Associate Director, Business Development - Army

Job description

DS creates systems that power the next generation of radio spectrum intelligence. We collect radio data from all over the world, train neural networks to decipher it, and run them on the smallest chips we can. We’re solving a new, technically hard problem where nothing from other fields works out of the box, and along the way, we’ve built our own stack from scratch, including entirely new embedding model architectures, custom GPU kernels, and much more. Joining DS means owning major parts of a fast-growing AI research organization, joining a collaborative, talent-dense team with decades of experience in probabilistic ML, accelerated computing, embedded systems, and signal theory, and growing your career in the areas that interest you. You’ll fit in if you want to come to work for the problem itself and don’t want to choose between technical rigor, business value, and real-world impact. We work with high ownership and trust. THE ROLE We are hiring an Associate Director, Business Development - Army to build and convert opportunities across the U.S. Army. This hands-on role requires someone who can enter an unfamiliar Army organization, identify key stakeholders, understand how requirements and funding move, and create a credible path toward a funded opportunity. Success will depend on hunting, research, relationship building, and comfort navigating ambiguity. The strongest candidate understands the Army from direct experience and can translate that knowledge into disciplined commercial execution. Knowing where to go, how to build credibility, and how to identify another entry point when an initial approach stalls will be critical. You will own opportunities from customer discovery through pilot development, proposal submission, source selection, and follow-on expansion, partnering across Engineering, Mission Operations, leadership, contracting stakeholders, and external partners. WHAT YOU’LL DO - Build and manage an Army-focused pipeline from opportunity identification through proposal submission, source selection, and expansion. - Develop net-new relationships across operational units, program offices, requirements organizations, acquisition communities, contracting organizations, and technical stakeholders. - Research customer structures, decision-makers, mission priorities, budgets, acquisition pathways, incumbents, and competitors. - Create stakeholder maps and engagement strategies identifying champions, blockers, decision-makers, funding owners, and alternative entry points. - Develop informed perspectives on where Distributed Spectrum can address meaningful Army mission problems and how those opportunities should be pursued. - Translate operational problems into opportunity strategies, technical narratives, requirements, acquisition approaches, and measurable mission outcomes. - Scope pilots, demonstrations, exercises, experimentation efforts, and user evaluations that prove mission value and can transition into larger programs. - Develop strategies for converting successful pilots into follow-on contracts, production opportunities, or broader adoption across Army organizations. - Develop win strategies covering customer engagement, competitive positioning, teaming, decision timelines, and proposal execution. - Own assigned proposals, coordinate cross-functional inputs, and lead gate reviews, bid/no-bid recommendations, action tracking, and submission readiness. - Communicate Distributed Spectrum’s capabilities to operational, technical, acquisition, and executive audiences. - Maintain clear account documentation, identify alternative paths when an approach stalls, and provide insights that inform strategy and product positioning. - Represent Distributed Spectrum during frequent travel and periodic work in secure or classified environments. WHO YOU ARE - You have five or more years of relevant experience owning outcomes in military, defense, national security, defense technology, operational, technical, or commercial environments. - You bring relevant U.S. Army experience or demonstrated success working directly with Army customers in business development, growth, deployment strategy, mission operations, or program strategy. - You understand how Army formations identify mission needs, establish requirements, evaluate capabilities, fund experimentation, and transition technologies into sustained programs. - You can navigate unfamiliar organizations, determine who matters, understand how decisions are made, identify where funding resides, and use stakeholder mapping to resolve blockers. - You can build net-new customer relationships rather than relying primarily on inherited accounts or an existing personal network. - You can turn incomplete information into a clear recommendation, credible plan, and concrete next steps. - You are self-directed, comfortable acting on a strong 70% solution, and able to refine your approach as new information emerges. - You combine deep research with effective hunting and relationship building. - You communicate clearly through customer conversations, proposals, presentations, technical narratives, and executive updates. - You demonstrate strong follow-through, prioritization, attention to detail, and stakeholder management. - You can accurately communicate Distributed Spectrum’s RF sensing, edge processing, AI/ML, data integration, and operational employment concepts. - You are comfortable in a fast-moving, early-stage environment and can build credibility with operators, engineers, acquisition professionals, and company leadership. - You can perform the role’s essential functions, including frequent travel and periodic work in secure or classified environments, with or without reasonable accommodation. - Active Top Secret clearance required; SCI eligibility preferred. NICE TO HAVE - Experience serving in or directly supporting the U.S. Army, including Infantry, Special Forces, Military Intelligence, Electronic Warfare, Signal, SIGINT, CEMA, tactical communications, or a related operational community. - Experience as an Army officer, warrant officer, NCO, or senior enlisted leader with exposure to operational planning, requirements development, experimentation, or capability integration. - Two or more years of experience in a startup or growth-stage defense technology company. - Experience as a deployment strategist, forward-deployed operator, mission success lead, solutions professional, technical program strategist, or technical contributor in a customer-facing role. - Experience creating customer access where no obvious entry point existed. - Experience converting pilots, demonstrations, exercises, or experimentation efforts into funded follow-on opportunities. - Experience building net-new customer relationships and developing account, teaming, proposal, pricing, or subcontractor strategies. - Familiarity with OTAs, SBIR Phase III, BAAs, STRATFI, TACFI, xTech, DIU, or similar pathways. - Familiarity with RF sensing, EW, SIGINT, edge AI, tactical data integration, mission systems, or field-deployed sensing technologies. - Active TS/SCI eligibility or experience in classified customer environments. WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE During your first six to twelve months, you will: - Develop a business development strategy for assigned Army customer communities. - Build credible relationships with net-new operational, acquisition, program, and technical stakeholders. - Establish a qualified pipeline supported by account research, stakeholder maps, engagement plans, and clear next actions. - Advance at least one pilot, demonstration, evaluation, or customer engagement toward a funded opportunity and broader program. - Become a trusted source of Army customer, acquisition, and competitive insight while creating momentum without a complete playbook. WHO THRIVES AT DISTRIBUTED SPECTRUM - Fast learners over specific backgrounds – We care more about how quickly you can pick up new skills than where you’ve worked before. - Intellectual honesty – The right answer matters more than being right. You challenge assumptions, test ideas, and pivot when needed. - Adaptability – We’re organized, but sometimes things change quickly. You find a way to make it work and balance short-term deliverables with long-term goals. - Ownership of outcomes – You optimize your own time, focus on what matters to deliver quickly, and cut out inefficiencies. - Not building in a vacuum – You stay connected to the rest of our teams and our customers to make sure all the pieces fit together. WHAT WE OFFER - Above-market salary, equity, and benefits package. - Early Series A Equity - Excellent health, dental, and vision coverage - 401(k) match - up to 4% of your salary - Flexible PTO - Daily office lunches in NYC ITAR Requirements To conform to U.S. Government technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/?id=ddtc_kb_article_page&sys_id=24d528fddbfc930044f9ff621f961987.