Head of Growth

Head of Navy Business

Location: United States (Remote or Hybrid)

Clearance: Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

Employment Type: Full-time, salaried, with full benefits

The Company & The Mission

About the company

Our client is building advanced sonar and sensing systems to illuminate the last dark domain: the ocean. Our team includes alumni from SpaceX, Anduril, ABL, and Qualia, and we operate full-stack—from physics and perception to product and deployment.

They believe the maritime domain will define the next century of geopolitics and global security. Our mission is to shape that future by delivering transformational sensing and autonomy capabilities to the operators who need them most.

What This Role Is All About

Our Customer is seeking a Head of Navy Business to lead growth and customer engagement across the U.S. Navy and adjacent maritime defense organizations. In this high-impact role, you will be responsible for shaping strategy, building deep customer relationships, and driving business development efforts from early concept through contract award.

This role is ideal for a mission-driven leader who deeply understands Navy acquisition pathways and has a proven track record of engaging across commands, influencing requirements, and building durable pipelines that lead to real deployments.

What You’ll Do

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  Own and execute Navy business development strategy

  
  


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  Identify, qualify, and pursue programs across NAVSEA, ONR, NAVAIR, NIWC, and other maritime-focused organizations

  
  


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  Build and maintain strong relationships with Navy program offices, technical leads, and operational stakeholders across surface, undersea, and autonomous systems domains

  
  


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  Shape pre-RFP opportunities and influence early-stage requirements development

  
  


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  Lead capture efforts and contribute to proposals, white papers, and customer briefings

  
  


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  Represent at Navy trade shows, industry days, and technology demonstrations

  
  


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  Collaborate with the Head of Growth and executive team to align customer engagement with product and engineering roadmaps

  
  


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  Track Navy priorities, budget trends, and acquisition cycles to ensure long-term strategic positioning

  
  


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  Mentor and support growth team members while helping build a scalable BD function

  
  

What You Bring

Required Qualifications

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  10+ years of experience in defense business development, capture management, or Navy program engagement

  
  


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  Deep knowledge of Navy acquisition structures, procurement cycles, and transition mechanisms (SBIR, OTA, BAAs, etc.)

  
  


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  Established relationships across Navy labs, PEOs, and operational communities

  
  


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  Strong communication, stakeholder management, and executive presence

  
  


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  Familiarity with maritime systems (USVs, UUVs, ISR, MCM, undersea warfare)

  
  


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  Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional capture efforts from opportunity identification to award

  
  


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  U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain or maintain a security clearance

  
  

Preferred Qualifications

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  Experience at a venture-backed defense startup or dual-use technology company

  
  


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  Familiarity with autonomy, C2 systems, or distributed sensing networks

  
  


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  Prior military service, particularly in Navy or maritime domains

  
  


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  Experience working with primes, FFRDCs, or Navy SBIR transition partners

  
  


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  Exposure to international naval markets or coalition partner procurement

  
  

Why Join 

Our client sits at the intersection of maritime autonomy, sensing, and national security. They offer:

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  Competitive base salary

  
  


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  Long-term equity incentive program with meaningful upside

  
  


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  Flexible PTO and paid holidays

  
  


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  Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

  
  


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  401(k) retirement plan

  
  


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  Lunch and snacks provided in-office

  
  


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  A unique environment blending deep technology, maritime operations, and defense mission focus

  
  

Compensation

Salary Range: $165,000 – $190,000 (base salary only)

Final compensation will be determined based on experience, skills, and business needs. Highly competitive equity grants are included in most full-time offers and are considered part of the total compensation package.

Disclosures

This position may require access to information subject to U.S. export control laws (EAR and ITAR). Candidates must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or otherwise eligible to obtain required authorizations without export license sponsorship.

Our Customer is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.