Vice President of Business Development & Strategic Alliances

At Slingshot Aerospace, we're on a mission to make space safer and more secure for everyone. Our work directly impacts global security, disaster response, climate monitoring, and the critical infrastructure that connects our world. We're a team of builders, thinkers, and problem-solvers who believe that the next generation of space operations will be powered by better data and smarter software.

We move fast, we're not afraid to fail, and we believe the best ideas can come from anywhere—whether you're in engineering, sales, product, or operations. If you want to work on something that truly matters, with people who care deeply about the impact we're making and help shape the future of an industry that's just getting started, you're in the right place.

What You'll Be Launching

As Vice President of Business Development & Strategic Alliances, you will be accountable for growing Slingshot's Program Revenue across U.S. Government accounts and building the Business Development & Strategic Alliances function required to scale that growth.

Reporting to the EVP of Growth, you will have the opportunity to architect and build a high-performing Business Development organization—establishing its strategy, team, operating model, processes, metrics, and strategic alliance ecosystem. You will expand Slingshot's position across priority defense, intelligence, and civil government accounts while shaping opportunities well before formal procurements begin.

This is a builder and player-coach role. You will personally lead strategic customer, program, and partner engagements while building the organization and capabilities to scale. Working closely with Revenue, Capture & Proposals, Solutions Engineering, Product, Marketing, Finance, and executive leadership, you will create a repeatable growth engine that turns customer demand into funded programs, contract awards, and enduring Program Revenue.

We're building a team of sharp, creative people who love solving hard problems. We value curiosity over ego, initiative over waiting for permission, and people who genuinely care about doing great work. Bring your expertise, your fresh ideas, and your drive—we'll bring the rocket fuel.

Your Mission (Should you choose to accept it)

U.S. Government Program Growth

• Own the strategy and execution required to grow Program Revenue across priority U.S. Government accounts, particularly defense, intelligence, and civil government missions.

• Develop account and program growth strategies that expand Slingshot's position within priority agencies, commands, program offices, mission areas, and Programs of Record.

• Personally identify, shape, qualify, and advance strategic opportunities from early customer engagement through funded procurement, contract award, and program expansion.

• Convert pilots, task orders, and initial awards into larger, enduring programs by developing acquisition, funding, contract vehicle, and transition strategies.

• Establish portfolio priorities based on revenue potential, probability of success, strategic value, customer demand, and competitive position.

• Partner with Revenue and Capture leadership to drive opportunity progression, bookings, Program Revenue, and long-term account growth.

Customer Development & Strategic Alliances

• Build executive relationships with mission owners, operators, acquisition leaders, program offices, technical stakeholders, defense primes, technology partners, and other key influencers.

• Engage customers early to shape requirements, acquisition strategies, and Slingshot's position before formal procurements begin.

• Develop strategic alliances with defense primes, technology companies, cloud providers, systems integrators, research organizations, and other partners that expand access to priority programs.

• Define prime, subcontractor, teaming, channel, and go-to-market strategies that strengthen Slingshot's competitive position and probability of win.

• Negotiate strategic teaming agreements, partnership frameworks, and long-term collaboration strategies.

Build the Business Development & Alliances Function

• Architect and build Slingshot's Business Development & Strategic Alliances capability, including organizational design, talent, roles and responsibilities, operating rhythms, governance, and performance metrics.

• Recruit, develop, and lead a high-performing team with clear accountability for customer development, opportunity creation, strategic alliances, and Program Revenue growth.

• Establish a disciplined BD operating system for account planning, opportunity identification and qualification, pipeline management, customer engagement, and portfolio prioritization.

• Define clear interfaces and shared accountability across Business Development, Revenue, Capture, Product, Marketing, and Solutions Engineering from opportunity creation through contract award and expansion.

• Build a repeatable, measurable growth engine that increases customer access, creates qualified opportunities, improves probability of win, and converts demand into sustained Program Revenue.

Develop Customers, Markets & Strategic Alliances

• Build executive relationships with mission owners, operators, acquisition leaders, program offices, technical stakeholders, defense primes, technology partners, and other key influencers.

• Engage customers early to shape requirements, acquisition strategies, and Slingshot's position before formal procurements begin.

• Develop strategic alliances with defense primes, technology companies, cloud providers, systems integrators, research organizations, and other partners that expand access to priority programs.

• Define prime, subcontractor, teaming, channel, and go-to-market strategies that strengthen Slingshot's competitive position and probability of win.

• Negotiate strategic teaming agreements, partnership frameworks, and long-term collaboration strategies.

• Represent Slingshot in executive customer meetings, strategic partner engagements, industry forums, and key market events, while bringing customer and market intelligence back into company strategy and investment decisions.

Pre-flight Checklist

• 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in business development, capture, strategic partnerships, sales, or related growth functions within aerospace, defense, government technology, or enterprise software.

• Demonstrated success building, scaling, or transforming a Business Development organization, including establishing teams, processes, operating models, and performance disciplines.

• Demonstrated track record personally creating and advancing major U.S. Government opportunities while building teams capable of scaling that success.

• Extensive experience supporting the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, U.S. Space Force, civil government, or adjacent national security markets.

• Deep understanding of U.S. Government acquisition, budgeting and funding pathways, contract vehicles, opportunity shaping, and competitive capture.

• Proven ability to build executive-level customer relationships and navigate complex, multi-year government programs.

• Experience developing strategic alliances with defense primes, technology partners, cloud providers, or systems integrators.

• Demonstrated success leading high-performing Business Development teams and complex cross-functional growth initiatives.

• Exceptional executive communication, judgment, and leadership skills.

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.

• Ability to travel approximately 35%.

Bonus Cargo

• Active TS/SCI security clearance.

• Established relationships across national security, defense, intelligence, or civil space organizations.

• Experience across both government and commercial space markets.

• Experience scaling a growth organization through rapid company or market expansion.

• Master's degree in a relevant discipline.