Head of Business Development

About Lodestar The future of human civilization is amongst the stars. We are building the extraterrestrial intelligence to take us there. We’re developing the world's first fully autonomous AI-driven intelligence system designed to operate independently in orbit. Capable of detecting, classifying, predicting intent, and responding to orbital threats, combining machine vision, onboard edge computing, and a full fires and effects architecture to give warfighters space superiority in the ultimate highground, expand the commercial space market and propel human civilization into the final frontier. Our Values - Own the outcome. Every person on this team is accountable for the mission, not just their job description. - Mission obsession. We exist to solve humanity’s grandest challenges & national security problems for warfighters. - Be the change. Don’t wait, act. We don’t just encourage extreme ownership and work autonomy, we expect it. About the Job The government does not fund what it does not know about. Your job is to make sure Lodestar is in the room and in the requirements before a solicitation ever drops. As Head of Business Development, you will own the pre-solicitation phase of Lodestar's government pipeline. You will build the working-level relationships, shape the requirements, pursue the partnerships, carve out the budgets, and evangelize our technology from a capability the government is aware of into a capability the government is writing requirements around. You think strategically about where the money is going and act tactically every day to make sure Lodestar is positioned to capture it. You will report directly to the VP of Commercial and Federal and operate with significant autonomy. There is no playbook. There is no large team beneath you. There is a real mission, a real need, and a real national security problem to solve. Organizational Structure In this role you will report directly to the VP, Commercial and Federal and/or Chief Business/Revenue Officer. What You’ll Do 1. Shape requirements before they are written. Engage program offices, contracting shops, operational end users, and innovation organizations daily to position Mithril's capabilities into the language of upcoming solicitations, prototypes, and capability statements. If we are shaping, we are winning. If we are not shaping, we have already lost. 2. Pursue non-traditional acquisition pathways. Own the development and execution of no-cost CRADAs, OTA consortium memberships, SpaceWERX and DIU topic requests, and prototype budget carve-outs. You know how these vehicles work from the inside and you know which doors to knock on. 3. Build and own the pipeline. Identify, qualify, and track opportunities across USSF, AFRL, DIU, Space RCO, SDA, NASA, and the IC before they hit SAM.gov. Own the CRM. Deliver a weekly pipeline report. Make the data trustworthy. 4. Own the working-level relationship layer. You own the program analysts, the contracting specialists, and the innovation office staff — the people who write the requirements, draft the PWS/SOW/SOO, and decide who gets access before a formal competition begins. Show up consistently. Follow up relentlessly. 5. Represent Lodestar in the ecosystem. Attend industry days, technical forums, classified engagements, and innovation events. Write trip reports after every interaction. Surface intelligence that changes how we compete. 6. Support the proposal machine. Coordinate teaming partner inputs, manage data calls, track submission deadlines, and ensure the proposal team has what it needs when it needs it. You do not write proposals — you make sure the process does not break down on the coordination side. Qualifications - 5 to 10 years of business development, capture, or program management experience in the national security space domain. You have been in these rooms before. - A real network in the ecosystem. You can name the program analysts and innovation office leads at SSC, AFRL, DIU, Space RCO, or SDA. Working-level relationships are not a nice-to-have — they are the job. - Deep knowledge of the pre-solicitation phase. You understand how requirements get written, how contracts get structured, how budgets get negotiated, and where the leverage points are before a formal competition begins. - Technical fluency. You can hold a credible conversation about space domain awareness, RPO, autonomous systems, orbital mechanics, or directed energy without an engineer in the room. You do not need to have built the system, you need to understand what it does and why it matters to a warfighter and customer. - Federal Acquisition literacy. You know the FAR, the PPBE cycle, contracting vehicles, color of money, their mechanics, and their timelines. You use them as tools, not acronyms. - Operational discipline. Pipeline hygiene, CRM accuracy, and consistent follow-through are non-negotiable. You make the data trustworthy. - Clearance. Eligibility and willingness to obtain a Secret clearance. Active clearance is a plus. Preferred Skills & Experience - Prior experience inside a government innovation organization: SpaceWERX, AFWERX, DIU, NavalX, or equivalent. You know how the government evaluates technology and structures awards because you did it. - Experience at a venture-backed defense tech startup where business development was a founder-level function and relationships were the primary currency. - Specific familiarity with space control, space domain awareness, RPO-D, missile defense, or directed energy mission areas. - Experience negotiating, supporting and submitting for SBIR Phase II transition to Phase III, TACFI and STRATFI. ITAR Requirements To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here. Compensation & Benefits - Competitive base salary commensurate with experience (range $180K-$230K) - Performance Bonus - Meaningful equity incentives as part of our employee option pool - Unlimited PTO with generous paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave - Comprehensive medical, dental & vision coverage - 401(k) retirement plan with company match Additional Information Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options , and access to medical, vision and dental coverage, as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan. Lodestar is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Lodestar is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.