---
title: 'Director of Commercial Business Development at Katalyst Space Technologies'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-commercial-business-development-katalyst-space-technologies-fs6jnf8y85sf'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-07'
---

# Director of Commercial Business Development at Katalyst Space Technologies

- **Company:** Katalyst Space Technologies
- **Location:** Washington, DC
- **Posted:** 2026-11-06
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-07
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/katalyst/jobs/6204723004

## Job description

Katalyst Description:

Katalyst is an American technology company focused on dynamic space operations.  We are building a fleet of dual-use multipurpose robotic space vehicles to create the future where maneuvering, upgrading, refueling, resupply and exploration are as routine as they are on Earth. Getting to space and overcoming the gravity well is only half the story. What you do there is the future. We are not building the trains. We are building the machines that lay down the tracks. By developing the foundational capabilities that make sustained, responsive operations possible, we enable a new era of space exploration that strengthens national security and ensures freedom of action in an increasingly contested domain.

Katalyst Culture:

Working at Katalyst is intense, hands-on, and deeply rewarding. You’ll take real ownership and see your work move from concept to operations in an environment where the problems are hard and the impact is real. We value humility, craftsmanship, and doing things the right way, even when it’s harder. You’ll work closely with thoughtful, driven teammates who push each other to do their best.  Oh, and we're dog friendly!

Benefits:

- Stock options & equity
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage
- 401(k)
- Unlimited PTO
- Catered lunches

## What You’ll Do

- Build, maintain, and own strategic relationships across the commercial space ecosystem, including satellite operators, spacecraft manufacturers, mission providers, logistics and infrastructure companies, insurers, investors, and other partners relevant to Katalyst’s mission portfolio.
- Develop account and market strategies for priority commercial segments, identifying economic buyers, technical influencers, operators, procurement stakeholders, budget owners, decision timelines, buying criteria, and barriers to adoption.
- Shape opportunities early by connecting commercial customer pain points and business objectives to credible Katalyst solutions, developing clear value propositions, business cases, and mission concepts, and creating the internal alignment needed before formal proposals or purchasing decisions.
- Own or lead business development strategy from opportunity qualification through contract, including customer engagement plans, competitive positioning, partnership strategy, pricing inputs, negotiation support, executive actions, and post-signature follow-through.
- Partner closely with Product, Engineering, Programs, Mission Operations, Finance, Contracts, and executive leadership to ensure external commitments are technically feasible, properly scoped, commercially sound, resourced, and aligned with company strategy.
- Support and lead customer briefings, capability demonstrations, proposals, statements of work, commercial negotiations, industry engagements, conferences, and executive-level meetings; communicate Katalyst’s technical, operational, and economic value with precision and credibility.
- Create repeatable business development and partnership mechanisms that allow Katalyst to scale commercial growth without becoming dependent on informal relationships or individual heroics.

## What We’re Looking For

Required

- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience. Technical, aerospace, engineering, business, finance, or related degrees are all relevant if paired with strong commercial and mission fluency.
- Prior experience in commercial business development, sales, partnerships, strategy, space technology, aerospace, satellite services, or a closely related role.
- Prior experience at a high-growth commercial space, aerospace, robotics, or deep-technology company where business development, product, engineering, and program execution had to operate closely with limited process and high ambiguity.
- Demonstrated experience developing senior customer relationships and converting market needs into funded opportunities, contract awards, strategic partnerships, revenue, or measurable advancement toward a commercial objective.
- Strong understanding of commercial space markets and the practical differences between user need, economic buyer, budget availability, procurement process, technical evaluation, business case, contracting structure, and signed revenue.
- Ability to lead business development activities from ambiguous early-stage opportunity through qualification, strategy, internal alignment, proposal, pricing, negotiation, contract, and transition into execution.
- High technical and mission fluency: able to understand complex spacecraft, autonomy, RPOD, mission operations, software, robotics, or on-orbit services well enough to ask credible questions, identify constraints, and communicate value without misrepresenting engineering reality.
- Excellent executive communication and writing skills, including customer briefings, proposals, account plans, business cases, meeting preparation, commercial negotiations, and clear internal synthesis of external information.
- Ability to comply with applicable export-control, customer-access, confidentiality, and contracting requirements.

## Your Ideal Background

## Preferred

- Experience structuring and negotiating strategic partnerships, commercial contracts, joint go-to-market arrangements, anchor-customer agreements, or other complex business relationships.
- Understanding of commercial contracting fundamentals including scope, statements of work, pricing, payment milestones, intellectual property, data rights, liability, insurance, export controls, and transition from business development into program execution.

Additional Requirements: Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed.

Compensation and Benefits: Your base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience. The anticipated salary range for this role is $199,000 - $250,000 annually.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at Katalyst. You will also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of the Employee Stock Option and Equity Plan, as well as a relocation bonus and other discretionary bonuses. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, and unlimited Paid Time Off.

At Katalyst our work on projects involving the U.S. Department of Defense requires adherence to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 C.F.R. Parts 120-130, which requires compliance with U.S. export laws before allowing employees to perform certain positions. Currently, our available roles necessitate access to ITAR-controlled information, and as a result, Katalyst would have to ensure any non-US person is authorized access to ITAR information before the commencement of employment. We are committed to equal employment opportunities and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.

## About Katalyst Space Technologies

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Katalyst Space Technologies builds robotic spacecraft and modular payloads for in‑orbit servicing, satellite upgrades, and space domain awareness.
- **Entity Type**: Private (raised $12M in June 2026)
- **Headquarters**: Flagstaff, Arizona, United States (additional offices in Broomfield, Colorado, and Washington, D.C.)
- **Founded**: 2019
- **Founders**: Ghonhee Lee, Nicholas Liapis, Kaleb Beebout, Vanessa Clark (joined via acquisition of Atomos Space)

## Core Business
- **Primary industries**: In‑orbit servicing & assembly, space transportation & logistics, space domain awareness.
- **Target customers**: Government agencies, defense organizations, commercial satellite operators (MEO, GEO, XGEO / Cislunar markets).
- **Mission**: To make in‑space operations routine and break the long cycle times, rigid architectures, and inflexibility that dominate the satellite industry.

## Products & Services
- **NEXUS**: A multi‑mission robotic spacecraft with a patented Split Stewart Platform for grappling, docking, and servicing spacecraft not originally designed for docking. Includes full sensor suite for rendezvous and proximity operations, large solar arrays, and enough delta‑V to reach the Moon and back without refueling.
- **SIGHT**: Real‑time space domain awareness (SDA) system for orbital hazard identification, collision avoidance, and independent power, comms, and data processing.
- **SHIELD**: Defensive counterspace capability for anomaly inspection, close‑range imaging, and defensive maneuvers.
- **Hardware Payload Bays**: Two payload bays for transporting and installing mission hardware upgrades on unprepared satellites.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total funding of $12M (June 2026), including a seed round of $880,635 (May 2024)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not publicly listed; acquired Atomos Space (April 2025) and Atomos Nuclear and Space Corporation.
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 111% YoY to ~49 employees; opened offices in Broomfield, CO and Washington, D.C.; Katalyst’s LINK robotic spacecraft integrated with Pegasus XL and ready for launch (June 2026); NEXUS passed a key testing milestone ahead of a first‑of‑its‑kind GEO servicing demo mission (May 2026).

## Competitive Advantages
- **Patented Split Stewart Platform** – a lighter, stiffer robotic arm system that can grapple a wide range of structures, including satellites not designed for docking.
- **Full‑stack validation** – tests sensors, software, actuators, propulsion, and robotics at a state‑of‑the‑art testbed, not just simulation.
- **Ability to upgrade unprepared satellites** – delivers hardware on mission‑relevant timelines, bypassing 10+ year design cycles.
- **High delta‑V propulsion** – enables LEO‑to‑Moon round trips without refueling.

## Strategic Focus
- First‑of‑its‑kind GEO servicing demonstration mission for 2026–2027.
- Scaling the NEXUS spacecraft platform across multiple mission types (servicing, refueling, inspection, defense).
- Deepening government and defense partnerships for space domain awareness and counterspace capabilities.
- Expanding the team (13 active job postings) and operational footprint to support growing mission cadence.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Demanding, fast‑moving, hands‑on environment where employees own real problems from concept through flight. Emphasizes craftsmanship, humility, and doing things right even when difficult.
- **Work model**: Likely on‑site at one of three offices (Flagstaff, Broomfield, Washington D.C.); some roles may offer hybrid flexibility.
- **Benefits**: Competitive compensation plus equity, medical/dental/vision insurance, flexible time off, meaningful ownership from day one.
- **Engineering culture**: Deep focus on spacecraft design, GNC, flight software, and robotics; heavy background from Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Atomos Space, and Amazon. Active recruiting for senior and principal engineers.

## Sources
1. [katalystspace.com](https://www.katalystspace.com/)
2. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/katalyst-space)
3. [spaceindex.io](https://spaceindex.io/companies/katalyst-space-technologies)
4. [job-boards.greenhouse.io](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/katalyst)

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