UK Business Development Manager

Help Build Europe's Hypersonic Capability At Hypersonica, we’re redefining what’s possible in European defence technology. We exist to deliver speed, resilience, and technological independence at a pace that sets a new standard. We are a small, elite team working on problems that matter, and solving them fast. As our Military Business Development Manager you’re not stepping into a predefined role. You’re joining a talent dense environment where every individual shapes the direction of the company. Our philosophy is to hire a small number of exceptional people with broad, deep technical capability, strong judgement, and the ability to operate autonomously. We hire for talent, not rigid boxes. This role represents a business need, but the way it evolves will be shaped by the individual. If you’ve achieved what others said was impossible, or you bring a unique combination of skills that doesn’t fit a traditional mould, we want to hear from you. The work you do here directly contributes to Europe’s technological independence.

What you'll do

• Generate and capture UK hypersonic defence opportunities by deeply understanding user pain points, operational constraints, and long term capability roadmaps.
• Lead continuous engagement with UK military customers, programme teams, and capability developers, building trust through operational credibility and technical understanding.
• Shape and execute UK growth strategies aligned with evolving defence priorities, threat environments, and competitive dynamics.
• Translate mission problems and user feedback into clear, actionable product direction, informing internal prioritisation, milestones, and capability trade-offs.
• Maintain situational awareness of competitor activity, allied developments, and emerging concepts of operation to inform positioning and opportunity strategy.
• Manage complex, long cycle opportunity development across concept, assessment, and programme formation without reliance on legacy defence sales models.
• Build and maintain B2B partnerships with primes, subsystem suppliers, and technology partners where they accelerate access, credibility, or delivery.
• Clearly articulate Hypersonica’s value proposition to senior operators, programme managers, and industry partners, grounded in operational effect and mission relevance.
• Support senior level briefings, demonstrations, and customer engagements, ensuring clarity, discipline, and technical substance.
• Act as the internal voice of the customer, ensuring Hypersonica’s defence tech solutions within hypersonic capability remain operationally relevant, differentiated, and best in class.

Who you are

• A defence business development professional with 6+ years’ experience operating in UK military or defence-industry environments.
• Credible with military users and programme teams, through prior service or sustained industry-facing roles.
• Comfortable engaging on complex, technical capability discussions, not just commercial terms.
• Experienced navigating long-cycle, high-ambiguity defence opportunities without relying on legacy prime contractor playbooks.
• Naturally oriented around operational effect and mission relevance, rather than product-led selling.
• Able to balance commercial judgement with strategic patience, knowing when to push and when to let programmes mature.
• Trusted internally to represent the voice of the customer and shape priorities accordingly.
• Motivated by building sovereign hypersonic capability in a small, fast-moving team where impact is tangible.

What we offer

• A mission driven environment with the opportunity to work on one of Europe’s most consequential defence challenges, with direct impact on sovereign capability and security.
• Daily collaboration with top experts across engineering, operations, and defence, with real opportunity to learn from the best, contribute, and grow.
• High ownership and autonomy; no time tracking, no micromanagement, just clear objectives and accountability for outcomes.
• A fast paced environment where good ideas are implemented quickly, and feedback from test and flight drives real decisions.
• A culture that values clarity, integrity, and excellence, and supports people who take initiative and push boundaries responsibly.
• Competitive compensation and real share options aligned to responsibility and impact, not tenure or hierarchy.

At Hypersonica, every hire raises the bar. We are deliberately small, intensely capable, and deeply mission-driven. If this role feels like a strong fit, or if you believe you bring something exceptional that goes beyond the description, we encourage you to apply. Hypersonica is an equal-opportunity employer and assesses candidates solely on merit, capability, and potential. You can apply directly to this role or reach out to Nathan Sweeney, Head of Talent. We review every application and aim to respond to all candidates within two weeks, whether the answer is yes or no.