Senior Director, European Business Development
Loft Orbital
Sales & Business Development
Toulouse, France
Posted on Feb 26, 2025
Loft Orbital builds a space infrastructure providing a fast & simple path to orbit. We operate satellites, fly customer payloads onboard and handle the entire mission from initial concept through in-orbit operations, significantly reducing the lead-time and risk of a traditional space mission. Having established our European office in Toulouse, we are now looking for a strategic leader to drive further expansion in the European market.
About the Role:
We are seeking a Senior Director, European Business Development to lead and expand Loft Orbital’s business development efforts across key European institutional and commercial sectors. This role is pivotal in strengthening our relationships with European governmental bodies, agencies, and commercial players, with a particular focus on:
• Commercial opportunities across Europe
• France 2030 initiatives, including the Hexagon project
• Build and manage strategic partnerships like the one Loft just announced with Helsing
• CNES, European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission (EC)
• Other institutional opportunities, including DLR, UKSA, and others
As a senior leader, you will be responsible for identifying, influencing, and securing strategic opportunities that drive Loft Orbital’s growth in the region. Your role will involve engaging deeply with stakeholders, crafting winning proposals, and ensuring Loft Orbital remains at the forefront of the European space sector.
Responsibilities:
- Lead Loft Orbital’s business development efforts in Europe with respect to France 2030, CNES, ESA, and European Commission priorities.
- Develop and execute strategies to influence Requests for Proposals (RFPs) by engaging in continuous dialogue with key stakeholders, producing white papers, and increasing Loft Orbital’s visibility and credibility.
- Manage Loft Orbital’s responses to RFPs, including coordinating technical and commercial inputs.
- Establish a lobbying and communications plan to maximize contract win rates.
- Identify and develop new institutional and commercial opportunities within CNES, DLR, UKSA, and other European entities.
- Build and maintain a strong sales pipeline by identifying high-value opportunities and fostering relationships with potential customers.
- Lead contract negotiations to successfully secure business deals.
- Regularly engage with French and European government agencies, leading discussions on both business and technical aspects of Loft Orbital’s offerings.
- Act as a bridge between Loft Orbital’s engineering team and customers, ensuring technical solutions align with client needs.
- Spearhead the creation of white papers and technical proposals, either through direct authorship or by coordinating internal teams.
- 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 business with CNES, ESA, EC, and other European government institutions.
- Deep understanding of the procurement processes and operational structures within CNES, ESA, EC, and the French Government.
- 10+ years of relevant experience in a business development or customer-facing role within the space industry, with a strong technical foundation in space systems.
- Experience in CNES/ESA/EC lobbying and strategic influence.
- Strong background in technical writing, particularly in RFP responses and proposals.
- Exceptional professional communication and negotiation skills.
- Fluency in French and English, both written and spoken.
Nice to Haves:
- Existing relationships with DLR, UKSA, and other European institutional stakeholders.
- Experience working with commercial space companies and understanding of emerging European space market dynamics.
- Background in satellite system design, mission operations, or space-related software development.
- Prior experience working in a fast-growing, entrepreneurial environment.
- Experience with emerging European space startups or venture capital-backed space initiatives.
Who We Are
Loft Orbital builds “shareable” satellites, providing a fast & simple path to orbit for organizations that require access to space. Powered by our hardware & software products, we operate satellites, fly customer payloads onboard, and handle entire missions from end to end - significantly reducing the lead-time and risk of a traditional space mission.
Our standard interface enables us to fly multiple customer payloads on the same satellite, with capabilities such as earth imagery, weather & climate /science data collection, IoT connectivity, in-orbit demonstrations, and national security missions. Our customers trust us to manage their space infrastructure, so they can focus on what matters most to them: operating their mission and collecting their data.
At Loft, you’ll be given the autonomy and ownership to solve significant challenges, but with a close-knit and supportive team at your back. We believe that diversity and community are the foundation of an open culture. We are committed to hiring the best people regardless of background and make their time at Loft the most fulfilling period of their career.
We value kind, supportive and team-oriented collaborators. It is also crucial for us that you are a problem solver and a great communicator. As our team is international, you will need strong English skills to better collaborate, easily communicate complex ideas and convey important messages.
With 4 satellites on-orbit and a wave of exciting missions launching soon, we are scaling up quickly across our offices in San Francisco, CA | Golden, CO | and Toulouse, France.
As an international company your resume will be reviewed by people across our offices so please attach a copy in English.