Business Development Lead - Europe in London

Business Development Lead - Europe in London

London Full-Time 60000 - 80000 £ / year (est.) Home office (partial)
J

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead business development efforts across Europe, identifying and securing defence opportunities.
  • Company: Join CHAOS Industries, a pioneer in modern defence technology.
  • Benefits: Enjoy comprehensive health benefits, competitive salary, and stock options.
  • Other info: Dynamic role with extensive travel and growth opportunities in a rapidly expanding team.
  • Why this job: Be at the forefront of defence innovation and make a real impact.
  • Qualifications: 5+ years in defence business development with strong communication skills.

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

Lead European business development and capture to win defense opportunities.

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.

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. This includes continuous opportunity monitoring through active networking on the ground and using open-source channels.
  • 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.
  • Partner with CHAOS government affairs for effective engagement of the Washington-based diplomatic community and US security cooperation agencies.
  • 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. Be the first to volunteer for a difficult opportunity, the first to find a way through ambiguity, bureaucracy and language barriers, and the first to bring opportunities home.
  • 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. You will be communicating with stakeholders at every level, from working-level engineers to general officers, ministers and CEOs.

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.

The stated compensation range reflects only the targeted base compensation range and excludes additional earnings such as bonus, equity, and benefits. If your compensation requirements fall outside of the range, we still encourage you to apply. The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations.

Business Development Lead - Europe in London employer: jobs.frontdoordefense.com - Jobboard

CHAOS Industries is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work culture that fosters innovation and collaboration in the defence sector. With comprehensive health benefits, a competitive pension match, and generous pre-IPO stock options, employees are well-supported both personally and professionally. The London office serves as a hub for growth, providing unique opportunities to engage with European defence markets while being part of a rapidly expanding team dedicated to impactful technologies.

J

Contact Details:

jobs.frontdoordefense.com - Jobboard Recruitment Team

StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫

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

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 openings to pop up; reach out to companies you admire, like CHAOS Industries, and express your interest. A well-timed email can make all the difference!

Tip Number 3

Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its products. Understand their market position and be ready to discuss how your skills can help them achieve their goals. Show them you’re not just another candidate, but the right fit!

Tip Number 4

Utilise our website to apply directly for roles. It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in being part of our team at CHAOS!

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

Business Development
Opportunity Identification
Strategic Planning
Customer Engagement
Capture Management
Market Dynamics Analysis
Networking

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 processes, and any relevant relationships you've built in the industry. We want to see how you fit into our mission!

Showcase Your Achievements:When detailing your past experiences, focus on specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to secure business and engage with stakeholders. Use numbers and examples to illustrate your success in capturing multi-million-dollar awards or developing strategic partnerships.

Be Clear and Concise:Keep your writing clear and to the point. We appreciate well-structured applications that are easy to read. Avoid jargon unless it's industry-specific and relevant. Remember, we want to understand your qualifications without wading through unnecessary fluff!

Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to submit your application directly through our website. This ensures it gets to the right people quickly and efficiently. Plus, it shows us you're serious about joining the CHAOS team!

How to prepare for a job interview at jobs.frontdoordefense.com - Jobboard

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 CHAOS Industries' growth in Europe.

Showcase Your Network

Highlight any established relationships you have with European MoDs, militaries, or defence primes. Be ready to discuss how these connections can be leveraged for CHAOS. A strong network can be a game-changer in business development roles.

Prepare for Scenario Questions

Expect questions that assess your problem-solving skills and strategic thinking. Prepare examples of how you've identified and pursued business opportunities in the past, especially in challenging environments. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your responses.

Demonstrate Your Passion

CHAOS is looking for someone who is hungry and proactive. Share stories that showcase your initiative and determination in previous roles. Whether it’s chasing down leads or navigating complex procurement processes, let your enthusiasm shine through!