UK Business Development Manager

Job description

**Help Build Europe's Hypersonic Capability** At **Hypersonica**, we’re redefining what’s possible in European defence technology. We exist to deliver speed, resilience, and technological independence at a pace that sets a new standard. We are a small, elite team working on problems that matter, and solving them fast. As our Military Business Development Manager you’re not stepping into a predefined role. You’re joining a talent dense environment where every individual shapes the direction of the company. Our philosophy is to hire a small number of exceptional people with broad, deep technical capability, strong judgement, and the ability to operate autonomously. We hire for talent, not rigid boxes. This role represents a business need, but the way it evolves will be shaped by the individual. If you’ve achieved what others said was impossible, or you bring a unique combination of skills that doesn’t fit a traditional mould, we want to hear from you. The work you do here directly contributes to Europe’s technological independence. ### What you'll do - Generate and capture UK hypersonic defence opportunities by deeply understanding user pain points, operational constraints, and long term capability roadmaps. - Lead continuous engagement with UK military customers, programme teams, and capability developers, building trust through operational credibility and technical understanding. - Shape and execute UK growth strategies aligned with evolving defence priorities, threat environments, and competitive dynamics. - Translate mission problems and user feedback into clear, actionable product direction, informing internal prioritisation, milestones, and capability trade-offs. - Maintain situational awareness of competitor activity, allied developments, and emerging concepts of operation to inform positioning and opportunity strategy. - Manage complex, long cycle opportunity development across concept, assessment, and programme formation without reliance on legacy defence sales models. - Build and maintain B2B partnerships with primes, subsystem suppliers, and technology partners where they accelerate access, credibility, or delivery. - Clearly articulate Hypersonica’s value proposition to senior operators, programme managers, and industry partners, grounded in operational effect and mission relevance. - Support senior level briefings, demonstrations, and customer engagements, ensuring clarity, discipline, and technical substance. - Act as the internal voice of the customer, ensuring Hypersonica’s defence tech solutions within hypersonic capability remain operationally relevant, differentiated, and best in class. ### Who you are - A defence business development professional with 6+ years’ experience operating in UK military or defence-industry environments. - Credible with military users and programme teams, through prior service or sustained industry-facing roles. - Comfortable engaging on complex, technical capability discussions, not just commercial terms. - Experienced navigating long-cycle, high-ambiguity defence opportunities without relying on legacy prime contractor playbooks. - Naturally oriented around operational effect and mission relevance, rather than product-led selling. - Able to balance commercial judgement with strategic patience, knowing when to push and when to let programmes mature. - Trusted internally to represent the voice of the customer and shape priorities accordingly. - Motivated by building sovereign hypersonic capability in a small, fast-moving team where impact is tangible. ### What we offer - A mission driven environment with the opportunity to work on one of Europe’s most consequential defence challenges, with direct impact on sovereign capability and security. - Daily collaboration with top experts across engineering, operations, and defence, with real opportunity to learn from the best, contribute, and grow. - High ownership and autonomy; no time tracking, no micromanagement, just clear objectives and accountability for outcomes. - A fast paced environment where good ideas are implemented quickly, and feedback from test and flight drives real decisions. - A culture that values clarity, integrity, and excellence, and supports people who take initiative and push boundaries responsibly. - Competitive compensation and real share options aligned to responsibility and impact, not tenure or hierarchy.