---
title: 'Business Development Executive - Government and Defence at Skyral Group'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/business-development-executive-government-and-defence-skyral-group-london-7pz3c4xhy58h'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-07'
---

# Business Development Executive - Government and Defence at Skyral Group

- **Company:** Skyral Group
- **Location:** London, United Kingdom
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-09-02
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/skyralio/1917a2d9-9308-4864-845d-261d387f784b

## Job description

Business Development Executive – Government & Defence Reports to: Chief Growth Officer We Are Skyral Skyral combines AI, advanced modelling and simulation technology, and deep domain expertise to help organisations make faster, more confident decisions in complex environments. We work with government, defence and enterprise customers to solve difficult real-world problems, combining innovative technology with the pace and ambition of a growth-stage company. The Opportunity We are looking for a senior Business Development Executive to identify, shape and win significant opportunities across government and defence. This is a hands-on commercial role for someone who understands how complex government and defence customers buy, and who can build trusted relationships well before a formal procurement process begins. You will own a portfolio of priority customers and opportunities, working closely with the Chief Growth Officer and colleagues across Skyral to turn customer needs into compelling propositions and ultimately into contracted business. You will be expected to be active in the market - meeting customers, building networks, developing opportunities and representing Skyral externally - while maintaining strong discipline around your pipeline and commercial commitments.

## What You'll Be Responsible For

Develop and Win Business Identify, originate and develop new business opportunities across government and defence. Build and execute account and opportunity plans for customers. Shape opportunities from early engagement through qualification, capture, bid, negotiation and contract award. Develop a deep understanding of customer priorities, programmes, budgets, procurement timelines and decision-making processes. Position Skyral early and effectively, helping customers understand how our technology can address their operational and strategic challenges. Lead or support major proposals, bids and commercial negotiations. Identify opportunities to grow existing customer relationships and create repeat business. Build Strategic Relationships and Market Position Develop trusted relationships with stakeholders across government, defence and the wider national security ecosystem. Build strong networks across operational, technology, commercial and procurement communities. Develop relevant industry and partner relationships that create new routes to market or strengthen Skyral's position. Represent Skyral at customer meetings, conferences, industry events and relevant forums. Maintain a strong understanding of policy, spending, procurement and market developments that may create opportunities or risks. Own Your Pipeline and Commercial Discipline Maintain an accurate, current and well-qualified pipeline of opportunities. Ensure CRM data reflects the true status, value, timing, next actions and risks associated with each opportunity. Provide clear, evidence-based forecasts and proactively flag movement, uncertainty or risk. Apply strong judgement to opportunity qualification and focus time and company resources where Skyral has a credible route to winning. Work closely with the Chief Growth Officer through regular pipeline, account and opportunity reviews. Lead Cross-Functional Pursuits Bring together colleagues across Product, Engineering, Delivery, Finance, Marketing and Operations to develop winning propositions. Translate customer requirements into clear internal opportunities and ensure the right teams are engaged at the right stage. Work with technical and product colleagues to articulate Skyral's capability credibly to both technical and non-technical customers. Ensure proposed solutions are commercially attractive, deliverable and aligned with Skyral's strategic priorities. Apply appropriate opportunity, capture and bid governance to major pursuits. Feed customer, competitor and market intelligence back into product and company decision-making.

## What We're Looking For

A strong track record of winning complex, high-value business within government, defence, national security, technology or a closely related market. A strong network and the credibility to build relationships with senior government and defence stakeholders. Deep understanding of how government and defence customers procure technology, software and professional services. Experience taking complex opportunities through the full sales lifecycle, from early market shaping through to contract award. Strong commercial instincts and the ability to distinguish a genuine opportunity from an interesting conversation. Experience of capture, bid and opportunity governance; familiarity with methodologies such as Shipley would be advantageous. Excellent communication, influencing and negotiation skills, with the ability to translate sophisticated technology into a clear customer proposition. Strong pipeline and CRM discipline, with an evidence-based approach to forecasting. The ability to operate autonomously while collaborating effectively across a multidisciplinary organisation. A proactive, entrepreneurial approach and comfort working at pace in a growing business. Willingness to travel regularly for customer and partner engagements. Security: You will be expected to meet any security and vetting requirements associated with the customers and programmes on which you work. What We Can Offer You:

🌴Unlimited Paid Holiday - we value and support the need to maintain a strong work-life balance.

🏡 Hybrid Working - we understand that a one-size-fits all approach doesn’t suit everyone.

⏰ Flexible Working Hours -  We’re not bound by the 9-to-5 model. Collaborate with your manager on determining a work schedule that suits you.

🍼 Enhanced Parental Leave - we’re proud to offer 26 weeks maternity leave and 4 weeks paternity leave at full pay.

🏥 Private Medical & Dental Insurance - offered through Bupa.

💲Honest about Compensation - We maintain a well defined salary range which a member of the Talent Team will discuss with you during the first call.

☕ Healthy Snacks & Drinks Provided - If you decide to come into the office, we have a range of snacks and drinks for you to enjoy.

At Skyral, we are committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equality and inclusion. We also ensure that individuals with disabilities have access to reasonable adjustments. If you require such accommodations during the job application process we ask that you inform a member of our Talent Team. We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

## About Skyral Group

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Skyral Group builds advanced modelling, simulation, and AI-powered decision-support systems for enterprise, defence, and national security customers.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series A) – total funding $20M
- **Headquarters**: London, England, United Kingdom
- **Founded**: Year not publicly available (company states “over a decade” of history)
- **Founders**: Jason Kennedy (CEO), Naomi Hulme (CEO – Skyral Defence & Government), Nick Blair (Executive Chairman)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Defence & National Security, Enterprise Software, AI-Driven Simulation
- **Target customers**: Western governments, defence organisations, and large enterprises facing high-stakes, complex decision-making challenges
- **Mission**: “Every decision maker can be empowered by technology” – putting people in the ideal position to make the best decisions based on both knowns and unknowns.

## Products & Services
- **Decision Support Systems**: AI-fused, simulation-based tools that help users test and refine choices in digital environments before acting in the real world.
- **Digital Twins**: Real-time digital representations of complex scenarios (e.g. military operations, unstable markets) for strategy testing and risk mitigation.
- **Modelling & Simulation Suite**: Modular, open, and interoperable software that integrates with existing systems; covers data fusion, AI/ML, and scenario modelling.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (private company)
- **Key Metric**: Total funding $20M (Series A led by NOIA Capital, announced July 2025)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: NOIA Capital (lead), plus one prior corporate round investor
- **Growth Signals**: Active contracts with Western governments and enterprises; headcount ~50 employees (down ~24% YoY, though company maintains active hiring with 3 open roles); high LinkedIn follower growth (+26.5% YoY); team includes alumni from Google, Amazon, Goldman Sachs, Palantir, elite military units, and Formula 1

## Competitive Advantages
- Deep domain expertise in defence and national security – “we are experts in selling to governments and hold multiple production contracts”
- Technology built for security and extensibility – modular, open, interoperable design allows rapid deployment with low disruption
- Partnership model rather than vendor – they work as “technology partners” who understand customer challenges first-hand

## Strategic Focus
- Continue to expand modelling & simulation footprint across Western governments and allied nations
- Apply core technology to commercial enterprise markets (e.g. digital twins for unstable markets)
- Build on Series A funding to scale team, product, and customer delivery

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: “Radical and pioneering” company with a focus on mission-driven impact (preservation of security, prosperity, freedom). Diverse, high-calibre team.
- **Hybrid/Remote**: Minimum 2 days/week in the central London office; flexible scheduling with manager approval.
- **Perks & Benefits**: Unlimited paid holiday; enhanced parental leave (26 weeks full-pay maternity, 4 weeks paternity); private medical & dental insurance; company pension; employee assistance programme; dog-friendly office; company swag.
- **Engineering Culture**: Emphasis on problem-solving, innovation through iteration, and working on the “most important mission”. Technical stack includes AI, simulation, data fusion, and secure system design.

## Sources
1. [LinkedIn](https://linkedin.com/company/skyral)
2. [Skyral – Our Story](https://www.skyral.com/our-story/)
3. [Skyral – Our People](https://www.skyral.com/our-people/)
4. [Skyral – Join Us](https://www.skyral.com/join-us/)
5. [Lever Job Board](https://jobs.lever.co/skyralio)

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