Business Development Lead - Europe

Business Development Lead - Europe

Full-Time 60000 - 80000 € / year (est.) Home office (partial)
chaos

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Drive business growth in Europe by identifying and securing new opportunities.
  • Company: Join CHAOS Industries, a cutting-edge defence tech company with a global presence.
  • Benefits: Enjoy competitive salary, health benefits, and generous stock options.
  • Other info: Dynamic role with extensive travel and opportunities for career advancement.
  • Why this job: Be a key player in shaping the future of defence technology across Europe.
  • Qualifications: 5+ years in defence business development and strong communication skills required.

The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 € per year.

CHAOS Industries is redefining modern defense with a multi-product portfolio that gives the ultimate advantage - domain dominance. The company's products are powered by Coherent Distributed Networks CDN, empowering warfighters, commercial air operators, and border protection teams to act faster, adapt rapidly, and stay ahead of evolving threats.

Role Overview

As Business Development Lead - Europe, you will build on CHAOS’ current market presence in Europe and play a pivotal role in identifying, pursuing and securing new business across Europe through effective opportunity identification, strategic planning, customer engagement, and capture management. You will collaborate with BD leadership, engineering, and mission execution to identify European opportunities, understand customer needs, engage users, buyers, decision-makers, and influencers, and formulate winning proposals that bring new opportunities and revenue home.

You will be the tip of CHAOS’ spear in Europe – often on the road, identifying and engaging with major defense programs and budget cycles of relevance to CHAOS, finding emerging requirements before our competitors do, and turning customer needs into pipeline and pipeline into customer engagements. The ideal candidate is focused, resourceful, and relentless in pursuit of information; equally at home in a procurement agency office, a NATO conference hall, or sharing a coffee with an operator at a NATO exercise.

This is an exciting opportunity to be among the first members of CHAOS’ rapidly growing European team, dedicated to delivering highly impactful technologies to the defense, national security and critical industrial sectors of European NATO members and partners.

Responsibilities

  • Expand CHAOS’ European pipeline by identifying business opportunities and trends across European MoDs, militaries, procurement agencies, primes and integrators.
  • Provide insights into market dynamics and the European competitor landscape, which contributes to opportunity qualification, teaming determination and narrative development.
  • Qualify business opportunities and evaluate attractiveness and probability of win.
  • Partner with BD and capture leadership to develop comprehensive capture plans at the strategic (pipeline-wide) and tactical (opportunity-specific) levels that align with business priorities and growth targets.
  • Partner with CHAOS government affairs and legal function to ensure that compliance with US government export procedures and licensing are facilitated and adhered to.
  • Attend customer meetings, industry days, conferences, exercises and trade shows across Europe, and act as CHAOS’ ambassador to the customer and the customer’s ambassador back to CHAOS.

Product Roadmap Prioritization

  • Translate European customer priorities into capability needs that inform engineering priorities.
  • Participate in engineering planning sessions to ensure product development efforts are aligned to customer needs.

Proposal and Content Development

  • Serve as the European lead on proposals, market research, and white paper that supports capturing European business.

Physical Location

Ideally based in the London office but remote from European mainland also possible. Heavy travel (typically 50%, with flexibility for higher travel periods) to customer sites across Europe, plus periodic trips to our Los Angeles HQ and Washington, D.C. office.

Minimum Requirements

  • Hunger and initiative. Fight for information, follow weak signals and relish the chase.
  • Education: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., International Relations, War Studies, Engineering, Business, Political Science) or equivalent work experience.
  • Defence BD experience: 5+ years working directly with European militaries, ministries of defence or defence primes through either industry or government employment.
  • Procurement fluency: Strong understanding of European defence procurement and national acquisition processes, non-traditional acquisition pathways, and of the full capture lifecycle.
  • Proposal track record: Significant experience supporting and writing defence proposals, market research and white papers, with demonstrated success capturing multi-million-dollar awards.
  • Communication and judgment: Exceptional written and verbal communication and attention to detail, with discerning strategic thinking and strong risk assessment skills.

Preferred Requirements

  • Domain experience: Radar, RF, sensors, weapons systems, defence technology or communications.
  • European network: Established relationships across European MoDs, militaries or defence primes.
  • A second working language (e.g., German, Polish, Nordic or Baltic language) is a significant plus.
  • Business acumen: Understanding of how to develop business cases and their fit into the overall CHAOS growth strategy.
  • Defense industry knowledge: Understanding of the European defense industrial landscape, both traditional and start ups, and opportunities for effective partnering to enable sales and market entry.

Why CHAOS?

  • Health Benefits: private medical, dental and vision benefits (for employees & dependents) will be 100% paid for by the company.
  • Additional benefits: 5% pension match.
  • Compensation Components: competitive base salaries, generous pre-IPO stock option grants, relocation assistance + (coming soon!) annual bonuses.
  • Team Growth: 250 employees and counting across 5 global offices.

Business Development Lead - Europe employer: chaos

CHAOS Industries is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that thrives on innovation and collaboration within the defence sector. With a strong focus on employee growth, CHAOS provides comprehensive health benefits, competitive salaries, and generous pre-IPO stock options, all while fostering a supportive environment for its team members to excel in their roles across Europe. The London office serves as a strategic hub, allowing employees to engage directly with key stakeholders in the defence industry, making it an exciting place to contribute to impactful technologies.

chaos

Contact Detail:

chaos Recruiting Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

We think this is how you could land Business Development Lead - Europe

Tip Number 1

Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the defence industry. Attend conferences, trade shows, and local meetups to build relationships that could lead to job opportunities. Remember, it's all about who you know!

Tip Number 2

Be proactive in your approach. Don’t just wait for job postings to appear; reach out directly to companies you're interested in, like CHAOS Industries. A well-timed email or LinkedIn message can make all the difference.

Tip Number 3

Showcase your expertise! Create content related to the defence sector, whether it’s articles, blogs, or even videos. This not only demonstrates your knowledge but also positions you as a thought leader in the field.

Tip Number 4

Utilise our website to apply! We’ve got loads of resources and job listings that can help you land that dream role. Plus, applying through us means you’re already on our radar, which is a great start!

We think you need these skills to ace Business Development Lead - Europe

Business Development
Market Analysis
Customer Engagement
Capture Management
Proposal Development
Networking
Strategic Planning

Some tips for your application 🫡

Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Business Development Lead role. Highlight your experience with European defence procurement and any relevant relationships you've built in the industry. We want to see how you can bring value to CHAOS!

Showcase Your Achievements:Don’t just list your responsibilities; showcase your achievements! Use specific examples of how you've successfully captured business or developed strategies in the defence sector. Numbers and results speak volumes, so let us know what you've accomplished.

Be Clear and Concise:When writing your application, clarity is key. Use straightforward language and avoid jargon unless it's industry-specific. We appreciate a well-structured application that gets straight to the point, making it easy for us to see your potential.

Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows us you're keen on joining the CHAOS team!

How to prepare for a job interview at chaos

Know Your Market

Before the interview, dive deep into the European defence landscape. Understand the key players, current trends, and emerging opportunities. This knowledge will not only impress your interviewers but also help you articulate how you can contribute to expanding CHAOS' presence in Europe.

Showcase Your Network

Highlight any existing relationships you have with European MoDs, militaries, or defence primes. Be ready to discuss how these connections can be leveraged to identify new business opportunities. This demonstrates your proactive approach and readiness to hit the ground running.

Prepare for Scenario Questions

Expect questions that assess your problem-solving skills and strategic thinking. Prepare examples from your past experiences where you successfully identified and pursued business opportunities, especially in ambiguous situations. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses.

Align with CHAOS’ Vision

Familiarise yourself with CHAOS Industries' mission and product portfolio. Be prepared to discuss how your background and skills align with their goals. Show enthusiasm for their innovative approach to defence and how you can contribute to their growth in the European market.