Corporate Development Manager

Hadrian - Manufacturing the Future

Hadrian is building autonomous factories that help aerospace and defense companies manufacture rockets, satellites, jets, and ships up to 10x faster and up to 2x cheaper. By combining advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we are reinventing how America produces its most critical parts.

We recently raised $260 million Series C to accelerate this mission. We are excited to be launching a new Factory in Mesa, Arizona, a 270,000 square foot facility that will create 350 new jobs immediately. We are opening a new headquarters to support thousands of future hires, launching Hadrian Maritime to serve naval production, and introducing a Factory-as-a-Service model that delivers complete systems instead of individual parts.

Hadrian works with startups, Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, and major defense contractors across space, shipbuilding, and aviation to scale production, reduce costs, and accelerate delivery on mission-critical programs. We are backed by leading investors including Lux Capital, Founders Fund, and Andreessen Horowitz.

Our fast-growing team is united by a shared mission to reindustrialize American manufacturing for the 21st century and beyond!

What You'll Do

As a Corporate Development Manager at Hadrian, you will lead the end-to-end execution of strategic acquisitions that accelerate our growth and technological capabilities. This is a high-visibility role where you'll partner directly with the Leadership team to shape our inorganic growth strategy and execute transformative M&A transactions.

Deal Leadership & Execution

• Own the complete deal lifecycle from initial outreach through closing, serving as the primary point of contact for target companies and their advisors

• Lead financial modeling, valuation analysis, and investment recommendations

• Develop comprehensive investment theses and present recommendations to executive leadership and the board of directors

• Negotiate term sheets, letters of intent, and definitive acquisition agreements alongside legal counsel

• Drive deal timelines and manage competing priorities across multiple simultaneous transactions

Strategic Market Development

• Design and execute proactive sourcing strategies to identify targets that enhance our manufacturing capabilities, technology stack, or customer relationships

• Build deep relationships with investment bankers, industry advisors, and potential acquisition targets across aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing

• Conduct strategic market assessments to identify white space opportunities and inform build vs. buy decisions

• Partner with Product and Engineering leadership to evaluate technical capabilities and integration opportunities

• Monitor competitive M&A activity and industry consolidation trends to inform our strategic positioning

Due Diligence & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Lead comprehensive due diligence processes across financial, operational, technical, commercial, and legal workstreams

• Manage cross-functional teams including Finance, Legal, Product, Engineering, and Operations throughout the diligence and integration process

• Identify and quantify key risks, synergies, and value creation opportunities

• Develop data-driven frameworks to evaluate strategic fit and financial returns

• Coordinate with external advisors including investment banks, accounting firms, and legal counsel

Integration & Value Realization

• Develop detailed integration plans and oversee Day 1 readiness for acquired companies

• Partner with operations teams to execute integration milestones and track value capture against deal thesis

• Build scalable M&A playbooks, processes, and best practices as we grow our acquisition activity

• Track post-acquisition performance metrics and conduct post-mortems to refine our approach

Team Building & Mentorship

• Help build the corporate development function as we scale our M&A activity

• Contribute to the evolution of our M&A strategy and organizational capabilities

Required Qualifications

• 4-7 years of experience in M&A-focused roles including investment banking (M&A group), private equity, or corporate development

• Proven track record of leading or significantly contributing to successful M&A transactions from sourcing through close

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Economics, Engineering, or related field

• Expert financial modeling skills and deep understanding of valuation methodologies (DCF, comps, precedent transactions)

• Strong business judgment with the ability to evaluate strategic fit alongside financial returns

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience presenting to C-suite executives and boards

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously in fast-paced environments

• High ownership mentality with a track record of driving results independently

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in aerospace, defense, manufacturing, or industrial sectors

• Experience with technology acquisitions and assessing technical due diligence

• Track record of sourcing proprietary deal opportunities outside of banker-led processes

• Experience building corp dev processes and playbooks from early stages

• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, supply chains, or hardware businesses

• Existing relationships within the aerospace and defense ecosystem

What Sets You Apart

• Passion for American manufacturing and national security

• Entrepreneurial mindset with comfort operating in ambiguous, high-growth environments

• Ability to think strategically while executing tactically with speed and precision

• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build trust with founders and leadership teams

• Intellectual curiosity and willingness to dive deep into complex technical and operational topics

• Bias for action balanced with analytical rigor

Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: $160,000 - $240,000

This is the lowest to highest salary we reasonably and in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee's pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.

Benefits:

• 100% coverage of platinum medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees

• 401k

• Flexible vacation policy

Equal Opportunity

It is the policy of Hadrian Automation, Inc. to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.