Business Development Manager, Crew Partnerships

Vast is looking for a Business Development Manager, Crew Partnerships, reporting to the Vice President, Crew Partnerships to support Vast’s market and business development activities with Government space agencies across the world. As a Business Development Manager, you will drive both the day-to-day execution and the strategic development of an international sales portfolio focused on sovereign human spaceflight customers. The role requires personal drive, high judgment, excellent organization skills, and demonstrated networking and communication skills to help define the trajectory of Vast.

This will be a full-time, exempt position located in our Long Beach location. 

Responsibilities: 

• Develop and maintain account strategies for assigned countries and customers: decision-makers, funding paths, political timing, and the sequence of steps to close
• Identify and build the case for new sovereign prospects; provide data-driven recommendations on where VP and executive time is best invested each quarter
• Track the competitive landscape in commercial human spaceflight and translate it into positioning for customer meetings and proposals
• Contribute market and account analysis to offers, campaigns, and executive decision-making
• Own day-to-day account management for an assigned slice of the crew sales portfolio, including cadence, correspondence, meeting preparation, and follow-through
• Plan and prioritize the crew partnerships business development engagement calendar against live opportunities, event windows, and program deadlines
• Host and convert HQ visits from government delegations, agency leadership, and prospective customers, from agenda to tour to follow-up
• Staff executive meetings (CEO and VP level) with briefing materials, and carry actions to completion afterward
• Represent Vast independently at conferences, agency meetings, and customer engagements
• Work daily with Vast's internal sales intelligence system, directing research, and providing feedback.
• Coordinate across legal, mission operations, astronaut training, and communications teams to keep deals moving between signatures

Minimum Qualifications:

• 5+ years of experience in business development, sales, strategy, or partnerships involving government or institutional customers
• Bachelors degree or equivalent experience

Preferred Skills & Experience:

• Experience in the aerospace, space, defense, or adjacent high-consequence industries
• Experience with space agencies, embassies, or sovereign institutions
• Demonstrated experience preparing and staffing senior-executive or ministerial-level engagements
• Excellent written communication skills, producing briefs, meeting notes, and correspondence that executives can act on without edits
• High judgment on confidentiality and protocol in politically sensitive, multi-country contexts
• A second language (French, Japanese, Arabic, or Spanish especially useful)
• Comfortable working in a high-stress environment balancing several projects at any given time, and the flexibility to adjust for abrupt changes in strategic direction
• Ability to organize, prioritize, and work independently in a startup environment

Additional Requirements:

• Ability to travel up to 50% of the time, internationally and on short notice
• Willingness to work early mornings, evenings, or weekends to support customers and colleagues across international time zones