Senior Business Development Manager – Public Sector

Job description

Team & Reporting Line: 

Our Mission 

At constellr, we use thermal intelligence from space to understand what is happening on Earth - where, when and at scale. Our satellite constellation delivers high-resolution land surface temperature data, giving governments, defence organisations, commercial operators and global institutions the intelligence they need to monitor change, assess risk and make better-informed decisions.

From national security and critical infrastructure to agriculture and climate resilience, constellr turns temperature into actionable intelligence for a changing world.

Your Role

As our Senior Business Development Manager for the Public Sector, you will join the Commercial team and lead constellr’s growth with civil government customers – environmental ministries, national and regional agencies, and European institutions – who need reliable, decision-grade thermal intelligence to manage water, agriculture, infrastructure and climate resilience. 

This is not a data-reselling role. You will sell data intelligence and analytics: understanding what public bodies are trying to achieve, shaping how our land surface temperature products and insights fit their mandates, and guiding them through funding cycles and formal procurement. You will work closely with our Product, Earth observation science and Solutions teams to translate remote sensing capability into solutions that answer real governmental needs, and alongside colleagues covering commercial, industrial and defence markets to build a coherent go-to-market across the business. 

You will own a strategic portfolio from first conversation to signed contract, including major upcoming national and EU tenders, and build on constellr’s existing success in European programmes such as Copernicus. With the launch of the world’s first commercial thermal infrared constellation, the relationships you build and the deals you win will define how governments use thermal data for years to come. 

Key responsibilities

• Public-Sector Growth: Own and grow constellr’s civil public-sector business, developing a targeted pipeline across environmental ministries, national agencies, research-funded programmes and European institutions. 

• Selling Data Intelligence: Lead value-based sales of thermal data, analytics and insight services, positioning solutions around customer outcomes rather than raw imagery. 

• Tenders & Procurement: Identify, qualify and lead responses to public tenders and framework calls, working with procurement and tender teams and coordinating internal bid teams through to submission and negotiation. 

• Funding Cycles & Programmes: Map national, EU and ESA funding cycles, programmes and budget timelines, and shape opportunities early so constellr is positioned well ahead of formal procurement. 

• Proposal Management: Lead proposals for funded programmes, framework contracts and consortium bids – from opportunity strategy and partner selection through to compelling, compliant submissions. 

• Stakeholder Engagement: Build trusted, senior relationships with decision-makers, technical users and procurement officers, speaking credibly to each audience. 

• Science-to-Market: Act as the bridge between science and customers – partner with our scientists and product teams to translate remote sensing capabilities into clear use cases, pilots and solution proposals that meet governmental requirements. 

• Commercial Leadership: Hold your ground in complex negotiations, protect deal value and represent constellr confidently in front of senior public officials. 

• Partnerships & Ecosystem: Develop relationships with research institutes, system integrators and geospatial partners to access and win larger public programmes. 

• Market Intelligence: Feed customer and market insight back into product, pricing and commercial strategy, and represent constellr at key conferences and public-sector events. 

• Forecasting & Reporting: Maintain an accurate pipeline and forecast in our CRM and deliver against agreed commercial targets. 

Job requirements

About you 

Required: 

• Significant (typically 8+ years) experience in business development or sales of geospatial, Earth observation or data analytics solutions, with a strong track record selling to civil public-sector customers. 

• Proven experience winning public tenders and navigating government procurement, funding cycles and budget processes. 

• A solid understanding of remote sensing and how satellite-derived data and analytics are used to meet governmental needs. 

• An advanced degree (MSc or PhD) in physics, geoscience, remote sensing or a related STEM field – or equivalent experience – giving you credibility with technical and scientific stakeholders. 

• Strong proposal and bid management experience, ideally including EU, ESA or nationally funded programmes and consortium bids. 

• Experience selling data intelligence, analytics or information services rather than hardware or raw data alone. 

• The ability to bridge science and industry, with a senior, confident presence – able to stand your ground in negotiations and build credibility with ministry-level stakeholders. 

• An established network across European public-sector, research or geospatial communities. 

• Excellent communication skills in English and German. 

• Willingness to travel regularly for customer meetings, public-sector events and industry conferences. 

Nice to Have: 

• Experience selling into defence, security or dual-use programmes. 

• A background in an applied research institute, geoscience or remote sensing environment. 

• Exposure to security research, resilience or critical infrastructure programmes. 

• Familiarity with European programmes such as Copernicus, ESA or EU-funded research and innovation calls. 

• Experience in technology transfer, innovation management or strategic roles within public-sector or research organisations. 

• Additional European languages, particularly French. 

• Experience in a fast-growing New Space or scale-up company. 

Why join constellr?

• High-Impact National Security Mission: Be part of an ambitious mission to launch the world’s first commercial thermal infrared constellation, delivering sovereign-grade "behavioural" intelligence from space to close critical blind spots for defence, intelligence, and maritime surveillance agencies.
• Fast-Paced "New Space" Innovation: Work at the leading edge of a rapidly evolving defence sector. By leveraging modern, agile New Space methodologies, you will help design, build, and deploy dual-use thermal payloads into operational orbit at a speed and scale that traditional aerospace models simply cannot match.
• Broad Interdisciplinary Exposure: Accelerate your professional growth by collaborating daily with a diverse, international cohort of astrophysicists, software developers, and defence-system engineers.
• Inclusive & Scientific Culture: Join a high-trust team deeply committed to diversity, inclusion, and scientific excellence, where academic curiosity is paired with high autonomy and a flat hierarchy.
• Financial Upside & Well-being: Benefit from a Virtual Share Option Plan (VSOP) for permanent employees, giving you a true stake in the company's growth, alongside highly flexible hybrid working models.