Business Development Lead to the CEO (Chief of Staff – BD)

Location: Brooklyn, NY (in-person 1–2 days/week; more frequent in first 6 months)

Travel: Regular travel required

Type: Full-time

About the Role

We are a 20-person, fast-moving company led by a highly entrepreneurial CEO. This role is for a high-agency, execution-focused operator who will work directly with the CEO to drive business development efforts from idea to outcome.

The CEO generates new opportunities, partnerships, and initiatives at a rapid pace. Your role is to turn those opportunities into tangible results—preparing materials, driving follow-ups, and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

This is not a purely strategic or relationship-management role. It is a hands-on, get-it-done role for someone who thrives in ambiguity, moves quickly, and takes ownership.

We are specifically looking for someone who enjoys execution and follow-through, not just strategy or relationship management.

What You’ll Do

• Drive business development execution
  • Turn conversations, ideas, and opportunities into clear next steps and outcomes
  • Track and push forward deals, partnerships, and external initiatives
• Own follow-through
  • Ensure every meeting results in clear action items and timely execution
  • Relentlessly follow up with internal and external stakeholders
• Create high-quality materials
  • Draft memos, emails, and proposals
  • Build clear, compelling slide decks for partners, customers, and investors
• Support CEO externally
  • Prepare briefs for meetings and calls
  • Join key meetings and capture decisions, risks, and next steps
• Support CEO effectiveness
  • Manage and prioritize the CEO’s calendar to align with company priorities
  • Ensure the CEO is prepared for all meetings with clear context and materials
  • Optimize scheduling to maximize time spent on highest-value activities
• Wear many hats
  • Jump into whatever is needed to move a deal or initiative forward
  • Operate across sales, partnerships, strategy, and execution
• Travel as needed
  • Attend partner meetings, customer visits, and key events

What Success Looks Like

• Opportunities move quickly from conversation to execution
• External partners receive clear, timely, and professional follow-up
• The CEO’s time is leveraged and focused on highest-value activities
• Nothing important gets dropped
• Materials (decks, memos, emails) are consistently high quality and on time

Who You Are

• High agency / self-starter – you take initiative without waiting for direction
• Relentless executor – you follow through until things are done
• Go-getter attitude – you move quickly and push through obstacles
• Strong communicator – excellent writing and presentation skills
• Highly organized – able to manage many parallel workstreams
• Comfortable with ambiguity – you can create structure where none exists
• Low ego, high ownership – willing to do whatever it takes to get results
• Comfortable across levels of work – you are willing to handle both high-impact external work and the day-to-day tasks required to keep execution moving

Preferred Background

• 4–8 years of experience in:
  • business development, partnerships, or startup roles
  • consulting or other fast-paced, execution-heavy environments
• Experience working closely with senior leadership or founders is a plus
• Military experience is a plus (but not required)
• Data center or energy experience is a plus (but not required)

Why This Role

• Work directly with the CEO on high-impact initiatives
• Significant ownership and visibility across the business
• Opportunity to operate across strategy, partnerships, and execution
• Fast-paced environment with meaningful responsibility early

Compensation

• Salary: $120K–$160K (top of band reserved for exceptional candidates)
• Bonus and/or equity

How to Apply

1. Resume
2. A brief example of something you personally drove from idea to execution
3. (Optional) A writing sample or slide deck

Interview Process

Interview —> Take-home project —> Trial week —> Full hire