Business Development Manager, Ground Combat Vehicles
Primordial Labs · New Haven, United States · remote
About Primordial Labs We're building the next generation interface for commanding autonomous systems in the real world. Our core product, Anura, translates spoken or typed intent into structured actions across drones, sensors, and mission software—enabling faster, more intuitive control in high-stakes environments. We’re a distributed team of engineers, operators, and technologists focused on deploying reliable autonomy at the tactical edge.
The OpportunityWe are looking for a business development lead to own our ground combat vehicle portfolio across the Army and Marine Corps, covering both crewed combat platforms and uncrewed ground vehicles. You'll own captures across ground combat vehicle modernization, upgrade, and ground robotics efforts, work closely with vehicle primes, crew station integrators, UGV OEMs, and autonomy providers, and get in front of the crews, operators, and requirements staff who shape what gets fielded. Manned-unmanned ground teaming sits at the center of this role.
What You'll DoCapture Management and Pipeline Ownership- Own the full capture lifecycle for crewed and uncrewed ground combat vehicle opportunities, from early shaping through proposal submission and contract award.
- Build and run capture plans, including win strategy, competitive assessment, teaming, and pricing.
- Maintain the ground combat pipeline and forecast, including direct awards and revenue through primes and OEM partners; build the business case for top priorities.
- Position for prototyping, experimentation, and transition funding tied to ground combat and ground robotics modernization.
Partner and OEM Development- Maintain relationships with existing prime partners and open new ones with vehicle primes, crew station integrators, UGV OEMs, and autonomy stack providers.
- Identify integration paths and landing points for existing opportunities, and negotiate teaming and licensing agreements with legal and contracts.
- Make sure Anura is part of partner bids and demos.
Customer Engagement and Shaping- Build relationships across ground combat and ground robotics program offices, Army and Marine capability developers, test units, and experimentation formations.
- Engage across customer personas early, from vehicle crews and UGV operators to requirements staff and program leadership, to understand crew and teaming needs and shape requirements around them.
- Plan and support demos, soldier and Marine touchpoints, and exercise participation.
- Represent Primordial Labs at industry days, ground vehicle and robotics events, conferences, and customer meetings.
Market and Competitive Intelligence- Maintain a deep understanding of the ground combat acquisition landscape, contract vehicles, and funding cycles, crewed and uncrewed.
- Track ground vehicle and robotics budget lines, fielding plans, and solicitations, and translate them into capture strategy.
- Track competitors and partners in ground autonomy, robotics, and crew station technology.
- Identify adjacencies such as crew training, route clearance, logistics, base security, and allied ground fleets.
Cross-Functional Collaboration- Partner with engineering and program management so proposals and commitments are technically sound and deliverable, including integration priorities for each vehicle partner.
- Bring customer and market insight into roadmap priorities and go-to-market strategy.
- Coordinate with the C2 lead on ground C2 and mission planning integration.
- Support proposal development, including writing, review, and teaming partner coordination.
About YouExperience:- Manager: 4+ years in business development, capture, or government sales.
- Direct experience with Army or Marine ground combat customers and defense acquisition processes.
- Demonstrated success owning and winning opportunities across the full capture lifecycle.
- Established relationships within ground combat or ground robotics program offices, capability developers, units, combatant commands, or industry partners.
- Previous experience in the ground combat domain (former crew member or leader, UGV operator or tester, platform programmatic, requirements) is a major plus.
Skills- Strong understanding of acquisition pathways and contract vehicles.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, with experience presenting to senior defense leadership.
- Highly organized, able to manage multiple active captures and partner deals at once.
- Proficient in CRM platforms and Microsoft Office.
- Works with autonomy and ownership in a lean, fast-moving environment.
Security Clearance:- Active U.S. government security clearance preferred; ability to obtain and maintain clearance required.
Desirable Qualities- Familiarity with crewed combat platforms, ground autonomy, robotics, human-machine teaming, and human-computer interaction.
- Experience capturing programs related to crewed combat platforms, robotic combat vehicles, or other UGVs.
- Understanding of ground combat C2 and mission planning workflows.
- Prior startup or early-stage defense tech experience.
Important Qualification Note: Due to the nature of our work and federal compliance requirements, this position strictly requires U.S. Citizenship and current residency within the United States. Please note that Permanent Residency (Green Card status) or visa sponsorship cannot satisfy these specific regulatory requirements.
Compensation & Travel- Travel up to 50%.
- Compensation for this position includes a target base salary of $145,000 - $195,000 annually, plus incentives and equity, with the final offer determined by the candidate's experience level.
We’re committed to fair and equitable compensation and are happy to explain how we determine our salary ranges, just ask!
Our Benefits - Beyond a Competitive Salary, we provide a significant equity stake, aligning your growth with ours.
- 100% Remote: This role is fully remote, open to residents across the US. We believe that talent knows no borders (well, except for the US in this case!).
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: We provide comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans so you and your family can stay healthy and worry free.
- Retirement Planning: Plan for tomorrow with our 401(k) package, complete with a generous 6% company match.
- Generous DTO: Our generous Discretionary Time off (DTO) policy is all about helping you take the breaks you deserve and live your healthiest, most fulfilling life.
- Elite Technology Package: Enjoy an elite technology package to make your work effortless and efficient.
Our Interview ProcessOur interview process is designed to be thorough and respectful of your time. It typically includes:
- Conversation with the People Team: Lets get to know one another first!
- Manager Conversation: A chat with the hiring manager to discuss responsibilities, team dynamics, and your relevant experience.
- Team & Process Deep Dive: A 60 minute discussion with cross-functional team members currently supporting our BD efforts. You'll learn about our day to day operations, and we'll discuss your past experience.
- Strategy Discussion: A 45 minute conversation with our Director of Strategy to align on our growth objectives, market opportunities, and long term vision.
- Q&A with our CEO: Final call with our CEO to discuss company culture and get all of your lingering questions answered.
We are committed to a low-stress interview experience. No trick questions or brain teasers!
Primordial Labs is an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating a welcoming and respectful environment for everyone. Discrimination and harassment have no place here. We firmly believe that a diverse team enriches our problem-solving capabilities, sparks greater creativity, and ultimately leads to a better product and a more vibrant company.
We understand that great talent comes from various paths and that passion and transferable skills are invaluable. At Primordial Labs, what truly matte