Business Development Associate

Xona is the navigational intelligence company bringing real‑time, centimetre‑level certainty to any device, anywhere on Earth. With Pulsar – the world’s most advanced PNT satellite infrastructure in Low Earth Orbit – Xona will offer a future‑proof, backwards‑compatible global positioning system optimized for absolute precision, superior power, and robust protection.

Daily life is underpinned by satellite navigation infrastructure, the global economy relies on GNSS and in the UK it is worth an estimated £13,622m per year, supporting everything from consumer applications, to transportation, to time sync for critical infrastructure. As these industries progress towards autonomy, the performance and security demands of their Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT) systems are increasing beyond what GNSS can support, leaving a need for a cost‑effective global solution.

Xona is seeking a Sales Associate to join our growing UK team. This role is designed as an entry point into commercial leadership within the organisation. Initially, you will support business development and sales activities in a back‑of‑house capacity, working closely with technical and commercial teams to understand our products, customers, and markets. Over time, you will take on increasing ownership of customer engagement, sales execution, and government engagement as you build expertise in Xona’s offerings and the broader PNT ecosystem.

What You’ll Do

• Business Development Support – You will support the sales pipeline by conducting market research, identifying target customers, and helping to qualify new opportunities across key verticals.
• Customer & Market Analysis – You will develop a strong understanding of customer needs, use cases, and competitive positioning within the PNT landscape, helping to inform commercial strategy.
• Sales Operations & Coordination – You will assist in preparing proposals, presentations, and commercial materials, as well as coordinating internal stakeholders to support ongoing deals and partnerships.
• Customer Engagement (Progressive Responsibility) – As your experience grows, you will begin to engage directly with customers, supporting meetings, demonstrations, and eventually leading sales discussions and managing accounts.
• Cross‑functional Collaboration – You will work closely with engineering, product, and leadership teams to align customer requirements with product capabilities and roadmap development.

Requirements

• 3–5 years of experience in business development, sales, or a related commercial role.
• Strong understanding of Position, Navigation and Timing (PNT), ideally from a user or application perspective.
• Ability to understand and communicate complex technical concepts to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Experience supporting or managing sales pipelines, CRM tools, and commercial processes including bid writing.
• Experience coordinating with government in both civil and defence.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Highly organised, proactive, and comfortable working in a fast‑paced startup environment.
• Must have right to work in the UK.

Desirable

• Experience in one or more of the following sectors: Agritech, Automotive, Marine, Timing/critical infrastructure, Defence.
• Familiarity with GNSS technologies, PNT solutions, or adjacent space‑based services.
• Experience working in a technical or engineering‑led organisation.
• Exposure to early‑stage or high‑growth companies.

Special Considerations

This role requires Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks, and successful candidates must be eligible to obtain UK Security Clearance (SC).

Benefits

• Flexible working and PTO/time off policy, Xona measures progress by results not time on the clock.
• Hybrid working – three days per week in office in London.
• Supportive parental leave.
• Health insurance.

We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.