Founding Business Development Lead

Job Description

Job Description

United States (Remote) · Heavy travel + monthly SF time · Full-time
Compensation: $135,000–$155,000 base + competitive equity

About the Company

A seed-stage aviation AI company building automated debrief intelligence for pilots — capturing what a pilot sees and hears and turning it into structured, automated debriefs. The platform is already live and in use across flight schools, jet operators, and military aviation training programs, with demand accelerating in a wide-open market. This is a founding hire among the company's first ten.

Founded 2024 · 1–10 people · Industry: Aviation / AI for flight training

The Role

Own the full business development cycle across airlines, private jet operators, and flight training centers. This is a strategic and operational role first, not a high-volume execution seat — you build the BD strategy, source and close deals directly, and stay close through deployment. You start by owning nearly everything personally, then transition into a senior, team-building role as the company scales toward Series A. Reports directly to the CEO.

What you'll be doing

• Own the full BD cycle from first contact through signed deal to live deployment, across airlines, private jet operators, and flight training centers
• Build and manage a pipeline of aviation customers: identify targets, get in the room, move deals to close
• Run pitches and product demos for operators, training directors, and aviation executives
• Negotiate and close commercial agreements, then partner with the team on deployment success
• Represent the company in person at customer sites, industry events, and on the road
• Eventually hire and build the business development team as the company scales

Requirements

• 5+ years aviation sales experience
• Existing network across airlines / jets / flight training
• Full-cycle BD ownership, strategic + hands-on
• Remote US, heavy travel + SF time monthly
• Not an OTE role; base + equity
• No visa sponsorship available; clearance preferred

Green Flags

• Pilot's license or deep flight operations and training background
• Genuine, active network across airlines, charter or fractional operators, or collegiate and military flight training programs
• Track record building pipeline from zero without an existing playbook
• Early-stage or founding go-to-market experience
• Comfortable moving between strategic planning and hands-on execution in the same week

Red Flags

• BD or sales background limited to non-aviation industries with no aviation network to draw on
• Currently at a direct competitor; approach with extra care to confirm genuine interest in leaving, since sensitive company information will be discussed early
• Expects a traditional OTE-driven comp structure and isn't comfortable with a base-plus-equity model
• Needs a fully built playbook and defined roadmap to operate
• Purely an executor profile without appetite to eventually build and manage a team

Why Join

• Founding equity with real ownership in a category-defining aviation AI company
• Company-sponsored flight training to earn a pilot's license
• Visible impact from deals closing at airlines, flight schools, and military aviation programs
• A role that scales into commercial leadership as the company grows
• 401(k) and health insurance