Director, Strategy & Business Development

About the role

Today, everything we send to space is constrained by what fits inside a rocket fairing. That's a fundamental bottleneck to building more capable spacecraft. Rendezvous Robotics is solving this problem with electromagnetic self-assembling tiles: modular spacecraft components that rendezvous, dock, and latch to assemble bigger and more powerful spacecraft than anything that can be folded to fit into a rocket.

We're a small team based in Golden, Colorado, executing on a clear path from flight demonstration to our first operational systems. We're building for national security, civil, and commercial customers who need spacecraft beyond what a fairing allows. We are looking for the best people in the world who want to build the next generation of advanced spacecraft.

The Director, Strategy & Business Development is a full-time, onsite role in Golden, Colorado.

Responsibilities & Ownership

• Lead customer engagement across the full business development lifecycle, develop capture strategy and price-to-win, and manage pursuits from qualification through proposal submission and contract award
• Build and manage the business development pipeline across DoW, IC, civil space, and commercial customers
• Shape opportunities early through capability briefings, white papers, RFI responses, and MOUs
• Negotiate partnerships and teaming agreements, including diligence on prospective partners
• Build our annual event strategy, covering event selection, pre-show meeting plans, and post-event follow-up
• Represent Rendezvous with customers, at industry events, and on stage
• Track market intelligence on customer budget cycles, POM timing, acquisition pathways, and competitor positioning
• Work with engineering to bring customer and market requirements into product strategy
• Maintain pipeline health reporting and support revenue forecasting, operational planning, and investor updates
• Travel approximately 30% for customer meetings, conferences, and industry events

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, physics, business, or a related discipline
• 5+ years relevant experience in the space, defense, or adjacent deep-tech industries, with experience in business development, capture, or program management
• Demonstrated experience engaging government customers or programs (e.g. Space Force/SDA/AFRL/NRO/NASA)
• Understanding of U.S. government acquisition pathways and experience with proposal management, development, and writing
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including experience presenting to external audiences
• Eligible to obtain a U.S. security clearance

Preferred Qualifications

• A strong personal network across government agencies, defense primes, and space companies, actively built and maintained through industry events and direct customer engagement
• Experience with government proposals including SBIRs, STRATFI/TACFI, OTAs, and CRADAs
• Experience designing, building, testing, operating, or selling spacecraft
• Prior engineering or program management experience
• Experience directing external consultants, subcontractors, or partners against deliverables and deadlines
• Advanced degree in business or engineering

Compensation and Benefits

Director, Strategy & Business Development: $175,000 - $200,000

Your actual base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. In addition to the base salary, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives in the form of stock options. Relocation assistance is available for candidates moving to the Denver metro area.

You will receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, short- and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, and paid parental leave. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year.

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.