At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead business development and build relationships in the space and defence tech sector.
- Company: Optera, a pioneering company in neuromorphic sensor technology for satellites.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, performance-related earnings, equity, and a chance to shape the future.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities to represent Optera at high-level industry events.
- Why this job: Join a founding team and make a significant impact in a rapidly growing industry.
- Qualifications: 10+ years in defence/space with proven deal-closing experience.
The predicted salary is between 100000 - 150000 £ per year.
Optera | Manchester HQ, national UK coverage | Space & Defence Tech Package: Competitive base (circa £100k–£150k DOE) + performance-related earnings + equity
The mission
Satellites in orbit are set to grow six-fold in five years.
Optera builds the neuromorphic sensor tech that tracks them — Space Domain Awareness for an increasingly crowded sky.
Already selling to the UK MOD and the Royal Australian Air Force.
Backed by a £3m seed round (UKI2S, Blackfinch, Foresight, NSSIF).
Alumni of the Thales Alenia Space Accelerator.
We’re hiring our first Commercial Lead — a founding-team-level role to build Optera’s commercial engine from scratch.
The role
- Own business development end-to-end, taking it fully off the CEO’s plate.
- Turn early government funding relationships into multi-million-pound programme-of-record contracts (£0.5m–£6m+).
- Build senior relationships with prime contractors — Thales, BAE Systems, Airbus Defence & Space, Babcock, Northrop Grumman and their peers.
- Represent Optera at industry events, in government forums, and in rooms the CEO can’t be in.
- Shape commercial strategy as the business scales toward a Series A.
- What We’re Looking For
- 10+ years in and around defence/space primes, with deals you’ve personally closed — not just contributed to.
- “Uniform-adjacent,” not ex-military: credible in defence circles, but a closer, not a door-opener.
- A relationship-first operator, not a hunter — this market runs on long cycles and real partnerships.
- Comfortable building a function from nothing, with minimal support.
- Enough technical curiosity to get fluent fast in a deep-tech sensor product.
- A People team built for ambitious businesses
The old model for People & Talent doesn’t work for today's businesses. We've built a better one.
Traditionally, early-stage Founders had two options: handle People & Talent themselves, losing precious time they should be spending on product or go-to‑market, or hire a generalist, expected to cover everything from culture to recruitment to performance.
We offer a more impactful alternative: A fully flexible, fractional People & Talent team with specialist skillsets and hands‑on delivery, ready to start driving impact for your business in weeks, not months.
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Commercial Lead - Space / Satellite / Semi-conductor Tech in London employer: Foundation Partners
Foundation Partners is an exceptional employer that prioritises employee engagement and development within a vibrant work culture. With a competitive salary range of £40,000 to £50,000 per annum, employees benefit from valuable perks and opportunities for professional growth, making it an ideal place for those passionate about shaping HR operations and supporting diverse clients.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Commercial Lead - Space / Satellite / Semi-conductor Tech in London
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We think you need these skills to ace Commercial Lead - Space / Satellite / Semi-conductor Tech in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Highlight Your Analytical Skills:In the business intelligence field, showcasing your analytical skills is a must. Make sure your CV includes relevant experience with data analysis tools, programming languages like SQL or Python, and any projects where you've interpreted complex data sets to drive business decisions.
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Tailor Your Documents for Us:When applying for a full-time role at Foundation Partners, tailor your CV and cover letter to reflect our organisational goals and strategies. Mention specific tools and methodologies that align with what we do—this shows you’ve done your homework and are genuinely interested in our mission!
Include Relevant Certifications:Certifications like Google Data Analytics or similar qualifications can really make you stand out in business intelligence. Include these in your application, as they demonstrate your commitment to the field and your willingness to stay current with industry standards.
How to prepare for a job interview at Foundation Partners
✨Show off your analytical skills
In a business intelligence role, you're going to need to demonstrate your analytical prowess. Be prepared to discuss specific tools you've used, like SQL, Tableau, or Power BI. Have real-world examples ready where you’ve turned data into actionable insights – this is what makes us shine in interviews!
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Expect some technical questions during the interview that dive deep into your understanding of data modelling and analytics frameworks. Brush up on your knowledge of data warehousing concepts and be ready to tackle any real case scenarios they might present. They’ll want to see how you approach problems using your BI toolkit.
✨Portfolio of Projects
Since it's a full-time role, having a strong portfolio is key! Compile case studies demonstrating your previous projects, preferably showing how your insights led to business improvements. This can help us display how you think through complex datasets and your problem-solving process, which is what employers are keen on seeing.
✨Know their business model
Get familiar with Foundation Partners’s business model and recent data-driven decisions. Be prepared to discuss how your skills can specifically support their objectives or challenges. Understanding their landscape shows that you’re not just a data buff, but you’re also genuinely interested in how BI can impact their bottom line.
