Core Partnerships Manager

Core Partnerships ManagerLocation: Austin Texas (onsite) Or Washington DC with 25-30% travel
Employment Type: Full-time
Reports To: Chief Growth Officer
Security Clearance: Eligibility to obtain a security clearance is required
Compensation: Salary Equity
Our client is a startup building proprietary targeting software for unmanned systems. Manufacturers integrate this software directly onto UAVs USVs UUVs and other unmanned vehicles where it runs on the vehicles onboard computer.
This software detects classifies and tracks targets from onboard cameras maintains persistent target identity when video degrades or breaks up and can execute terminal guidance through to impact. It is built to keep operating in contested environments: when GPS is denied and communications links are jammed.
Our client has previously held Department of War (DoW) contracts including work with Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM).Our client has been founder-led on sales since 2021 and has closed contracts with both primes and vendors. You will be their first dedicated partnerships hire building relationships with unmanned vehicle manufacturers and owning the partner pipeline from first call to signed deal.
Our clients primary buyers are companies that build UAVs UGVs USVs UUVs and other UxVs and want our clients software running on their vehicles. You will find and qualify those manufacturers then negotiate the agreements that put the software on their platforms such as licensing teaming joint development or reseller deals. Once a manufacturer signs you will work with the Deployments team to schedule integration and field testing.

• Find qualify and build relationships with unmanned vehicle manufacturers across air ground surface and undersea platforms.
• Own the partner pipeline from first call to signed deal building it primarily through outbound prospecting.
• Negotiate and close licensing teaming joint development and reseller agreements that put our clients software on partner platforms.
• Pitch a technical product to manufacturer and defense engineering teams.
• Hand off signed partners to the Deployments team and coordinate scheduling for integration and field testing.
• Keep the CRM current and report pipeline to the executive team.
• Use AI tools for prospecting note taking research and drafting.
• Travel 2533% of the time for partner meetings field tests conferences and industry events.

• 4 years in sales partnerships or business development at a B2B hardware defense dual-use or deep-tech company.
• You have built your own pipeline through outbound not only worked inbound leads or accounts you were handed.
• Experience closing licensing agreements with hardware manufacturers primes or systems integrators.
• Experience selling into defense and an understanding of how DoW programs buy.
• Experience pitching a technical product to engineers in defense.
• Experience keeping a CRM up to date and reporting pipeline to the executive team.
• Fluency with AI tools for prospecting note taking researching and drafting.
• Ability to work on-site in Austin Texas or remotely from the DC area until an office opens there and to travel 25-30% of the time.
• Must be a U.S. person (U.S. citizen lawful permanent resident or other protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)). This role works with export-controlled technology.

• Existing relationships at U.S. unmanned vehicle manufacturers (air ground or maritime) and the primes and integrators around them.
• Experience getting software integrated onto an OEMs vehicle and into production.
• Experience building the GTM partnerships or sales function at a startup.
• Experience selling to international vendors.

• A qualified outbound-built pipeline of unmanned vehicle manufacturers.
• Signed licensing teaming joint development or reseller agreements that put our clients software on new platforms.
• Smooth handoffs to Deployments with integration and field testing scheduled for each signed partner.