Business Development Lead - Air Force

Business Development Lead - Air Force Develop and close Air Force opportunities, aligning pipeline with Nominal’s platform roadmap

Location:

New York, New York Washington, District of Columbia

Nominal is building the connected test and operations platform powering the world's most advanced hardware systems, from spacecraft and autonomous vehicles to next-generation defense programs. Our platform gives hardware engineering teams a single place to ingest data, analyze performance, automate test execution, and collaborate across every phase of development, so they can move faster without sacrificing safety or precision. We're a fast-moving team that owns problems end-to-end, works across disciplines, and thrives at the intersection of hardware and software.

We serve top-tier commercial and defense customers, from autonomy leaders like Anduril and Shield AI to next-generation aerospace teams like Hermeus and REGENT, and performance engineering teams like Pratt Miller Motorsports, alongside mission partners within the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force on programs where failure isn't an option. We're backed by Sequoia, General Catalyst, Founders Fund, Lux Capital, and Lightspeed.

Our team draws from SpaceX, Palantir, Anduril, Applied Intuition, and other leading companies, united by a common mission: giving hardware engineers the tools to build the future with speed, safety, and confidence.

As part of Nominal's U.S. Government Business Development team, you will drive how we expand with the Department of the Air Force—owning pipeline creation, customer engagement, and deal execution across key defense accounts. This is a highly strategic, externally-facing role focused on shaping and closing complex opportunities across the U.S. Air Force and the broader test enterprise. This role partners closely with Capture Strategy, which owns capture strategy and win positioning, while this role owns customer relationships and deal execution.

You will work at the intersection of mission, product, and growth—translating customer needs into enduring programs and positioning Nominal as foundational infrastructure for test and operations.

• Apply a strong understanding of customer priorities, mission environments, and acquisition dynamics to shape and close strategic opportunities by aligning customer mission needs with Nominal's platform and long-term roadmap
• Identify, shape, negotiate, and close new market opportunities, aligning account growth with overall business objectives
• Develop and maintain relationships with key stakeholders across customer organizations, generating buy-in and alignment with end users, program managers, acquisition officials, technical leaders, and industry partners
• Provide insight into customer priorities, funding dynamics, acquisition pathways, and requirements to inform Nominal's Federal growth strategy
• Own the process of qualifying, cultivating, and capturing opportunities in close partnership with growth, mission, legal, and operations teammates
• Identify and develop strategic partnerships to expand reach and strengthen positioning in key programs
• Grow early engagements into enduring, impactful programs and set the conditions for Nominal to become foundational digital infrastructure for test data management, analysis, and operations
• Represent Nominal at customer meetings, industry days, conferences

• 5+ years of experience in business development, growth, capture, program strategy, or related roles supporting or serving U.S. military and civilian organizations, particularly the U.S. Air Force and/or the Test enterprise
• Deep understanding of Department of the Air Force organizational…