos, and industry events
• Building the marketing function's foundational systems (CRM/marketing automation, brand guidelines, content workflows) as the team scales

• 3-6+ years of marketing experience, with a track record of owning a marketing function or major workstream independently
• Prior experience at a venture-backed startup, ideally at or near the founding marketing hire stage
• Comfortable operating with minimal structure and building process rather than inheriting it
• Strong written and visual eye; able to brief and manage outside creative vendors effectively
• Experience running both inbound (content, SEO, campaigns) and outbound (targeted outreach, event marketing, ABM-style campaigns) motions
• Client-facing and comfortable representing the company at industry events and in front of customers/partners
• Willing to be based in Herndon, VA and travel roughly 20% of the time

• Prior exposure to defense, aerospace, government, or dual-use tech markets is a strong plus

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This is a ground-floor opportunity to build a marketing function at a defense-technology company backed by a top-tier venture syndicate, led by a multi-time defense founding team, with direct access to the founders and a clear growth path into a leadership role as the company and team scale.

The client is an equal opportunity employer. This role supports defense work.