Station Business Development Director

Axiom Space is a human space exploration company, building era-defining space infrastructure and delivering technology-driven solutions that will empower civilization to transcend Earth. Beginning with Axiom Station, successor to the International Space Station, the company is pioneering a next-generation orbital settlement that will foster groundbreaking innovation and research in microgravity and drive the global space economy of tomorrow. Today, guided by the vision of leading humanity's expansion off planet, Axiom Space is the principal provider of commercial human spaceflight services and developer of advanced spacesuits for the Moon and beyond. For more information about Axiom Space, visit www.axiomspace.com.

Axiom Space fosters a work environment inclusive of all perspectives. We are the pioneers of commercial space, leading the transformation of low-Earth orbit into a global space marketplace. Our mission-driven team is seeking a bold and dynamic Station Business Development Director, who is fueled by high ownership, execution horsepower, growth mindset, and driven to understand our world, science/technology, and life itself, for the benefit of all on Earth and beyond.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Station Business Development Director will report to Axiom’s VP of Business Development and will lead the execution of strategic partnerships through rigorous vetting, prioritization, and integration. This role will also drive Station-related business development initiatives, support the pursuit of commercial opportunities for Station growth, and cultivate engagement across the commercial sector in alignment with Station objectives and the broader Axiom mission. Success in this position requires close coordination with the Station organization and with Global Advocacy’s Business Development and strategic partnerships with teams to ensure unified strategy, consistent messaging, and alignment across Station, other business lines, and Axiom’s corporate priorities.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Station Partnership Ownership

• Maintain strong relationships with current and prospective Station partners.

• Support and execute strategic and tactical plans for the pursuit and development of key opportunities, which includes establishing and maintaining a qualified pipeline of customers of Station offerings and Station strategic partners.

• Coordinate pipeline status with other Station stakeholders as well as other BD stakeholders across Axiom.

• Understand customers’ requirements, create suitable solutions, and help overcome any challenges.

• Develop and manage an approach that implements Axiom’s corporate strategy within the domain of Station strategic partnerships, including quantitative performance measurement of progress towards corporate and Station goals according to specific, measurable, time-bound Key Performance Indicator (KPI) targets at appropriate measurement intervals (weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.).

Organizational and Corporate Stakeholder Coordination

• Act as the primary coordinator between Station teams for all Station-related Strategic Partnership activities, engaging and aligning Station subject matter experts (SMEs) as applicable.

• Act as Station’s primary BD representative to Axiom’s BD organization and intermediary with the BD representatives of other Axiom programs and organizations.

• Support and provide Station input into Axiom’s Annual Corporate Financial Plans Development.

Partnership Vetting and Prioritization

• Maintain a clear, up to date view of partnership-driven deliverables and obligations that align with the Station priorities.

• Establish an approach for prioritizing partnerships based on quantitative measurements like partnership strength, value to the company, and relative importance. Support leadership decision-making based on this prioritization.

• Coordinate all strategic partnership efforts that require engineering deliverables.

• Consolidate partnership commitments across internal stakeholders.

• Develop and present integrated technical, business, and strategic rationale to enable Program Management to assess priority and authorize engineering support.

Commercial Integration

• Translate partnership agreements into clearly defined, actionable deliverables.

• Ensure agreements and deliverables are adequately scoped and priced.

• Monitor progress against approved deliverables and milestones defined in program agreements.

• Ensure deliverables remain aligned with authorized scope, schedule, and assumptions.

• Coordinate across engineering, program management, and partners to resolve execution issues impacting delivery.

Proposal/Term Sheet Development

• Provide proposal development leadership for government and commercial business opportunities.

• Lead the development of opportunity win strategies, customer requirement alignment, cost estimating approach and teaming opportunities.

• Lead the creation of corporate presentations outlining the business plan, technical approach and risk assessment for Axiom executive level opportunity reviews.

• Perform additional duties as assigned in support of organizational goals.

QUALIFICATIONS: 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering, mechanical, electrical, or a related technical field required.

• Master’s degree desired; MBA or PhD highly preferred.

• 15+ years of business development or equivalent combined experience.

• Additional 2–4 years of experience in applied research, product development, or spaceflight hardware preferred.

• Experience across multiple phases of the product lifecycle, including concept definition, research, prototyping, market assessment, manufacturing, and sales.

• Established professional network within relevant space, technology, or government sectors.

• Demonstrated experience in negotiations, deal structuring, and building strategic partnerships.

• Experience with human spaceflight programs preferred.

• Proven experience supporting or leading proposal development, including scope definition, task planning, technical or management volume authorship, and Basis-of-Estimate development.

• Experience working with and responding to U.S. Government agencies (e.g., NASA, DoD) strongly preferred.

• Proven ability to deliver high-quality outcomes in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.

• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to exercise sound judgment and proactively address challenges.

• Demonstrated track record of meeting deadlines while maintaining exceptional quality and attention to detail.

Core Skills

• Passion for space and the mission

• Entrepreneurial, growth mindset

• High EQ and ability to collaborate within teams and cross-functionally

• Tech-solutioning in using systems and tools to move smarter and faster

Core Competencies:

Embody our core values of leadership, innovation, and teamwork. In addition, to perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

• Accountability

• Technical Rigor

• Execution Discipline

• Pride of Delivery

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Generally, an office environment, but can involve inside or outside work depending on the task.

Requirements 

• Must be able to complete a U.S. government background investigation.

• Management has the prerogative to select at any level for which the position is advertised.

• Proof of U.S. Citizenship or US Permanent Residency is a requirement for this position.

• Must be willing to work evenings and weekends as needed to meet critical project milestones.

• Occasional travel (typically 25% or less) to client sites, industry events, and internal meetings.

Physical Requirements

• Work may involve sitting or standing for extended periods (90% of the time)

• May require lifting and carrying up to 25 lbs. (5% of the time)

• Equipment and Machines

• Standard office equipment (PC, phone, printer, etc.)

Axiom Space is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.  Axiom Space does not discriminate on the basis of race, regional color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.