Head of Business Development
at Orbital Operations — High Thrust Space Vehicles for Satellite Defense
What the role involves
About Orbital Operations
At Orbital Operations, we’re building the future of dynamic space maneuvering. Our mission is to enable rapid-response orbital capabilities, executing maneuvers without hesitation and without regret.
Our flagship technology, the Cryogenic Propulsion Management System (CPMS), is redefining what’s possible in space mobility. Designed for military and commercial spacecraft, CPMS delivers sustained, high-thrust maneuverability in geosynchronous and cislunar orbits. It integrates low-loss cryogenic storage, reverse Brayton cycle (RBC) thermal control, and turbomachinery-driven propulsion to make spacecraft more agile, resilient, and responsive.
Beyond defense, CPMS is poised to transform commercial orbital logistics. By powering next-generation orbital transfer vehicles (OTVs), it can slash LEO-to-GEO transit times from six months to just eight hours—unlocking new possibilities for satellite servicing, deployment, and beyond.
Join us in building the infrastructure for a more maneuverable and mission-ready space domain.
About the role
We are looking for a Head of Business Development to lead capture and growth across our defense and commercial portfolios. This role reports directly to the CEO and works closely with the COO and engineering leadership.
You will own the path from opportunity identification through contract award across two parallel motions:
On the government side, you will build relationships across DoD, USSF, MDA, NASA, and the broader national security community, lead proposal development on solicitations like CSO, BAA, SBIR, and OT, and shape requirements with government customers around our existing architecture.
On the commercial side, you will sell kickstage launch services and in-space resident vehicle services to satellite operators, including inclination changes, controlled deorbit, graveyard orbiting, and orbital transfer from LEO to MEO, GEO, and cislunar space. You will build a pipeline of commercial customers across the satellite operator ecosystem and structure pricing and service agreements that work for both sides.
This is a hands-on role. You will write, you will travel, and you will be in the room when contracts are negotiated.
Qualifications
Track record closing contracts in space, defense, or satellite services
Experience selling to either government customers, commercial satellite operators, or both
Familiarity with federal acquisition pathways including FAR, OT, SBIR, and CSO
Strong proposal writing and capture management experience
Ability to translate technical content into clear customer-facing material
Self-directed and comfortable operating in a fast-paced startup environment
Nice to have
Existing relationships across DoD, USSF, MDA, NASA, AFRL, DIU, or SpaceWERX
Existing relationships across commercial satellite operators, constellation owners, or defense primes
Technical background in propulsion, GNC, or space systems
Prior work on missile defense, on-orbit servicing, satellite servicing, or orbital transfer programs
Active security clearance
If you want to help build the future of orbital operations, we want to hear from you.
About Orbital Operations
Orbital Operations is developing a high thrust, reusable space vehicle for satellite defense. We protect critical satellites, like GPS and Military communication satellites, from adversarial threats, like China and Russia. Our vehicle will use the exact same propulsion systems that launch vehicles have used for decades by implementing a cryogenic management system. This will give us over 100x the thrust or current in-space propulsion. Ross and I have over 15 years of combined aerospace experience across NASA, Aerojet Rocketdyne, SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Relativity Space. We’ve worked side by side for more than 3.5 years developing propulsion systems, turbomachinery, and building our own respective engineering teams. We are currently working on the first demo of our unique cryo management system and intend to launch an operational vehicle by 2027.
Full Orbital Operations profile