---
title: 'Business Development Manager – Special Operations (SOCOM) at Saronic Technologies'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/business-development-manager-special-operations-socom-saronic-technologies-tampa-bmf0ge5eza95'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-10'
---

# Business Development Manager – Special Operations (SOCOM) at Saronic Technologies

- **Company:** [Saronic Technologies](https://feeny.ai/companies/saronic-technologies)
- **Location:** Tampa, FL
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Posted:** 2026-07-21
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-10
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/saronic/3f9c2d39-8502-43f2-b7df-04c8038e8ee9

## Job description

Saronic Technologies is a leader in revolutionizing autonomy at sea, dedicated to developing state-of-the-art solutions that enhance maritime operations through autonomous and intelligent platforms.

Job Overview Saronic is seeking a Business Development Manager to lead growth initiatives across the U.S. Special Operations community. This individual will be responsible for identifying, qualifying, capturing, and shaping opportunities that expand Saronic’s presence within USSOCOM, SOF Components, and adjacent mission organizations. The ideal candidate possesses a deep understanding of Special Operations missions, DoD acquisition processes, and autonomous maritime technologies. They will leverage an established network across government, industry, and end users to develop strategic partnerships, influence requirements, and drive opportunities from early customer engagement through contract award.

## Responsibilities

- Develop and execute the business development strategy for USSOCOM and related Special Operations organizations.
- Build and maintain trusted relationships with key stakeholders across USSOCOM, TSOCs, SOF Components, Program Executive Offices, Program Managers, operational units, and acquisition organizations.
- Identify, qualify, and mature new opportunities across autonomous maritime systems, unmanned surface vessels (USVs), maritime ISR, logistics, force protection, and expeditionary operations.
- Develop and manage a qualified pipeline from early customer engagement through capture, proposal, negotiation, and award.
- Influence customer requirements by maintaining regular engagement with operators, acquisition professionals, and mission planners.
- Lead capture planning, competitive assessments, win strategies, and customer engagement activities for priority pursuits.
- Partner with Engineering, Product Management, Government Affairs, and Program Management to align customer needs with Saronic’s product roadmap.
- Represent Saronic at SOF industry conferences, experimentation events, demonstrations, exercises, and customer engagements.
- Identify strategic partnerships with prime contractors, technology companies, and mission partners to strengthen competitive positioning.
- Monitor acquisition strategies, funding opportunities, congressional priorities, and emerging SOF capability gaps to inform business strategy.
- Support proposal development, pricing strategy, and contract negotiations for strategic opportunities.
- Maintain accurate opportunity forecasting, pipeline reporting, and CRM data.

## Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Political Science, International Relations, or a related field.
- 8+ years of business development, capture, military, or government experience supporting the Department of Defense.
- Demonstrated success winning and capturing DoD opportunities from identification through contract award.
- Existing relationships across USSOCOM, SOF Components, Program Executive Offices, acquisition organizations, or the broader Special Operations enterprise.
- Strong understanding of DoD and SOF acquisition processes, OTA agreements, FAR-based contracting, SBIR/STTR programs, and rapid acquisition pathways.
- Knowledge of autonomous systems, unmanned maritime platforms, defense technology, or related capabilities.
- Excellent executive communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship management skills.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced startup environment with minimal oversight.
- Willingness to travel approximately 40–60%.

## Preferred Qualifications

- Former Special Operations military experience (e.g., SEAL, SWCC, MARSOC, Army Special Forces, Ranger Regiment, Air Force Special Warfare, or Coast Guard MSRT/MSST) or extensive experience supporting the SOF community.
- Existing network across USSOCOM headquarters, SOF Components, TSOCs, PEO-SOF Warrior, SOFWERX, DIU, NavalX, DARPA, and other defense innovation organizations.
- Experience with autonomous systems, unmanned surface vessels, maritime operations, ISR, C5ISR, or AI-enabled defense technologies.
- Experience supporting demonstrations, exercises, experimentation campaigns, or operational user evaluations.

Physical Demands

- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer
- Occasional standing and walking within the office
- Manual dexterity to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and other office equipment
- Visual acuity to read screens, documents, and reports
- Occasional reaching, bending, or stooping to access file drawers, cabinets, or office supplies
- Lifting and carrying items up to 20 pounds occasionally (e.g., office supplies, packages)

## Benefits

Medical Insurance: Comprehensive health insurance plans covering a range of services Saronic pays 100% of the premium for employees and 80% for dependents Dental and Vision Insurance: Coverage for routine dental check-ups, orthodontics, and vision care Saronic pays 100% of the premium under the basic plan for employees and 80% for dependents Time Off: Generous PTO and Holidays Parental Leave: Paid maternity and paternity leave to support new parents Competitive Salary: Industry-standard salaries with opportunities for performance-based bonuses Retirement Plan: 401(k) plan with company match Stock Options: Equity options to give employees a stake in the company’s success Life and Disability Insurance: Basic life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage Pet Insurance: Discounted pet insurance options including 24/7 Telehealth helpline Additional Perks: Free lunch benefit and unlimited free drinks and snacks in the office

[Saronic CCPA Notice for Candidates and California Employees](https://saronic-assets-public.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/Saronic%20CCPA%20Notice%20for%20Candidates%20and%20California%20Employees.pdf) If this role is based in the United States, it requires access to export-controlled information or items that require “U.S. Person” status. As defined by U.S. law, individuals who are any one of the following are considered to be a “U.S. Person”: (1) U.S. citizens, (2) legal permanent residents (a.k.a. green card holders), and (3) certain protected classes of asylees and refugees, as defined in https://www.govinfo.gov/link/uscode/8/1324b.

Saronic does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

## About Saronic Technologies

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Saronic Technologies builds autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) that combine hardware, software, and artificial intelligence to deliver scalable maritime security and domain awareness for naval forces.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series D, total funding $2.6B)
- **Headquarters**: Austin, Texas, United States
- **Founded**: 2022
- **Founders**: Dino Mavrookas (CEO), Vibhav Altekar (CTO), Doug Lambert (COO), Rob Lehman (CCO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Defense and Space Manufacturing – autonomous maritime systems
- **Target customers**: U.S. and allied naval forces, government defense agencies (B2G)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: “Redefine maritime superiority” by providing the most advanced and capable autonomous vessels to address emerging threats and revolutionize naval warfare.

## Products & Services
- **Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs)**: A family of unmanned vessels (including models like *Mirage*, *Cipher*, and the 150‑foot *Marauder*) designed for launch from small craft, fleet assets, or beachheads. Capabilities include adaptive path planning, passive sensor tracking, resilient multi‑channel communications, and diverse payload integration.
- **Echelon Platform**: A unified software suite for mission planning, simulation, and command‑and‑control of autonomous surface vessels.
- **Capabilities Suite**: Integrated hardware/software stack covering launch, maneuver, perceive, communicate, execute, enable, and recover.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed (latest Series D at $1.8B implies a valuation well into the billions)
- **Key Metric**: Total funding $2.6B (Seed, Series A, Series B, and Series D); annual revenue reported at $9.5M
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: 8VC (Seed lead), Caffeinated Capital (Series A lead), Andreessen Horowitz (Series B lead), Kleiner Perkins (Series D lead). Strategic acquisition of Gulf Craft (April 2025) to accelerate shipbuilding.
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount of 785 employees (+218.7% YoY), 296 active job postings, awarded a $392M Navy contract, international offices in Australia, United Kingdom, and Japan.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Founder experience**: Co‑founder/CEO Dino Mavrookas is a former Navy SEAL with eight combat tours; the leadership team includes veterans and technologists who understand military needs firsthand.
- **Proven technology**: Autonomous vessels already deployed in contested environments, with a $392M Navy contract validating the platform.
- **Vertical integration**: In‑house manufacturing and software development, plus the acquisition of Gulf Craft for scaled shipbuilding.
- **Rapid scaling**: Massive funding and headcount growth signal strong investor and customer confidence.

## Strategic Focus
- Scaling production of ASVs from prototype to full manufacturing lines (new Head of Manufacturing hired).
- Expanding vessel lineup with larger platforms (150‑foot *Marauder*) and international partnerships in the Indo‑Pacific and Europe.
- Deepening the software ecosystem (Echelon) for mission planning and manned‑unmanned teaming.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Values include “United We Win” (teamwork, respect), “Trust Fuels Triumph” (transparency, integrity), “Solutions Driven” (creative problem‑solving), and “One Mission” (national security focus).
- **Work environment**: Primarily on‑site in Austin, TX, with additional offices in Australia, UK, and Japan. High‑growth startup pace with a mission‑driven defense focus.
- **Perks & ratings**: LinkedIn employer rating 4.2/5.0 (compensation 4.5, culture 4.0, career 4.3). Notable talent drawn from SpaceX, Tesla, Anduril, Blue Origin, and Lockheed Martin.
- **Engineering culture**: Heavy emphasis on cross‑disciplinary teams (perception, navigation, ML, C2, systems integration) and building “captainless” ships.

## Sources
1. [saronic.com](https://www.saronic.com/) – Homepage, capabilities, and news (Navy contract)
2. [saronic.com/team](https://www.saronic.com/team) – Founders, leadership, values
3. [saronic.com/mission](https://www.saronic.com/mission) – Mission statement
4. [linkedin.com/company/saronic-technologies](https://www.linkedin.com/company/saronic-technologies) – Financials, headcount, funding rounds, investors, reviews
5. [jobs.ashbyhq.com/saronic](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/saronic) – Active job postings

## Other roles at Saronic Technologies

- [Electrical Engineer Intern (Summer 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/electrical-engineer-intern-summer-2027-saronic-technologies-austin-sr88g70yk843) — Austin, TX
- [Enterprise Technology Intern (Summer 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/enterprise-technology-intern-summer-2027-saronic-technologies-austin-r63jvc3b1s45) — Austin, TX
- [EHS Intern (Summer 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/ehs-intern-summer-2027-saronic-technologies-austin-t15evetjzn5q) — Austin, TX
- [Mechanical Engineer Intern (Summer 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/mechanical-engineer-intern-summer-2027-saronic-technologies-austin-17eygpev3j9b) — Austin, TX
- [Information Technology Intern (Summer 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/information-technology-intern-summer-2027-saronic-technologies-austin-e1g09fnhttd2) — Austin, TX
- [Manufacturing Engineer Intern (Summer 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/manufacturing-engineer-intern-summer-2027-saronic-technologies-franklin-sg30q2bzczjr) — Franklin, LA
- [Forward Deployed Engineer Intern (Summer 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/forward-deployed-engineer-intern-summer-2027-saronic-technologies-austin-tycf8s4x82nb) — Austin, TX
- [Naval Architect Intern (Summer 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/naval-architect-intern-summer-2027-saronic-technologies-austin-ajkpzmtdg034) — Austin, TX
- [Software Engineer Intern (Summer 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-intern-summer-2027-saronic-technologies-austin-rdb05ss9d5a5) — Austin, TX
- [People Business Partner](https://feeny.ai/job/people-business-partner-saronic-technologies-arlington-92japss6fqkg) — Arlington, VA