Business Development Manager - AFRICOM & EUCOM with Security Clearance

Who We Are: At SES Space & Defense, we deliver secure, resilient connectivity and integrated space solutions for customers operating in the world's most demanding environments. As part of SES S.A., a global leader in satellite-enabled communications, we combine capabilities across all orbits with extensive global ground infrastructure, managed networks, hosted payload solutions, and mission integration services to support communications, sensing, data transport, and operational resilience worldwide.

Our vertically integrated space and ground capabilities bring together satellite capacity, terrestrial infrastructure, advanced network technologies, and deployed user terminals to support mission-critical government operations around the world. We are a trusted partner to the U.S. Federal Government and national security community, allied governments, NATO, NASA, and other civilian agencies, delivering reliable, high-performance solutions when mission success is critical. At SES Space & Defense, our people are our competitive advantage.

You'll work alongside a mission-driven team committed to integrity, innovation, accountability, and delivering real-world impact for customers whose missions matter most. #LI-Remote SES Space & Defense is seeking a strategic, growth-oriented Business Development Manager to lead customer engagement, opportunity development, and capture activities supporting the U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) and U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) mission areas. The Business Development Manager will be responsible for identifying, qualifying, developing, and securing new business opportunities supporting U.S.

Government, Department of War (DoW), Intelligence Community (IC), NATO, allied, and partner-nation missions throughout the EUCOM and AFRICOM Areas of Responsibility (AORs). The position will focus on expanding SES Space & Defense's presence across Combatant Command headquarters, military service components, Special Operations Forces, joint and coalition organizations, acquisition organizations, and strategic industry partners.

The successful candidate will develop trusted relationships with senior military and government leaders and identify requirements for commercial satellite communications (SATCOM), multi-orbit connectivity, secure networking, managed communications services, resilient communications, and other space-enabled capabilities.

The ideal candidate combines a strong understanding of U.S. defense and international security markets with proven business development and capture experience, executive-level relationship management skills, technical credibility, and a demonstrated ability to develop and win complex government and defense opportunities.

Key Responsibilities Business Development & Growth Strategy

• Develop and execute strategic business development initiatives supporting SES Space & Defense growth objectives within the AFRICOM and EUCOM theaters.
• Establish and maintain a qualified pipeline of opportunities across Combatant Commands, military service components, DoW, IC, NATO, allied governments, partner nations, and other strategic customers.
• Identify emerging requirements for SATCOM, space services, secure connectivity, managed network services, tactical communications, and resilient communications capabilities.
• Develop and execute account strategies for key AFRICOM and EUCOM customers and organizations.
• Conduct market analysis, competitive intelligence, customer research, and mission analysis to identify emerging requirements and funding opportunities.
• Track theater-specific operational priorities, modernization initiatives, exercises, contingency requirements, and acquisition programs that may generate business opportunities.
• Identify opportunities to expand existing customer relationships and introduce additional SES Space & Defense capabilities.
• Develop and maintain a strategic business development plan aligned with corporate growth objectives.
• Provide senior leadership with regular assessments of market conditions, customer priorities, competitive activity, and pipeline health. AFRICOM & EUCOM Customer Engagement
• Establish and maintain trusted relationships with senior government, military, acquisition, and industry stakeholders supporting AFRICOM and EUCOM missions.
• Develop relationships across Combatant Command headquarters and subordinate organizations, including military service components and Special Operations Forces.
• Engage with organizations supporting European and African theater missions, including U.S., NATO, allied, and partner-nation stakeholders.
• Develop a strong understanding of customer mission requirements, operational challenges, acquisition strategies, and future capability needs.
• Represent SES Space & Defense at customer meetings, industry conferences, trade shows, exercises, government events, and defense forums.
• Coordinate executive-level engagements between SES Space & Defense leadership and key government and industry stakeholders.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to customers by identifying mission challenges and aligning SES Space & Defense capabilities with operational requirements.
• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with prime contractors, systems integrators, satellite operators, telecommunications providers, and other industry partners. Capture & Opportunity Development
• Lead or support capture activities from early opportunity identification through contract award.
• Qualify opportunities based on customer need, funding, acquisition strategy, competitive environment, probability of win, and alignment with corporate objectives.
• Develop capture strategies, win themes, competitive assessments, customer engagement plans, and opportunity-specific value propositions.
• Identify and influence requirements early in the acquisition lifecycle.
• Develop teaming strategies and identify appropriate prime, subcontractor, and industry partners.
• Coordinate with technical, operations, pricing, contracts, legal, finance, and program management organizations to develop competitive solutions.
• Support development of pricing strategies, solution architectures, technical approaches, and competitive differentiators.
• Lead or participate in customer demonstrations, solution briefings, industry days, technical exchanges, and executive presentations.
• Monitor and report opportunity status, customer engagement, competitive activity, probability of win, and anticipated contract timelines.
• Maintain accurate CRM data, pipeline forecasts, account plans, and business development reporting. SATCOM & Space Market Development
• Develop a strong understanding of commercial and government SATCOM architectures, multi-orbit solutions, managed communications services, secure networking, and resilient connectivity.
• Identify opportunities to support distributed and expeditionary forces operating throughout Europe and Africa.
• Understand customer requirements for fixed, tactical, mobile, and rapidly deployable communications.
• Identify opportunities involving Ku-, Ka-, X-, C-, L-, UHF-, and other applicable commercial or government communications capabilities.
• Evaluate customer requirements for bandwidth, coverage, mobility, resiliency, network management, teleport/gateway access, and worldwide IP connectivity.
• Translate operational requirements into commercially viable solutions using SES Space & Defense capabilities and strategic partners.
• Monitor developments in commercial space, proliferated LEO, GEO, multi-orbit networking, cloud connectivity, and resilient communications that may affect AFRICOM and EUCOM missions. NATO, Allied & Partner-Nation Engagement
• Develop relationships with NATO organizations, European allies, African partner nations, and international defense organizations.
• Identify opportunities where U.S. and allied requirements can be addressed through common commercial space and communications capabilities.
• Support development of multinational and coalition-focused business opportunities.
• Develop teaming and channel-partner relationships that expand SES Space & Defense's ability to support international missions.
• Understand international procurement, contracting, export-control, and security considerations associated with allied and partner-nation opportunities.
• Coordinate with internal leadership and appropriate corporate functions to ensure international opportunities comply with applicable U.S. and international requirements. Cross-Functional Leadership
• Collaborate closely with engineering, operations, program management, contracts, legal, finance, security, and executive leadership.
• Translate customer requirements and market intelligence into actionable internal priorities.
• Provide customer and competitive insight to support solution development and service innovation.
• Coordinate internal resources to support customer engagements, demonstrations, proposals, and capture activities.
• Mentor junior business development professionals and contribute to a high-performance growth culture.
• Foster collaboration across business development, capture, operations, and technical organizations. Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, International Relations, Political Science, or related field.
• Demonstrated experience in business development, capture, strategic sales, or customer engagement within the defense, aerospace, satellite communications, space, telecommunications, or government technology sectors.
• Demonstrated success developing and winning opportunities with the DoW, Combatant Commands, military service components, Intelligence Community, NATO, allied governments, or international defense organizations.
• Strong understanding of U.S. Government acquisition processes, contracting vehicles, budgeting, appropriations, and procurement lifecycle.
• Understanding of the operational and acquisition environments supporting AFRICOM and/or EUCOM.
• Proven abili