Senior Business Development Lead, Nordics

Job description

Saronic Technologies is a leader in revolutionizing autonomy at sea, dedicated to developing state-of-the-art solutions that enhance maritime operations through autonomous and intelligent platforms. JOB OVERVIEW Saronic is seeking an experienced and mission-oriented business development leader to drive our growth across the Nordic region, with a primary focus on Denmark and the Danish defence ecosystem, while supporting broader engagement across Norway, Sweden, and Finland. This role is ideally suited to someone based in Denmark with strong familiarity with Nordic defence procurement, maritime operations, and regional industrial partnerships. The successful candidate will help shape Saronic’s regional strategy, build trusted relationships with defence stakeholders, and identify opportunities to integrate autonomous maritime systems into Nordic defence and security objectives. You will play a central role in representing Saronic across Northern Europe, supporting the growth of Saronic’s regional engagement and market position. Working closely with defence ministries, naval organisations, procurement agencies, industry partners, shipyards, and technology providers. This is an opportunity to help build a regional organisation from the ground up and influence the future of autonomous maritime capability in the Baltic, North Sea, and Arctic operating environments. RESPONSIBILITIES Regional Business Development - Identify, develop, and mature opportunities across Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, with particular emphasis on Danish Defence priorities and operational requirements. - Develop and execute regional growth strategies aligned with Nordic defence modernisation initiatives, maritime security priorities, and NATO capability objectives. - Drive opportunities through the full business development lifecycle, from qualification and capture through proposal development, and negotiation support, working closely with Saronic’s leadership team to progress opportunities through to contract award. Government & Defence Engagement - Build trusted relationships with key defence and government stakeholders including organisations such as DALO, the Royal Danish Navy, FMV, the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency, Finnish Defence Forces Logistics Command, and related maritime and security authorities. - Represent Saronic in discussions related to autonomous systems, maritime security, naval modernisation, force protection, ISR, logistics, and uncrewed operations. - Maintain strong awareness of regional defence procurement processes, acquisition pathways, and funding mechanisms. - Support the operational certification effort for vessels according to the local regulatory environment Industry Partnerships - In support of the Saronic Partnerships team, identify and develop strategic partnerships with Nordic shipyards, defence primes, maritime technology companies, autonomy providers, and local industrial partners. - Support development of in-country teaming arrangements, integration opportunities, manufacturing partnerships, and sustainment models that align with regional industrial participation expectations. - Work collaboratively with Saronic partnerships, engineering and product teams to shape solutions relevant to Nordic operational environments and customer requirements. Market Intelligence - Conduct detailed market and competitive analysis across the Nordic maritime and defence sectors. - Monitor regional defence policy, naval capability developments, procurement programmes, and emerging operational requirements relevant to autonomous maritime systems. - Provide strategic insights to leadership on customer priorities, partnership opportunities, and market positioning. Internal Leadership & Scaling - Help establish scalable regional business development processes, customer engagement frameworks, and capture strategies as Saronic expands internationally. - Collaborate closely with teams across engineering, operations, government relations, and executive leadership. - Represent Saronic at defence exhibitions, naval conferences, exercises, demonstrations, and industry events across Europe and NATO partner nations. QUALIFICATIONS - Bachelor’s degree in Business, International Relations, Political Science, Engineering, Maritime Studies, or a related field. - Significant experience in business development, defence sales, government engagement, or maritime capability development within the Nordic defence ecosystem. - Strong understanding of Nordic defence procurement organisations and acquisition processes, including familiarity with entities such as DALO, FMV, Forsvarsmateriell, or equivalent agencies. - Knowledge of naval operations, maritime security, autonomous systems, or defence technology programmes. - Experience building partnerships across government, defence industry, and operational military stakeholders. - Strong communication, negotiation, and relationship management skills across multinational environments. - Ability to operate independently in a fast-moving and highly collaborative environment. - Willingness to travel extensively across the Nordic region, UK, and periodically to Saronic headquarters in Austin, Texas. - Ability to obtain and maintain relevant national security clearances within the region. Preferred Experience - Experience working with Nordic naval or maritime organisations. - Familiarity with NATO capability development, maritime autonomy, ISR, or uncrewed systems. - Existing network across Nordic defence, naval, and maritime industries. - Experience supporting international market entry or establishing regional defence partnerships. PHYSICAL DEMANDS - Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer - Occasional standing and walking within the office - Manual dexterity to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and other office equipment - Visual acuity to read screens, documents, and reports - Occasional reaching, bending, or stooping to access file drawers, cabinets, or office supplies BENEFITS - Stock Options: Equity options to give employees a stake in the company’s success - Competitive Salary: Industry-standard salaries with opportunities for performance-based bonuses - Medical Insurance: Comprehensive private health insurance - Time Off: Generous annual leave and public holidays - Parental Leave: Paid maternity and paternity leave to support new parents This role requires the legal right to work in Denmark. Employment may also be subject to applicable security, export control, and government contracting requirements. If this role is based in the United States, it requires access to export-controlled information or items that require “U.S. Person” status. As defined by U.S. law, individuals who are any one of the following are considered to be a “U.S. Person”: (1) U.S. citizens, (2) legal permanent residents (a.k.a. green card holders), and (3) certain protected classes of asylees and refugees, as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/8/1324b. Saronic does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.