Job Ref: 214820667

Date: 2021-10-05 13:55:04

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Business Development Manager (439jc) – Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire – circa £45k + Benefits

My client is a rapidly expanding start up, who have grown to 16 personnel in the last 2 years are now seeking to recruit a dynamic BDM to join the team.

DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS RECRUITMENT CONSULTANCY, WE ARE ONLY ABLE TO REPRESENT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EX MILITARY.

Background to the Company

The company is an award-winning, UK-based Scale-Up which has grown from 3 to 16 employees over the past 2 years and benefited from funding and contracts from the UK MOD, DASA and UKRI’s Future Flight Industrial Challenge Fund.

It has used a novel machine learning digital twin ecosystem to develop a range of autonomous drones, some of which capture images, some accurately measure winds and others are capable of precision autonomous delivery.

They have excellent market traction as demonstrated by competitions won, letters of support and interest from leading Tier 1 aerospace and defence companies.

They aim to develop and demonstrate the capability of machine learning Digital Twin optimisation on a wide range of aerial platforms, building towards an automated optimisation solution for other drones and novel aircraft, as well as drones developed by Flare Bright themselves.

They create a software solution that allows the digital twin to build itself. The technology is created and proven by using a unique sensor suite developed by them that links directly with the machine learning digital twin environment.

In summary, their solution is the 'Intel inside' for small and affordable navigation and control systems on autonomous flight systems (not limited to drones) to auto-generate machine learning digital twins and enable the safe, credible, and optimal realisation of future aircraft concepts and aviation systems in rapidly changing and challenging flying environments.

Company Specifics

The current structure of the company are three senior Executives, all on the Board: CEO (engineer by background), CTO (software engineer by background) and CCO (sales and marketing by background), together with our Office Manager and Engineering Manager which make up the Management Team.

They have a highly qualified and enthusiastic workforce of 10 additionally to this, mainly on the software engineering side.

The company is currently delivering 2 UKRI Future Flight grant-funded programmes:

* Safezone, where they are equal partners in a £500k project with another SME

* SATE, a £3.7m project where we are part of a 12-organisation consortium In addition:

* They completed a UK MOD Defence and Security Accelerator grant (which was written up by the UK Govt as a Case Study)

* Commenced a follow-up 13-month £425k DASA grant on 1 June 2021.

* We are also imminently due to come on contract with a 6-month £220k R&D MOD contract.

They are expecting to receive R&D work from the Tier 1 aerospace and defence community and have applied for a 4-year, £1.5m Future Leader Fellowship grant to develop a new strand of the business. They have an extensive network across the aerospace, defence and security sectors in the UK and elsewhere (notably have been selected to participate in the US Army’s Expeditionary Warrior Experiment) and were part of the British Army’s Warfare Experiment 2020.

They have been shortlisted / won several Awards: CogX Best Innovation in Autonomous Vehicles; LA New Mobility Challenge; ADS Security Innovation Award; and Octopus Investments Entrepreneur Award.

Therefore, your role will be to support top management team in assessing opportunities, developing business, and informing strategic decision making.

* Develop business opportunities:

1. Research and identify new business opportunities by exploring trends, customers, partnerships, potential markets, and growth areas.

2. Build and maintain relationships with key strategic partners: tier 1s, end-users, SMEs.

* Product management: find gaps in user-needs through end-user research, inform the development of SnapShot (and other products).

* Proposals/funding/grant support – support/produce documentation as required to support applications.

* Marketing/branding/promotion – support associated activity such as writing press releases, posts, or blogs – lead projects where required.

To be eligible for this role, you will need the following skills and qualifications:

* Likely to be degree-level educated in a technical subject

* Due to the defence nature of this work, being a UK or NATO citizen (or equivalent) will be necessary

* Basic knowledge and understanding of software and machine learning would be desirable

* Understanding of defence market dynamics and how Government, Tier 1 and other SMEs operate in this market

* Understanding of how Future Flight will change the industry, particularly in respect of drones, UAM, eVTOL and the infrastructure around this

* Experience with scale-ups is a bonus

* Some understanding of writing bids and aspects of UK and European grant funding. Experience of contracts with large companies would be a bonus

* We also expect to engage in business with the US Defence Sector in the future, so knowledge of working with US DoD and the US Tier 1 aerospace and defence sector would be valuable

* Good basic computer skills with familiarity of Microsoft Office

* Good communication skills (written and spoken)

* Good organisation and attention to detail

* A driving licence will be useful

Location and Travel

The company is based at a small village, close to Oxford, Bicester and Aylesbury and a candidate is expected to use this as a main base. However, there will be extensive travel involved with this role to customer meetings and to conferences and Trade Shows, mainly in the UK, but also abroad. There is scope for some working from home.

Working at my client, you will be part of a young, friendly, and dynamic team. They offer a professional, respectful working environment and believe in investing in people and giving them as much growth as possible.

They are looking for someone who is motivated, passionate, and enthusiastic.

In return they are offering an excellent starting package, contributary pension scheme and 25 days holiday. They are also offering for the right individual the ability to develop and grow their role within the company.

For more information, please contact Jean-Claude Hedouin, at Ex-Mil Recruitment Ltd on (phone number removed)

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