Business Development Director - Defence

ZeroAvia is seeking a senior commercial leader to lead and deliver growth across the aerospace defence sector. This role suits an experienced defence-market operator with a proven track record of closing complex deals, taking opportunities from early engagement through to signed contracts, funded programmes, and recurring revenue. The successful candidate will be personally accountable for defence revenue growth, owning opportunities end to end and acting as the single point of leadership from identification to contract signature, working closely with national defence ministries, international agencies, defence primes, and platform partners to convert ZeroAvia’s sovereign technologies into commercial success.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

Pipeline Ownership & Deal Closure

• Own and deliver defence revenue targets
• Personally lead priority defence deals from first contact through commercial close
• Maintain disciplined pipeline management and deal accountability

Capture Leadership & Commercial Execution

• Lead capture strategy for defence opportunities, including:
• Opportunity qualification and go/no-go decisions
• Customer alignment and sponsorship
• Key account management and relationship development
• Shape and negotiate complex commercial agreements
• Play a hands-on role in negotiation, remaining directly involved through signature

Defence Customer Engagement That Converts

• Act as ZeroAvia’s senior commercial interface with national defence ministries, international defence agencies, defence primes and system integrators
• Build trust and credibility at the level required to unlock funding decisions and programme starts
• Secure customer champions capable of driving internal approval and budget release

Partnerships That Generate Revenue

• Establish and manage partnerships with primes and system integrators
• Align partner requirements with ZeroAvia’s technology roadmaps and commercial objectives

Required Experience & Background

Essential

• 10+ years’ experience in defence or aerospace markets with direct commercial responsibility
• Clear, demonstrable personal track record of delivering full sales cycles from origination to closure in defence
• Experience selling into national defence ministries and international defence agencies and partnering with defence primes and Tier 1s
• Deep understanding of defence budgeting, funding and procurement processes
• Evidence of owning revenue outcomes, not just supporting bids or partnerships

Highly Desirable

• Experience commercialising new or disruptive technologies into defence markets
• Background in aerospace propulsion, power systems or aircraft systems
• Proven history of converting demonstrations into funded programmes, partnerships and recurring revenue
• Existing Security Check or Direct Vetting clearance

Personal Attributes

• Strong bias toward closure and revenue generation
• Comfortable being personally accountable for deal outcomes
• Commercially assertive and credible in defence environments
• Persistent, resilient, and effective in long and complex sales cycles
• Able to operate with ambiguity while maintaining commercial discipline

Benefits

At ZeroAvia, we’re clean sky thinkers. For the world to achieve truly clean, guilt-free flight, we need a scalable solution; hydrogen-electric powertrains. As a leader in zero-emission aviation and a UK Jet Zero Council member, we’re designing and commercialising hydrogen-powered solutions that will positively impact the future of aviation, global connectivity, and the world. 

Engineering designs our next-generation hydrogen electric engines. Working across Hydrogen, Propulsion and Integration divisions, they solve technical problems and help decarbonize aviation by finding solutions for electric propulsion, hydrogen storage, fuel cell technology, power distribution, thermal management and more. 

Cotswold Airport (Kemble) Join us at Cotswold Airport, home to some of our aircraft and the workplace of many ZeroAvians. Located just outside the historic market town of Cirencester, you’ll experience a workspace built by engineers for engineers. This is a high-velocity and fast-paced environment with good links to the M4 and M5, so it’s fitting that it’s also our UK Head Office.

Why Join Us? 

We want to help you be your best self, at work and at home, that’s why we provide our employees with… 

• Private health and dental care – get access to services and support when you need them. Add your family members too* 

• Mental health support – enjoy a culture where positive mental health is front of mind with our trained Mental Health First Aiders, Employee Assistance Programmes and wellbeing support. 
• Free lunch and healthy snacks – keeping you fuelled up so you can help us deliver the technology of the future** 
• Sports, games and culture clubs – connect and keep fit with other ZeroAvians by joining one of our subsidised clubs – such as, running, cycling, padel, trivia, theatre and gardening. 

We also offer:  

• Stock options – so you can share in our success. 
• 25 days holiday, plus public holidays – to help you manage your work-life balance. 
• Free EV Charging and membership in our EV Club. 
• Salary Sacrifice Schemes for EV Club, Curry's Tech, Cycle to Work, and Ikea Furniture. 
• Weekly Spot Bonuses to reward excellence. 
• Income Protection and Legal Support for peace of mind. 
• Relocation Support to make your move seamless.

Diversity and Inclusion

As an emergent company shaping the aviation industry, we know that diversity fuels success and unlocks potential. We embrace being an equal-opportunity employer and actively seek individuals from diverse backgrounds. We value the multitude of skills, perspectives, and mindsets everyone can bring to the table. These experiences ignite creativity, originality, and growth. We proudly reject discrimination in all forms, including that based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.