Commercial Lead

Company NewOrbit builds satellites that fly in very low Earth orbit, below 300 km, along with the electric propulsion that keeps them there. Flying closer to Earth means sharper imagery from smaller optics, and an orbit that cleans itself: our satellites de-orbit within a month at end of life, leaving no debris. Our AURA family of RF gridded ion thrusters powers our own NEO-1 satellite, with first flight planned for Q3 2028, and is also offered to other operators. Electric propulsion is what lets our satellites hold very low orbits, and our AURA RF gridded ion thruster is at the centre of it. Your Role We are seeking an experienced Commercial Lead to build and lead a high-performing commercial function that drives strategic customer relationships and secures high-value contracts with both government customers and large enterprises (primarily satellite primes and OEMs). You'll own the path from shaping opportunities before tenders open, through leading competitive proposals, to securing multi-year contracts and driving sustained account growth. Your ability to navigate complex, high-stakes deals, foster a results-driven culture, and partner with our engineering and business teams will directly influence NewOrbit's market leadership. Key Responsibilities • Dual-market ownership (Gov & Enterprise): Build and execute account strategies for agencies and large companies; map stakeholders, budgets, and decision paths; shape requirements before tenders open. • Tender intelligence & capture: Track pipelines across government portals and enterprise sourcing calendars; run capture plans, win themes, and competitor/price-to-win analyses; lead bid/no-bid decisions. • Proposal leadership: Orchestrate compliant submissions; coordinate clarifications, BAFO, and oral presentations. • Complex deal negotiation: Close supply, licensing, and co-development agreements; negotiate IP, warranties/liability, service levels, and milestone payments aligned to TRL gates. • Partnerships & consortia: Structure teaming with primes, SMEs, universities, and test partners to strengthen bids and delivery confidence. • Forecasting & governance: Maintain a transparent pipeline with stage gating, ACV/TCV, probability, and cycle metrics; report risks/mitigations and drive executive decision forums. • Voice of customer: Feed market and procurement insights into roadmaps, qualification timelines, pricing, and make/buy decisions. • Compliance & controls: Work with Legal/Compliance on export control (UK/EU/US regimes), information security, and public-sector procurement rules. • Market presence & pitching: Represent NewOrbit at industry events, tender briefings, space conferences, and executive reviews; deliver compelling pitches and presentations that clearly communicate our vision and value proposition. • Team leadership: Build, mentor, and inspire a high-performing commercial team, fostering persistence, creativity, and a results-driven culture. Fundamental Requirements • Space industry experience (required): Must have direct experience selling satellites or space hardware - payloads, cameras, antennas, subsystems. Candidates without space industry sales experience will not be considered. • Experience: Minimum 5 years in business development or key accounts, with wins across government procurement and large-enterprise buying centres. • Customer knowledge: Up to date on where satellite/space hardware customers are coming from today, across government, primes, and OEMs - not relying on outdated relationships. • Full sales cycle ownership: Demonstrated experience across all stages - pre-tender shaping, capture planning, proposal/bid leadership, negotiation, and contract close. • Tender mastery: Demonstrated success leading competitive bids (capture planning