VP, Business Development - EMEA

Job description

Wanna join the adventure?   As our VP, Business Development – EMEA at Loft, you will lead the creation and execution of high-value, multi-year commercial and institutional sales across Europe. This role is designed for a seasoned business development leader in the space sector, combined with a proven ability to engage European institutional stakeholders and close complex, high-stakes deals.   You will operate at the intersection of commercial growth and strategic customer engagement, working directly with executive leadership at partner companies, agencies, and institutional customers. You will manage Loft’s entire EMEA sales engine—driving revenue across commercial and institutional accounts, embedding Loft’s infrastructure into long-term programs, shaping strategic partnerships, negotiating key commercial agreements, and supporting joint ventures or investment-driven opportunities. About the Role: Lead Loft Orbital’s business development and sales efforts across Europe, driving growth in both commercial and institutional segments. Develop and execute strategies to influence RFPs and customer priorities, engaging continuously with key stakeholders, producing thought leadership content, and raising Loft’s visibility in the market. Own and coordinate proposal development and deal execution, ensuring seamless integration of technical and commercial inputs across teams. Identify, pursue, and close new institutional and commercial opportunities, building strong relationships with agencies, government bodies, and private-sector partners. Build and maintain a high-value, dynamic sales pipeline, proactively identifying opportunities and translating market intelligence into actionable strategies. Lead contract negotiations and deal structuring, securing long-term, high-impact agreements with both commercial and institutional customers. Drive strategic communications and thought leadership, including white papers and technical proposals, to establish Loft as a trusted, innovative partner in Europe. Represent Loft at the highest levels of engagement with Government & Commercial entities. Clearly communicate Loft’s capabilities—satellite systems, software platforms, mission operations—to both commercial and institutional stakeholders, highlighting Loft’s agility and innovative approach. Synthesize and effectively communicate Loft Orbital’s capabilities, including software development, satellite system design, and satellite operations, to institutional and commercial stakeholders across Europe. Must Haves: Proven track record of securing high-value deals with European institutional stakeholders (CNES, ESA, EC, DLR, UKSA, etc.). 12+ years experience in business development or customer-facing roles across the space, aerospace, or defense industries. Executive presence with the ability to engage CEOs, agency leaders, and senior decision-makers. Deep understanding of European institutional procurement processes and RFP cycles. Experience leading proposal development and deal structuring, including technical and commercial inputs. Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship management skills. Technical fluency in space systems, satellite operations, or related technologies, enough to bridge engineering and customers. ••Fluency in French and English, both written and spoken. Nice to Haves: Existing networks with European institutional stakeholders or emerging space companies. Experience in fast-growing, entrepreneurial NewSpace companies or venture-backed startups. Background in satellite systems, mission operations, or space software development. Familiarity with commercial space markets and emerging European space initiatives. ••Track record of scaling BD operations or building repeatable sales processes in a startup or agile environment. Some of Our Awesome Benefits: Equity, we want you to have an active role in our success Up to 35 days of Paid Time Off (vacations & RTT ) and flexible working hours, we want you to be at your best Health and life insurance, we care about your health Lunch Vouchers, because let’s be honest, we love food! (we even have a slack channel about it #loft-gourmand ) Cross-office travel opportunities between San Francisco, Colorado, and Toulouse to learn from our differences Company and team off-sites and many other events to work & celebrate together Relocation assistance to Toulouse when applicable *Research shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other underrepresented people tend to only apply when they meet 100% of the qualifications. At Loft, we value respectful debate and people who aren’t afraid to challenge assumptions.  We strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don’t check all the boxes. Who We Are Loft: Space Made Simple.  Founded in 2017, Loft provides governments, companies, and research institutions with a fast, reliable, and simple way to deploy missions in orbit. We integrate, launch, and operate spacecraft, offering end-to-end missions as a service across Earth observation, IoT connectivity, on-orbit AI, national security missions, and more. Leveraging our existing space infrastructure and an extensive inventory of satellite buses, Loft is reducing years-long integration and launch timelines to months. With more than 30 missions flown, Loft’s flight heritage and proven technologies enable customers to focus on their mission objectives. With a growing fleet on track to reach 30 satellites by 2027, we are scaling up quickly across our offices in San Francisco, CA | Golden, CO | and Toulouse, France to meet accelerating demand for space infrastructure. As an international company your resume will be reviewed by people across our offices so please attach a copy in English.