The Director of Business Development at AstroForge will source and qualify prospects, support proposal writing, manage relationships, and contribute to strategic planning for government and commercial partnerships.
About the Company
AstroForge is building the world’s first commercial asteroid mining company. We design, build, and operate deep-space spacecraft capable of reaching, characterizing, and operating at near-Earth and deep-space asteroids. Backed by significant private investment and supported by active NASA and Department of Defense engagements, AstroForge is pioneering a new class of dual-use deep-space missions spanning planetary defense, space domain awareness, and in-space resource utilization.
As our government engagement accelerates, we are seeking a business development leader to strengthen AstroForge’s presence and help shape the policy, budgetary, and legislative environment that supports deep-space commercial operations.
Role Overview
We’re looking for a sharp, ambitious, and energetic Business Development Director to help us scale our commercial and government partnerships. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in ambiguity, moves fast, and wants to help shape a category-defining space company. You’ll work at the intersection of engineering, strategy, and execution - crafting proposals, shaping opportunities, and building relationships with the people and agencies defining the future of space.
Key Responsibilities
- Source and qualify commercial and government prospects across AFWERX, DIU, SDA, NASA, and others. You’ll help influence requirements early and guide opportunities through the pipeline.
- Collaborate across teams to lead or support technical proposal writing, white papers, teaming agreements, and capture plans. Navigate and exploit acquisition pathways (SBIR/STTR, OTA, IDIQ, etc.).
- Support ongoing outreach with U.S. government stakeholders and commercial customers. Manage meeting prep, logistics, follow-ups, and help keep deals moving forward.
- Keep our Airtable CRM and BD pipeline sharp. Monitor industry trends, events, and policy shifts. Contribute to capture planning and customer segmentation.
- Draft high-impact pitch decks, one-pagers, and customer briefings. You’ll work closely with technical and leadership teams to clearly articulate our vision and value prop.
- Help plan our presence at key industry conferences, technical forums, and strategic meetings with both government and commercial players.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in a technical or policy-focused field (STEM, economics, international affairs, etc.)
- 6+ years in business development, strategy, proposal coordination, or a related role - ideally in dual-use, defense tech, or frontier industries
- Excellent communication skills and attention to detail
- Familiarity with U.S. federal R&D and acquisition programs (DoD, NASA, AFWERX, etc.)
Preferred
- Experience managing or contributing to $1M+ federal or commercial contracts
- Experience at early-stage start-ups winning contracts such as SBIRs/STTRs
- Familiarity with CRM platforms like Airtable
- Prior experience in aerospace, national security, or early-stage startups
- Understanding of Space Force, SDA, or NASA acquisition models
- Comfort writing and editing technical proposals and white papers
- Active or eligible for U.S. security clearance a plus
Why Join AstroForge
- Join a team pioneering asteroid resource extraction and deep space infrastructure
- Help shape the company’s government and commercial go-to-market strategy
- Competitive salary, equity, full health coverage, and 401(k) match
- Opportunity to grow in a leadership-minded BD organization with high visibility across technical and executive teams
Salary
$160,250 - $180,500
ITAR Requirements
To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by ITAR (22 CFR §120.15), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.
We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
Top Skills
Airtable
Crm Platforms
AstroForge Seal Beach, California, USA Office
Seal Beach, CA, United States, 90740
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