Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Skyward Wildfire Technologies is building tools to help organizations predict and prevent lightning-caused wildfires. The Lead, U.S. Business Development will grow the company's business across the United States by developing markets, building customer and government relationships, and leading opportunities from early engagement through funded pilots, contracts, partnerships, and operational programs.
Responsibilities
- Drive New Business: Build and own a pipeline of opportunities across Skyward’s software and wildfire prevention offerings, from pilots and early deployments through multi-year contracts and operational programs
- Market Development: Develop priority markets across the United States, with a particular focus on wildfire prone states including Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, California, and Alaska
- Customer Relationships: Build trusted relationships with government agencies, utilities, landowners, infrastructure operators, and other organizations responsible for managing wildfire risk
- Opportunity Development: Lead opportunities from initial customer engagement through program design, commercial strategy, proposal development, contracting, and award
- Government & Funding Strategy: Understand government budgets, appropriations, grants, and procurement pathways where they can support customer adoption and funded programs
- Partnerships: Identify and develop strategic partnerships that expand Skyward’s market reach, strengthen customer offerings, or create new routes to market
- Government Relations: Manage and coordinate external government relations consultants, ensuring their work is aligned with Skyward’s commercial priorities and market strategy
- Market Intelligence: Track customer priorities, wildfire policy, budgets, procurement activity, competitive developments, and broader market trends and translate them into actionable opportunities
- Cross-Functional Execution: Work closely with Skyward’s leadership, technical, operations, regulatory, and communications teams to develop programs that are technically credible and commercially executable
Skills
- Experience in wildfire, forestry, natural resources, emergency management, public lands, utilities, or a closely related field
- Demonstrated experience in business development, partnerships, sales, or market development
- Strong relationships across the U.S. wildfire, natural resource, utility, or government ecosystem
- Experience developing and closing complex opportunities with public or private-sector customers
- Familiarity with government budgeting, procurement, grants, or appropriations is a strong asset
- Proven ability to build relationships with senior decision makers and turn early-stage engagement into funded programs or contracts
- Comfortable operating in an early-stage company where strategy and execution happen side by side
- Willingness to travel regularly across the United States
Company Overview