Sr. Director of BD - Government

Who We Are: Aurelius Systems is a VC backed defense tech startup building autonomous, edge deployed directed energy systems for counter-UAS. We build laser weapons to shoot down drones. We're a small team of engineers, former US military operators, and subject matter experts scaling America's directed energy dominance. The first cost effective, reliable and robust laser weapon system. Our namesake isn't an accident. Marcus Aurelius wrote about doing the work in front of you, every day, without excuses. Henry Ford didn't wait for permission to reinvent manufacturing. That's how we operate — small team, unreasonable output, no hiding behind the unachievable. In addition to our San Francisco lab, we’ve opened a Detroit manufacturing hub and we field test weekly on our own 400-acre private range. The Role & Your Impact: We need a senior government BD operator to shape, pursue, and help close opportunities across the services and adjacent agencies. You'll expand our capacity to contract and drive revenue beyond what the existing growth team can carry alone. This is a hunting role, not a coverage role. You pick the opportunities with the highest probability of winning, you build the lanes we don't already own, and you bring contracts home. What You'll Own: Shape, pursue, and help close government opportunities across Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, DHS, and adjacent agencies Pipeline ownership including qualification, prioritization, and ruthless P-win triage Customer engagement at the program, requirements, and acquisitions level Proposal contribution alongside the broader BD and engineering team Building lanes and relationships in customer pockets we don't already cover Selective partnership work where a partner directly improves win probability on a specific opportunity Travel to DC, customer sites, ranges, and industry events at the cadence the pipeline requires What We're Looking For: 10+ years in government BD, capture, or acquisitions roles tied to defense or national security customers Track record of contracts won ($50M+), not just opportunities pursue Service, acquisitions, or program office pedigree combined with startup or high-growth company BD experience Demonstrated ability to operate across multiple services and agencies, not single-customer dependent Comfort working pre-program, shaping requirements, and translating capability into customer language Where you probably come from: Government BD or capture leadership at defense tech startups, growth roles at non-traditional defense companies, or transition from military / acquisitions / program office into industry BD. We want to talk if: You've personally driven contract awards. You can read a customer's actual problem, not just their RFP. You'd rather kill 10 weak opportunities than half-pursue 30. Not a fit if: Your background is account management without origination, you've only worked one service or one agency, or your wins have always been carried by a brand-name prime. Nice to Haves: Active TS/SCI clearance Direct experience with directed energy, counter-UAS, or air defense programs Prior service in the customer community you'd be selling to Experience inside a small, non-traditional vendor breaking into traditional acquisition pathways Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent operational track record. Advanced degrees welcome but not required. How You Operate: Extreme bias for action. You'd rather be in front of the customer than at your desk You qualify hard and walk away from low-P-win opportunities without ego Comfortable with ambiguity and fast iteration in a startup environment Clear communicator across customers, engineers, and executive leadership Self directed. You identify what needs to happen next and do it without being told Why Join Aurelius Systems? Build more in 1 month than most technicians build in 1 year. We field test weekly. Your work goes downrange, not into a filing cabinet. Career velocity is real. At ~10 engineers, there are no layers between you and impact. Work on a problem that actually matters. Small cheap drones are changing warfare. Our laser systems are the asymmetric answer — infinite magazine, near zero cost per shot, scalable to every base, border, facility, and truck. Join the densest defense startup ecosystem in the country. California is where the next generation of defense companies are being built. How We Work: Core hours are Monday through Friday, 9 to 6. When we're sprinting toward a demo or field test, the team ramps up — nights, weekends, whatever it takes to ship. When the sprint lands, we ramp down. We don't manufacture intensity for show. Benefits: Competitive salary + equity United Health Care medical, dental, and vision coverage Flexible 18 days PTO + 5 sick days Travel to field test events and range days Covered daily lunches and office snacks + drinks E-bike / scooter stipend ( Up to $500) Direct access to leadership and real ownership over your work Export Control Notice: This role requires access to export-controlled information or items that require "U.S. Person" status. As defined by U.S. law, individuals who are any one of the following are considered to be a "U.S. Person": (1) U.S. citizens, (2) legal permanent residents (a.k.a. green card holders), and (3) certain protected classes of asylees and refugees, as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).