Director of Business Development - Aerospace

Description

Guide Tech, a subsidiary of Palladyne AI (NASDAQ: PYDN), develops advanced avionics, autonomous flight software, artificial intelligence, and mission systems that enable the next generation of aerospace and defense platforms.

Our technologies support unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), counter UAS platforms, launch vehicles, spacecraft, and other autonomous systems by improving navigation, mission execution, flight management, and autonomous decision making. We also provide engineering services that help customers solve complex technical challenges and aerospace innovation.

Guide Tech is seeking a Director of Business Development to drive commercial growth across our portfolio of engineering services, intelligent software, avionics, and autonomous aerospace products.

This is a hands on business development leadership role for someone who enjoys creating opportunities, developing customer relationships, and personally winning new business. You will own the full business development lifecycle, from prospecting and cold outreach through proposal development, contract negotiation, and long term account growth. You should have the technical aptitude to quickly understand complex aerospace technologies and confidently communicate their capabilities and business value to engineers, program managers, procurement teams, and executive decision makers.

This position reports to the President of Guide Tech and partners closely with engineering, product development, marketing, and executive leadership to drive commercial strategy and long term growth.

• Develop and execute business development strategies across aerospace, defense, autonomy, and government markets.
• Build and manage a healthy sales pipeline through prospecting, cold calling, networking, customer visits, referrals, strategic partnerships, and industry events.
• Identify and pursue opportunities with defense prime contractors, government agencies, commercial aerospace companies, original equipment manufacturers, defense integrators, and autonomy technology companies.
• Lead opportunities from initial customer engagement through proposal development, pricing, negotiation, contract award, and successful program transition.
• Develop trusted relationships with executives, engineering leaders, program managers, procurement professionals, and other key stakeholders.
• Develop a strong understanding of Guide Tech's engineering services and technologies, including advanced avionics, autonomous flight software, artificial intelligence, mission management systems, and aerospace software solutions.
• Partner with engineering and product teams to align customer needs with Guide Tech's technologies and engineering services.
• Coordinate pricing strategy, proposal positioning, and bid decisions with company leadership.
• Maintain accurate CRM data, forecasting, pipeline metrics, and sales activity.
• Represent Guide Tech at customer meetings, demonstrations, conferences, trade shows, and industry events.
• Capture customer feedback, competitive intelligence, and market insights that help shape future products, engineering priorities, and commercial strategy.

• Generate a healthy pipeline of qualified opportunities.
• Win new customers and funded programs.
• Grow strategic customer relationships and revenue.
• Maintain accurate forecasting and CRM discipline.
• Serve as a trusted commercial partner to customers and internal teams.

• 5+ years of experience in business development, technical sales, strategic partnerships, account management, or revenue generation.
• Demonstrated success building pipeline through outbound prospecting and winning new business.
• Experience selling technical products, engineering services, software, or integrated solutions within aerospace, defense, autonomy, robotics, avionics, artificial intelligence, or related industries.
• Proven ability to manage complex sales opportunities from initial outreach through contract award.
• Ability to quickly develop a strong understanding of complex aerospace and defense technologies and confidently communicate their value to engineers, program managers, procurement teams, executive decision makers, and other customer stakeholders.
• Strong commercial judgment in pricing, proposals, negotiations, forecasting, and account planning.
• Excellent communication, organization, follow through, and relationship management skills.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with engineering, product, operations, finance, legal,…