Director of Business Development, Air Dominance

The future of defense will be decided by those who field intelligent machines at scale. At Scout AI, we’re developing Fury, the first robotic foundation model for defense, to give U.S. forces overwhelming, adaptable, and autonomous power across every domain. Fury enables human operators to command fleets of robots through natural language, and empowers those machines to sense, decide, and act together as one. This mission will ask everything of us: urgency, precision, and relentless work.

The Role We are seeking a Director of Business Development to lead our Air Dominance division and its growth strategy, capturing opportunities across the Army, Air Force, and Navy aerial autonomy programs. This role will be pivotal in expanding Scout AI’s aerial portfolio, shaping opportunities with DoD stakeholders, and ensuring that our technology reaches the operators who need it most. The ideal candidate is a proven growth leader with deep experience in aviation and missile programs, defense acquisition, and the capture of complex unmanned systems programs.

We’re a startup. You’ll be moving fast, context-switching daily, and helping define the culture and process as we go. This is a rare opportunity to come in early and architect the future of defense.

Responsibilities

Generate and capture new business opportunities. Lead efforts to identify, pursue, and secure new programs across the Army, Air Force, and Navy unmanned/autonomy portfolios. Build a deep understanding of the existing and prospective client base, programmatic roadmaps, and the competitive landscape

Engage senior stakeholders. Establish and maintain trusted relationships with acquisition leaders, program managers, operators, and requirements owners across relevant PEO’s and organizations

Grow existing programs. Partner with Scout’s engineering and product teams to expand current work, identify adjacent opportunities, and drive additional value for existing customers

Shape requirements and inform product development. Translate operator needs, mission gaps, and emerging concepts of operations into actionable direction for Scout’s product roadmap. Ensure customer insights directly influence priorities and execution

Lead capture campaigns. Drive the full lifecycle of business development efforts: pipeline development, positioning, proposal authoring, and closing contract awards

Represent Scout AI externally. Serve as an ambassador for Scout’s mission, articulating our competitive edge and value proposition to senior leaders, operators, industry partners, and the broader defense ecosystem

Qualifications

10+ years in Army, Air Force, Navy, or related unmanned aerial systems roles, with a strong track record of shaping and capturing defense programs

Demonstrated success leading 0-to-1 program captures and transitioning prototypes into Programs of Record

Deep understanding of U.S. DoD acquisition pathways, PPBE process, requirements generation, government contracting, and budgeting, especially in the context of moving prototypes into full production

Established network across relevant program offices, program managers, and acquisition related organizations

Ability to translate complex operational needs into actionable product direction and build, adapt, and implement innovative approaches to market

A driven, hands-on leader who exhibits strong management skills, emotional intelligence, and the ability to inspire both internal teams and external stakeholders

Exceptional written and verbal skills with experience briefing senior defense leadership and building consensus across diverse audiences

Ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial, high-tempo setting and independently deliver results that move the mission forward

Ability to travel 25–40%

Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities

Passion about defense of the United States and its allies

May be expected to obtain and hold a U.S. Top Secret security clearance

Why Join Scout

Work on the world’s most important frontier, ensuring U.S. and allied dominance in the age of intelligent machines

Drive growth for Fury, the first robotic foundation model built for defense

Work with top talent in autonomy, AI, and national security

See your impact as systems move from prototype to Program of Record

Build and scale Scout’s Air Dominance division from day one

Join a mission-driven team backed by world-class investors including Booz Allen Ventures and Draper Associates

Benefits

Competitive base salary and bonus

Meaningful equity

Premium medical, dental, and vision plans with $0 paycheck contribution

Competitive PTO and company holiday calendar

Catered lunch daily and fully stocked kitchen

Unlimited AI tokens

EV charging

Relocation assistance (depending on role eligibility)

The stated salary range below represents an estimated base pay only and reflects consideration of multiple compensation factors. Final salary offers may differ depending on factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience or training background, specialized skills, and business needs. Most full-time positions also include highly competitive equity awards, which form part of Scout AI's overall compensation package. In addition, Scout AI provides comprehensive, top-tier benefits to full-time employees.

US Salary Range $165,000 — $220,000 USD