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Salary: USD 100,000 - 125,000 / annual
Rocket Lab is seeking a Business Development Lead for Separation Systems Components based in Silver Spring, Maryland. This role serves as the primary interface between separation systems customers and Rocket Lab's engineering, production, and management teams, reporting directly to the Director of Business Development, Separation Systems.
Key responsibilities include:
- Provide timely technical responses to customer inquiries regarding Rocket Lab Separation Systems products
- Draft proposals for new business opportunities, including compliance matrices aligned with customer technical, programmatic, and product assurance requirements
- Use internal CRM tools to track leads, opportunities, and proposals; generate KPIs and sales forecasts
- Monitor sales performance and demand forecasting on a product-by-product basis
- Track pipeline trends with total and in-forecast pipeline breakouts
- Maintain and improve customer-facing technical documentation in collaboration with engineering teams
- Provide customer demand insights to support strategic product decisions
- Support quote generation and follow-up on pending items
- Collaborate with Program Management on pre-contract activities including customer onboarding, delivery schedules, negotiations, and export compliance documentation
- Work with Communications on marketing campaigns and business unit collateral
- Stay current on satellite competitive landscape, customer demand, and market trends to inform sales forecasting, pricing strategy, and product roadmap
- Take ownership of challenges and manage difficult situations
- Participate in industry conferences, scheduling customer meetings, managing demonstration hardware, conducting demos, and supporting prospective customer conversations
- Travel up to 30% to meet customers and attend industry events
Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets, spacecraft, and critical subsystems. The company moves fast, builds real hardware for meaningful missions, and operates with a culture of hard work, determination, innovation, and teamwork.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, or other technical discipline
- 5+ years of experience in business development, program management, or systems engineering within the aerospace sector
- Ability to travel up to 30% to meet with customers, attend industry events, and support capture efforts
- U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent resident status, or eligible to obtain required ITAR authorizations from U.S. Department of State/Commerce
NICE-TO-HAVE QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience with design, manufacture, and/or test of spacecraft separation system hardware
- Experience with space-based product lines
- Strong organizational skills and independent problem-solving ability with attention to detail
- Ability to collaborate effectively with diverse teams
- Clear communication of complex issues to customers, staff, and executives
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Sales management experience and familiarity with sales, marketing, PR, finance, and operations
- Awareness of current commercial and government satellite programs
- Experience working with dynamic, geographically dispersed teams on fast-paced projects
- CRM software proficiency
- Strong understanding of cost modeling, pricing principles, and performance management
- Master's degree in aerospace engineering or related field (electrical, mechanical, computer science, etc.)
