Founding Business Development Manager

We are hiring a Business Development Leader to accelerate Aether's commercial growth in the U.S. market. This is a high-impact, high-autonomy role for someone who takes ownership of outcomes and has a proven track record of building revenue from the ground up.

You will be our first addition to the business development team. You'll work hand-in-hand with our scientific and BD teams to translate Aether's breakthrough filament materials capabilities into compelling commercial outcomes.

You will develop and close pipeline across customers and partners operating in:

• Advanced manufacturing & additive manufacturing (FDM printer OEMs, service bureaus)

• Military & defense (primes, Tier 1/2 suppliers, DoD programs)

• Transportation and Industrial 

• Government innovation bodies, R&D agencies, and national labs

• Own the full sales cycle, from prospect identification through close, across priority verticals.

• Build and manage a robust, data-driven pipeline with accurate forecasting.

• Define and execute a go-to-market strategy in partnership with leadership.

• Lead complex, multi-stakeholder sales engagements with engineering teams, R&D leadership, CTO offices, and procurement.

• Build trust with highly technical buyers by combining commercial acumen with a genuine understanding of customer problems.

• Structure deals including pilot projects, PoCs, joint development agreements, and multi-year partnerships.

• Translate customer challenges into compelling value propositions grounded in Aether's materials science capabilities.

• Map the U.S. ecosystem: OEMs, Tier 1/2 suppliers, additive manufacturing partners, defense innovation units, and industrial conglomerates.

• Identify early commercial pathways where Aether's materials drive step-change performance for customers.

• Represent Aether at industry events, conferences, and in ecosystem consortiums.

• You are a hunter - filling the funnel with opportunities

• You take ownership of outcomes and are motivated by building something from the ground up

• You’re persistent and resourceful, especially when deals are ambiguous or slow moving

• You balance urgency and thoughtfulness in technical, high-stakes environments

• You earn trust quickly with engineers and operators by focusing on substance over style

• 6+ years in enterprise sales - ideally in advanced materials, 3D printing, industrial tech, or deeptech.

• History of proactively sourcing and advancing opportunities, not relying on inbound demand or established brand pull.

• Demonstrated track record of closing complex, high-value deals with long sales cycles in engineering-led environments.

• Ability to maintain momentum across long sales cycles with multiple stakeholders and ambiguous buying processes.

• Experience selling into military, defense, transportation or industrial manufacturing verticals.

• Proven ability to build commercial momentum at an early-stage or Series A/B company.

• Ability to credibly engage with technical buyers: engineers, R&D directors, CTO offices, and program managers.

• Comfortable operating with high autonomy in a fast-moving, resource-constrained environment.

• Experience with regulated, security-conscious environments (defense procurement, government contracts, etc.).

• Background in materials science, chemical engineering, industrial biotech, or a related applied science (degree helpful but not required).

• Familiarity with DoD innovation programs (SBIR, DARPA, DIU, etc.) and government procurement pathways.

• Experience at a deeptech startup or dual-use technology company.

• Existing relationships within military/defense primes or additive manufacturing OEMs.

The pay range for this role is $160,000 – $180,000 base salary with $260,000 – $320,000 on-target earnings. Final compensation is based on skills and experience. Equity participation included.