Director of Strategy & Market Development

Location: Remote
Travel: 35%
Clearance: U.S. Citizen with the ability and willingness to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance (sponsorship available)

About NODA

NODA is a Veteran-owned, venture-backed technology company that is transforming how unmanned systems collaborate in complex, mission-critical environments. We are developing next-generation solutions that enable the autonomous orchestration of heterogeneous unmanned systems across air, sea, land, and space with vital applications in the defense, intelligence, and commercial sectors.

Our Business Development team plays a critical role in shaping how autonomous systems are adopted across the defense enterprise, influencing requirements before they are written, shaping acquisition strategies before they are released, and accelerating the transition of next-generation autonomy capabilities from concept to operational deployment.

Joining NODA means working on meaningful technology that pushes the boundaries of autonomy alongside a team that thrives on innovation, rapid iteration, and collaboration.

The Role

NODA is seeking a Director, Strategy & Market Development to lead our market strategy and help shape NODA's long-term position within defense and national security ecosystem. This is a senior individual contributor role responsible for developing a deep understanding of defense priorities, acquisition environment, operational requirements and workflows, geopolitical dynamics, and stakeholder landscape and translating those insights into actionable strategy for NODA. You will build and maintain trusted relationships across the government and defense community, identify where NODA's technology can address emerging operational needs, and help position the company ahead of future requirements and programs.

The role sits at the intersection of strategy, government engagement, market intelligence, and business development. You will serve as a key source of in-market insight for NODA's leadership and partner with the Growth organization, helping the company understand where the market is moving, where NODA should invest and how we should engage to build a durable presence OCONUS. You will also help connect NODA across the broader defense ecosystem, ensuring our regional strategy reflects not only operational priorities, but also the U.S. defense policy, security cooperation, funding, and acquisition mechanisms that can influence how capabilities are evaluated, funded, procured, and fielded.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and continuously refine NODA's market strategy based on defense priorities, operational requirements, acquisition trends, budgets, policy developments, geopolitical dynamics, and competitive intelligence.

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with key stakeholders across the defense, national security, government, and broader defense ecosystem.

• Grow relationships across the broader defense ecosystem, including relevant U.S. government, security cooperation, industry, research, and regional stakeholders.

• Develop a comprehensive stakeholder map across relevant ministries, military services, acquisition organizations, research institutions, industry partners, U.S. government organizations, and other entities influencing defense modernization priorities.

• Identify emerging mission needs and capability gaps where NODA's autonomous orchestration technology can create meaningful operational value.

• Maintain an informed understanding of relevant U.S. defense policy, budgets, security cooperation priorities, INDOPACOM strategy, and regional defense objectives and assess how they may affect NODA's market objectives.

• Provide leadership with timely market intelligence and strategic assessments regarding defense priorities, procurement environment, competitive landscape, policy developments, and evolving opportunities.

• Conduct competitive and market analysis to understand the regional defense technology landscape, identify potential partners and competitors, and inform NODA's positioning and investment decisions.

• Translate in-market intelligence into clear recommendations regarding where NODA should invest time, resources, partnerships, and technical engagement.

• Engage stakeholders early in the requirements development process to help NODA understand and, where appropriate, inform future concepts, requirements, acquisition strategies, experimentation efforts, and programs.

• Develop a strong understanding of the acquisition, funding, security cooperation, and government-to-government pathways that may enable NODA technologies to be evaluated, procured, and fielded.

• Understand and help navigate relevant security cooperation authorities and international acquisition pathways, including FMS, DCS, hybrid acquisition approaches and international armaments cooperation, in partnership with NODA's Growth, Legal, and other relevant teams.

• Identify and develop strategic pathways for NODA technologies to move from demonstrations and evaluations toward operational adoption and scaled deployment.

• Develop and execute strategic engagement plans designed to strengthen NODA's credibility, visibility, and positioning within the defense and national security ecosystem.

• Partner closely with Business Development and Capture to identify and qualify strategic opportunities and provide the market intelligence, stakeholder context, and positioning necessary to support successful pursuit strategies.

• Partner closely with Product, Engineering, Operations, Legal, Finance and executive leadership to align market priorities with NODA's broader company and product strategy and coordinate execution of complex strategic initiatives.

• Translate customer and market insights into actionable feedback for Product and Engineering, helping ensure NODA's technical roadmap remains informed by evolving operational requirements.

• Support the development of market entry, positioning, engagement, and capture strategies for priority opportunities.

• Identify strategic partnerships and ecosystem relationships that strengthen NODA's ability to operate, integrate, and scale.

• Engage with relevant research institutions, think tanks, industry associations, and other organizations that influence defense policy, technology adoption, and the regional national security dialogue.

• Develop strategic materials, including market assessments, executive briefings, white papers, presentations, and positioning materials, to support internal decision-making and external engagement.

• Represent NODA at relevant government engagements, defense forums, industry events, exercises, demonstrations and strategic discussions across the region.

• Position NODA as a credible thought partner on autonomy, unmanned systems, multi-domain orchestration, and emerging defense technology within the defense modernization ecosystem.

• Maintain a disciplined view of the opportunity landscape, including stakeholder priorities, program timelines, funding pathways, acquisition mechanisms, competitive positioning, and strategic risks.

• Regularly synthesize market developments, engagement activity, strategic opportunities, and risks into clear, decision-oriented reporting for NODA's executive leadership.

• Serve as a trusted internal advisor on defense market and provide leadership with clear, candid assessments of opportunities, risks, and recommended actions.

• Coordinate closely with NODA's U.S.-based leadership and Growth organization to ensure OCONUS activities remain aligned with company priorities and applicable U.S. and regulatory requirements.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Business Administration, or adjacent field

• 10+ years of experience in defense, national security, government, military, strategy, international business development, or a related field.

• U.S. Citizenship required due to ITAR regulations & the ability to obtain and maintain a DoD security clearance

• Significant experience working within or alongside defense, national security, or government ecosystem.

• Demonstrated understanding of defense priorities, military structure, acquisition environment, defense modernization efforts, and regional security dynamics.

• Established ability to build trusted relationships with senior government, military, industry, and other national security stakeholders.

• Experience developing market, defense, or regional strategies and translating complex geopolitical, operational, policy, and market dynamics into actionable business recommendations.

• Strong understanding of defense acquisition processes and how operational requirements progress from identified mission need through experimentation, funding, procurement, and fielding.

• Working knowledge of U.S. defense policy, budgeting, security cooperation, and acquisition processes and their implications for international defense partnerships and technology adoption.

• Experience navigating or working alongside international defense acquisition, security cooperation, Foreign Military Sales (FMS), or related government-to-government defense mechanisms.

• Ability to understand complex defense technologies and translate technical capabilities into operational relevance for government and military stakeholders.

• Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex market, policy, operational, and stakeholder information into concise recommendations for executive audiences.

• Demonstrated ability to operate independently in a highly dynamic environment with limited day-to-day oversight.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to brief senior executives and government stakeholders.

• Ability and willingness to travel internationally as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• MBA or relevant graduate-level defense/policy education.

• Prior military service, with operational time in INDOPACIFIC or APAC AO; or senior civilian experience within defense, military, national security or government organizations.

• Active security clearance

• Experience working with the Ministry of National Defense, military services, defense research organizations, acquisition organizations, or other stakeholders involved in defense modernization.

• Experience working with or alongside relevant U.S. national security organizations, including the Department of Defense, Department of State, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, its component commands, U.S. government organizations supporting security cooperation, or other regionally focused organizations.

• Experience working with partner nation militaries, security cooperation organizations, or allied defense and national security stakeholders in the Indo-Pacific.

• Experience with unmanned systems, autonomy, command and control, robotics, AI/ML, mission systems, or other defense technology domains.

• Experience working with U.S. defense technology companies, defense cooperation, security cooperation organizations, or international defense programs.

• Familiarity with the defense industrial base and relevant technology, integration, manufacturing, and strategic partners.

• Experience supporting experimentation, exercises, demonstrations, or R&D initiatives designed to evaluate and transition emerging defense technologies into operational use.

• Experience supporting the transition of emerging technologies from demonstration or experimentation into programs, procurement, or operational use.

• Familiarity with Foreign Military Sales (FMS), Direct Commercial Sales (DCS), hybrid acquisition approaches, international armaments cooperation, or other international defense acquisition pathways.

• Understanding of U.S. export controls, including ITAR and EAR, and their implications for international defense engagement.

• Existing senior-level relationships within the defense and national security ecosystem.

• Experience engaging with defense-focused research institutions, think tanks, industry associations, or policy organizations.

Skills & Attributes

• Strong strategic judgment with the ability to connect defense policy, budgets, regional dynamics, operational needs, and acquisition activity to NODA's market strategy.

• Proven ability to build credibility and trusted relationships with senior government, military, industry, and defense stakeholders.

• Operational mindset and an ability to understand customer problems, mission needs, and workflows, then connect them to NODA's capabilities.

• Comfortable working ahead of formal requirements and identifying where early engagement can influence future priorities and opportunities.

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to make sense of complex market, competitive, policy, and geopolitical information and turn it into practical recommendations.

• Clear, concise communicator who can brief senior government, military, and company leaders and adapt effectively to different audiences.

• Highly self-directed and comfortable operating with ambiguity, building structure, and moving priorities forward without significant oversight.

• Sound judgment and willingness to provide a candid assessment, including when an opportunity is not viable or does not align with NODA's priorities.

• Collaborative and able to work effectively across Growth, Product, Engineering, Operations, Legal, Finance, and executive leadership.

• Strong understanding of the relationship-driven nature of doing business across the U.S. and defense environments.

• Mission-oriented, pragmatic, and focused on delivering meaningful outcomes for NODA and its customers.

Benefits & Perks

Our culture fosters collaboration, respect, and trust, empowering passionate people to do their best work. We offer a competitive salary, comprehensive benefits, and opportunities for career growth. In addition to an opportunity to take part in an innovative, collaborative and fast-growing business with a highly motivated and skilled team, we also take pride in taking care of our employees. Here are just a few ways that we show our appreciation:

• We offer comprehensive medical, dental, and visions plans

• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan to invest in your long-term retirement goals + Company match

• Equity grants for new hires

• Unlimited PTO

• 11 Paid holidays

• Extremely generous company holiday calendar, including a holiday hiatus in November, & December.

• Generous Parental Leave

• Military Leave for annual training or service requirements

• FSA

• DCFSA

• HSA

• Professional Development Opportunities

• Access to One Medical

• Mental Health Resources: We provide free mental health resources 24/7 including therapy and more. Additional work-life services, such as free legal and financial support, are available to you as well.

Export Control Compliance

To conform to U.S. government export control regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR), you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or otherwise eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State or U.S. Department of Commerce.

Equal Opportunity Statement

NODA AI is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace and to maintaining equitable employment and hiring practices. We provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees and make all employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

As a federal contractor, NODA AI complies with all applicable equal employment opportunity and affirmative action requirements, including Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA), as amended. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities throughout the recruiting, hiring, and employment process.

Consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with applicable fair chance and ban-the-box laws, including the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance where applicable. We actively encourage qualified individuals of all backgrounds, including women, minorities, protected veterans, and individuals with disabilities, to apply.

NODA AI is committed to fostering an inclusive, supportive, and accessible work environment for all applicants and employees. If you require accommodations or assistance during the application process, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at careers@NodaIntelligence.ai or contact your recruiter so we can provide the support you need.