Business Development & Partnerships Manager
📍 Main office: Paris (HQ) ✈️ Mobility: Frequent travel required across Europe to develop and animate business activity 🛰️ Sector: Next-gen European Defense 💼 Type: Full-time, Permanent 📈 Seniority: Senior 💰 Compensation: Competitive Salary + Equity + Full Health Coverage About EGIDE EGIDE is building a new European defense leader focused on scalable, intelligent, air-defense architectures. We develop mass-use interceptors and mission systems that combine missile-grade performance with modern embedded computing and advanced autonomy. We are growing fast and assembling a world-class team driven by ambition, engineering rigor, and real operational impact. If you want to help shape the future of European defense innovation — this is the place. About the Role We are seeking a Business Development & Partnerships Manager to lead EGIDE's commercial growth strategy and forge the partnerships that will define the company's expansion across European and global defense markets. This role sits at the intersection of industrial strategy, defense procurement, and international business development. You will be responsible for identifying new revenue opportunities, structuring strategic alliances, and advancing key customer relationships with defense ministries, prime contractors, and NATO-aligned entities. You will work closely with the founders, engineering, and public affairs teams to translate EGIDE's technical capabilities into compelling commercial propositions. This role requires significant travel across Europe to engage with defense ministries, attend industry events, and build the relationships that underpin EGIDE's commercial development. What You'll Do
- Business Development & Revenue Growth
Define and execute EGIDE's go-to-market strategy across European and allied defense markets
Identify, qualify, and pursue new business opportunities with defense ministries, NATO bodies, and prime contractors
Lead the full business development cycle from prospecting to contract signature
Monitor procurement landscapes, tender pipelines, and competitive intelligence to prioritize opportunities
- Strategic Partnerships
Build and manage a portfolio of strategic partnerships with industrial primes, system integrators, and technology partners
Structure teaming agreements, MoUs, and joint venture frameworks aligned with EGIDE's growth objectives
Represent EGIDE in industry coalitions, defense exhibitions, and bilateral meetings
Coordinate with the public affairs team to align partnership strategy with institutional positioning
- Customer Engagement & Proposals
Develop tailored value propositions and technical-commercial presentations for key accounts
Lead the preparation of bids, RFI/RFP responses, and unsolicited proposals
Build trusted, long-term relationships with senior decision-makers in customer organizations
Gather and relay customer feedback to inform product and capability roadmaps
- Market Intelligence & Strategic Planning
Analyze defense budget cycles, procurement priorities, and policy trends across target markets
Contribute to EGIDE's annual business planning and revenue forecasting
Provide regular reporting on pipeline status, partnership developments, and market dynamics to the executive team
You Are a Fit If You Have Master's degree in Business, Engineering, International Relations, or a related field
5+ years of experience in business development, sales, or strategic partnerships in the defense, aerospace, or dual-use technology sectors
Strong understanding of European defense procurement processes and customer ecosystems
Proven track record of closing complex, multi-stakeholder deals in long sales cycle environments
Excellent written and verbal communication skills (French & English required)
Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to translate market intelligence into actionable plans
Nice to Have Existing network with European defense ministries, NATO agencies, or major primes (e.g., MBDA, Thales, Airbus DS, Leonardo)
Familiarity with EU defense funding mechanisms (EDF, EDA, EDIRPA)
Experience working in a start-up or high-growth industrial environment
Knowledge of export control frameworks (ITAR, EAR, national regulations)
Technical background in systems engineering, missiles, or embedded systems
Why Join EGIDE? Build the future of European defense capability
Work on real systems that fly — fast
Competitive salary + meaningful equity
100% health coverage
A high-autonomy, high-impact environment
A chance to shape a category-defining company from the ground up
Ready to Join? If you want to help build the commercial engine of a cutting-edge European defense company and drive real strategic impact, we'd love to talk. Here is the recruitment process: First phone screen
Deep dive interview
Case study
On-site final meeting