Sr Director of Business Development

About Clean Joule Inc.,

Clean Joule, Inc., is an innovative biomanufacturer of superior performance propellants for aviation, aerospace, and defense applications. Our proprietary manufacturing process enables us to convert local biomass feed stocks to full performance propellants for both current and next-generation propulsion. Our fuels have already or will soon carry airline passengers across the globe, power unmanned aerial vehicles, and launch payloads into orbit.

We are a passionate and driven group of engineers, scientists, and visionaries focused on advanced and alternative domestic energy solutions, with the purpose of accelerating the global energy transition while advancing the art of propulsion. Clean Joule Inc., is a venture-funded, advanced fuels development company based out of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Job Summary

We are seeking an accomplished Director of Business Development to drive growth across our defense and national security portfolio. The Director will be responsible for identifying, qualifying, and capturing new business opportunities, in alignment with the company's strategic objectives, with a focus on U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) programs. In addition to direct engagement with the U.S. DoD, the Director will be responsible for identifying, qualifying, and securing relevant partnerships with existing defense industry primes to increase our portfolio of applications.

This role requires proven experience leading capture efforts on large, complex programs and building trusted relationships with senior government decision-makers, program offices, and industry partners. The Director of Business Development will report to the VP of Strategy & Business Development.

Responsibilities:

Business Development Strategy

• Assist in the development of a comprehensive business development strategy to achieve company strategic objectives, including the establishment of sales and market share growth targets.
• Shape the Business Development process and approach by establishing standard procedures and best practices.
• Develop and maintain a deep understanding of Clean Joule's products, processes, and customers.
• Develop and execute capture strategies for priority pursuits in line with corporate growth objectives.
• Maintain a robust pipeline of qualified opportunities using the company's Customer Relationship Manager (CRM) and market intelligence tools.
• Shape opportunities early through customer engagement, requirements influence, and solution development.

Capture & Proposal Leadership

• Lead capture efforts through all phases of the business development lifecycle (identification, qualification, capture, and proposal submission).
• Develop win strategies, teaming arrangements, pricing approaches, and technical discriminators.
• Oversee proposal development in partnership with strategy, engineering, and finance teams.

Customer & Partner Engagement

• Play a key role in crafting the company's story to investors, industry participants, and other third-party stakeholders.
• Cultivate, own, and maintain relationships with key government stakeholders, acquisition offices, and prime/subcontractor partners.
• Represent the company at industry events, trade shows, and classified/unclassified forums.
• Shape partnership strategies and manage teaming agreements and NDAs.

Market Intelligence & Reporting

• Analyze federal budget priorities, acquisition strategies, and competitor positioning.
• Provide executive-level briefings on market trends, pipeline health, and capture status.
• Ensure compliance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and company policies.

Experience and Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Political Science, or related field.
• 7+ years of progressive business development experience in the defense industry, including capture management for $100M+ opportunities.
• Demonstrated success in securing new contracts with DoD, other U.S. Government agencies, and/or international Allied militaries and nations.
• Strong knowledge of the DoD acquisition lifecycle, federal procurement processes, and contract vehicles (IDIQ, OTA, GWAC, etc.).
• Experience leading business development efforts in high-pressure, deadline-driven environments.
• Eligible to secure an active U.S. DoD Secret clearance (TS/SCI) upon request.
• Experience using a CRM and other business development tools.
• Ability to travel up to 40% for customer and partner engagement.

Preferred:

• Prior military service (active or reserve) with established relationships across DoD or Joint Service communities is highly desirable.
• Prior experience in business development for government contractors is highly desirable.
• Strong technical understanding of propellants, aerospace systems, missile defense, or related mission areas.
• Experience developing and shaping best practice Business Development processes for growing organizations.
• Executive-level communication skills, both written and verbal.

General: This position is based in Salt Lake City, Utah with work performed on-site. Clean Joule is an At-Will,…