Manager Defense Business Development Jobs in California

Business Development Manager (Defense)

As a Business Development Manager at Impulse, you will help lead our defense-focused growth initiatives across space control, space domain awareness (SDA), and missile defense. This individual will be a key member of the Business Development team, responsible for identifying new opportunities, shaping customer requirements, and advancing Impulse's role in enabling responsive and resilient space capabilities. You will engage deeply with government stakeholders, defense primes, and key decision-makers in the national security space ecosystem. This will enable you to drive capture efforts for new programs and forge long-term partnerships that align with Impulse's roadmap for on-orbit servicing, autonomous space systems, and defense-relevant missions.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute business development strategies for defense markets, with a focus on space control, space domain awareness, and missile defense.

Identify and qualify new opportunities for DoD, USSF, MDA, and SDA customers.

Shape and influence emerging customer requirements through early engagement and thought leadership.

Collaborate with internal engineering and mission teams to craft compelling solutions and white papers.

Lead capture efforts, proposal strategy, teaming discussions, and stakeholder outreach.

Represent Impulse Space at key industry days, technical forums, and classified engagements.

Maintain situational awareness of acquisition pathways (e.g., OTAs, MTA, SBIR/STTR, IDIQ) and upcoming solicitations.

Work closely with executive leadership to align defense pursuits with long-term strategic objectives.

Minimum Qualifications

5+ years of experience in business development, capture, or program management in the national security space domain.

Demonstrated experience with the U.S. Department of Defense, particularly U.S. Space Force, MDA, SDA, and relevant IC customers.

Demonstrated track record of shaping and winning defense programs or advanced concept studies.

Strong communication and relationship-building skills with both technical and executive stakeholders.

Ability to work on-site at our Redondo Beach facility and travel as needed (up to 25%).

Preferred Skills and Experience

8+ years of demonstrated in experience working directly with national security, as pertains to spacecraft, satellites launch vehicles, or similar.

Prior experience with space control, space domain awareness, or missile defense systems.

Technical background in aerospace engineering, systems engineering, or defense technology.

Active TS/SCI clearance or eligibility to obtain one.

Experience with early-stage or high-growth aerospace companies.

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 & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan. 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.

Impulse Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Impulse Space 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.

About Impulse Space

Impulse Space, the in-space transportation company founded by Tom Mueller, is opening access beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) with its fleet of in-space transportation vehicles. The high-energy Helios vehicle unlocks orbits beyond LEO with its powerful Deneb engine, dropping off payloads in MEO, GEO, heliocentric, lunar, and other planetary orbits. The flight-proven Mira vehicle uses a nontoxic, high-impulse chemical propulsion system to offer orbital transport, constellation deployment, and precision reentry services to customers throughout LEO. Led by a team that delivered the most reliable rockets in history, Impulse provides economical and efficient in-space transportation by reliably and rapidly getting customers where they want to go.

Our Hiring Process

Stage 1: Application Received

Stage 2: Resume Review

Stage 3: Intro Phone Interview

Stage 4: Technical Phone Interview(s)

Stage 5: Onsite Interview

Stage 6: Offer!