(Senior) Business Development Lead - DE

What You'll Do

• Own business growth in Germany and selected European markets, deliver agreed commercial targets, and set market priorities with CDDS leadership.
• Build trusted relationships with Bundeswehr end users, BAAINBw programme organisations, procurement officials, relevant federal authorities, defence primes, and senior decision-makers; identify mission needs and develop priority accounts.
• Identify and qualify opportunities through direct engagement, procurement monitoring, and industry networks, then lead capture from initial engagement and trials through contract award across complex public-sector sales cycles.
• Develop capture strategies covering customer requirements, budgets and funding cycles, procurement routes, partners, competitors, compliance requirements, and CDDS's value proposition; recommend which opportunities to pursue.
• Work with engineering, product, and operations to shape feasible solutions and delivery commitments, bringing customer feedback into product priorities.
• Lead responses to requests for information, requests for proposals, and public tenders; coordinate technical and commercial inputs; and negotiate contracts with leadership and relevant legal or contracting support.
• Represent CDDS at customer meetings, Bundeswehr and partner demonstrations, industry events, and trade fairs, coordinating technical teams to demonstrate capabilities against operational requirements.
• Maintain a qualified German and European pipeline, accurate CRM records, account plans, and reliable forecasts, reporting award timing, risks, resource needs, and progress against targets.
• Coordinate contract handover to delivery teams, maintain customer and partner relationships after award, and develop follow-on opportunities as operational needs evolve.

What You Bring

• 3+ years of experience in defence business development, capture management, public-sector sales, government acquisition, or military procurement.
• Demonstrated success winning defence contracts or advancing funded government acquisitions, with clear responsibility for the outcomes.
• Hands-on knowledge of German defence requirements development, Bundeswehr budgeting and acquisition pathways, BAAINBw procurement, and public contracting; familiarity with EU or NATO procurement is an advantage.
• Established relationships and credibility within the German defence ecosystem, ideally including Bundeswehr users, BAAINBw, the Federal Ministry of Defence, defence primes, or relevant federal authorities.
• Fluent German and professional English, with strong negotiation and communication skills and the ability to explain technical capabilities in terms of operational value.
• Commercial judgment and the ability to lead cross-functional teams without formal authority, prioritize competing opportunities, and take ownership in a fast-moving startup.
• Eligibility and willingness to undergo and maintain any security clearance required for the role under German law, with sound judgment on sensitive information, procurement, security, and export-control requirements.
• Based in Germany with eligibility to work in Germany and willingness to travel regularly for customer engagements, demonstrations, European events.

Nice to have

• Previous experience with UAS, counter-UAS, autonomous systems, air defence, or related defence technologies.
• Prior service with the Bundeswehr or another NATO or EU armed force, particularly in operational, acquisition, capability-development, air-defence, or force-protection roles.
• Experience moving emerging technologies from trials and demonstrations into Bundeswehr or European funded procurement and operational use.
• Experience growing a defence-technology startup or building partnerships with German and European defence primes, systems integrators, research organisations, or public-sector partners.

Benefits

Why CDDS

• Direct impact on a mission-critical technology shaping US and Europe's security landscape
• Opportunity to work directly with the CEO and leadership team
• High ownership and influence on the future of the company
• Build and shape an organisation in hyper growth phase
• Work with highly ambitious, technical, and mission-driven people
• Fast-moving environment with significant personal growth opportunities
• Attractive compensation

Details

Location: Germany

Start date: ASAP

Environment: High‑impact deep‑tech startup working on real deployments

Find Jobs in Germany on Arbeitnow

We show an excerpt and a link, and the full text when the source allows it. Brands and logos shown belong to their owners.

Source: Statistisches Bundesamt (Destatis), table; dl-de/by-2-0; StarIn's calculation

Posted Nov 01, 2026