Commercial Lead - Business Development

Who We Are:Venus Aerospace is revolutionizing rocket engine propulsion. With the first generational leap in rocket engine technology since Apollo, our proprietary Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine and Venus Detonation Ramjets deliver historic efficiency and performance across aerospace applications. We are building the next generation of propulsion platforms that enable breakthrough capabilities in space, defense, and commercial high-speed flight. Our team thrives on solving the toughest engineering challenges and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in aerospace. At Venus, we’re looking for bold engineers and innovators who want to make history and redefine the future of propulsion.The Role: Commercial Lead (Business Development) The Commercial Lead will serve as a core contributor to the company’s commercial growth efforts, reporting directly to the Head of Business Development. As the company transitions from deep tech R&D to scaled programs and long-term contracts, this role will sit at the center of opportunity execution: supporting active customer pursuits, managing ongoing contract obligations, and ensuring rigor across the full sales and delivery lifecycle.In this role, you will combine structured execution, analytical rigor, and strong customer-facing communication to help move opportunities from early conversations through contract award and execution. This position is well-suited for someone with experience in management consulting, finance, or a similarly demanding, execution-oriented environment.What You’ll Get to DoBusiness Development Execution & Sales Cycle Support:Support the full business development lifecycle, from early-stage customer conversations and opportunity shaping through proposal submission, negotiation, and contract award. Partner with the Head of Business Development and technical leadership to prepare for and participate in customer meetings, briefings, and reviews. Develop customer-facing materials including pitch decks, capability briefings, proposals, and follow-up communications. Help translate complex technical and programmatic concepts into clear, compelling value propositions for customer and partner audiences.Contract Management:Establish contract management function to provide support for active customer contracts, ensuring obligations, milestones, and deliverables are tracked and executed on time. Coordinate across engineering, finance, legal, and operations to support contract execution and customer commitments. Maintain visibility into contract status, risks, dependencies, and upcoming customer-facing deliverables. Support internal and external reviews tied to program performance and customer expectations.Financial Modeling & Commercial Analysis:Build and maintain financial models to support proposals, pricing, and commercial decision-making. Partner with finance and leadership to assess deal structures, margins, and tradeoffs across customer opportunities. Support scenario analysis and sensitivity modeling to inform pursuit strategy and negotiations.Customer Engagement & Relationship Support:Serve as a credible, prepared representative in customer interactions, supporting executive and technical leaders as needed. Own preparation of meeting materials, agendas, pre-reads, and follow-ups to ensure high-quality customer engagements. Capture customer feedback and translate insights into actionable next steps for internal teams.Cross-Functional Coordination:Act as connective tissue between business development, product, engineering, finance, legal, and operations. Support internal decision-making by consolidating data across active projects and proposals for our executive leadership team. Help establish and maintain repeatable processes for opportunity tracking, proposal development, and contract handoff.What You HaveBachelor’s degree in business, engineering, economics, or a related field5 years of professional experience in management consulting, business development, finance, strategy, or a related roleStrong analytical and financial modeling skills, with experience supporting pricing, proposals, or investment decisionsExceptional written and verbal communication skills, particularly executive-level communicationsDemonstrated ability to prepare polished, high-quality presentations and customer-facing materialsExperience working directly with customers or external stakeholders in high-consequence environmentsStrong organizational skills and comfort managing multiple workstreams simultaneouslyCollaborative, proactive, and execution-oriented mindsetWhat Will Set You ApartMBA or other advanced degreeBackground in aerospace, defense, national security, or deep techPrior experience supporting complex contracts or government-funded programsExperience in a growth-stage (Series B–C or equivalent) technology companyAbility to operate comfortably in ambiguous, fast-moving environments while maintaining rigor and attention to detailLocation: This role may be performed rem