Head of Partnerships
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What you'll do
- Own Swan's partnership strategy. Define which partnerships actually matter; and, just as importantly, which ones don't.
- Structure and close real deals. Take partnerships from first conversation through signed agreement: joint development and R&D cost-share, technology licensing and integration, distribution and reseller arrangements, co-production, teaming, and supply agreements.
- Open allied and international markets. Identify, vet, and stand up in-country partners, distributors, and industrial collaborators across allied nations.
- Own export control and releasability strategy. Partner with legal, compliance, and program teams to build the ITAR/EAR posture that international partnerships require.
- Model the economics. Build the financial models that justify a partnership internally and anchor the negotiation externally.
- Paper the deals properly. Work closely with Swan's deal counsel to assemble agreements that actually accomplish the objective.
- Operationalize and hand off. Run the kickoff between Swan's working team and the partner, build the governance cadence and reporting that keeps the relationship on track.
- Go deep on the technology. Come up to speed fast on new technical problems and negotiate the trades that get to a workable deal.
- Feed the roadmap. Translate what partners and allied customers need back into Swan's engineering organization.
- Represent Swan externally. Serve as a senior ambassador for Swan with partner executives, allied government stakeholders, and the broader defense industrial community.
- Build the function. Establish the process, pipeline discipline, CRM hygiene, and deal-review cadence for partnerships at Swan, and hire and mentor the team.
What they're looking for
- 8+ years in strategic partnerships, corporate development, business development, international defense sales, investment banking, management consulting, or a comparable high-velocity, deal-driven role; including direct ownership of complex agreements from origination through execution.
- Demonstrated track record structuring and closing multi-party commercial agreements with real obligations on both sides (joint development, licensing, distribution, teaming, co-production, or supply).
- Strong commercial and analytical judgment, including the ability to build and defend financial models independently in Excel.
- Working knowledge of U.S. export control regimes (ITAR/EAR) and their practical effect on international technology partnerships.
- Familiarity with international defense sales pathways, including FMS and Direct Commercial Sales, and with allied government procurement.
- Excellent written and verbal communication, with experience negotiating with and briefing senior executives and government officials.
- Ability to set strategy and execute hands-on, operating with high ownership in an ambiguous, fast-moving, early-stage environment.
- Bachelor's degree in a relevant field (business, engineering, international relations, political science, or equivalent experience).
- Must be a U.S. Person (this role requires access to export-controlled data), and eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. Secret security clearance.
- Willingness to travel 30–50%, including international travel to allied partner and customer locations.
Nice to have
- Experience standing up a partnerships, corporate development, or international business function at an early-stage company.
- Domain experience relevant to Swan's product line; autonomy, robotics, UAS, sensors, aerospace, or other hardware-centric defense products.
- Direct experience in Ukraine, NATO/European, or Indo-Pacific defense markets.
- Experience with co-production, offset, and local industrial participation requirements in allied countries.
- Experience negotiating technical assistance agreements, export licenses, and foreign disclosure or releasability determinations.
- Familiarity with non-traditional U.S. acquisition pathways (OTAs, CSOs, SBIR/STTR, DIU, AFWERX) and how partnerships interact with them.
- Prior U.S. military, government, or allied-nation government experience.
- Prior experience partnering with or selling through primes, systems integrators, or channel partners.
Summarised by NextRaise from the employer’s description, which follows in full below.
Full description from employer
Head of Partnerships
Remote
About Swan
Swan is a US defense technology company building the autonomy capability layer for defense. Founded in 2024 by senior leaders from the self-driving industry (ex-Uber, Aurora) and backed by leading defense VCs (including a16z) and strategic investors (including RTX), Swan delivers scalable, modular, software-defined autonomy. Swan’s full-stack solutions enable aerial and maritime platforms to navigate, perceive, and precisely strike in GNSS- and comms-denied environments. Swan’s products, Solo (multi-domain GNSS-denied navigation) and Dive (image-based precision targeting), integrate into platforms across a diverse OEM ecosystem, positioning Swan to become the standard autonomy platform for defense. Swan has won competitive DoW contracts and established partnerships with leading platform OEMs on highly visible DoW programs of record.
Role
Swan is seeking an experienced, motivated, and high-integrity leader to serve as the Head of Partnerships. This leader will build and own Swan's partnerships with platform OEMs, ranging from fast-moving startups/neoprimes to established prime contractors, across aerial defense (UAS, missiles/munitions, and contested logistics) and maritime defense USVs. They will also be responsible for capitalizing on Swan’s product relevance to the commercial sector, by standing up new engagements in both commercial aviation and commercial shipping. This leader will own the entire partnership lifecycle, from first substantive contact, through the pilot phase, to maintaining fully integrated, revenue-generating partnerships, and will lead the negotiation of complex licensing, joint development, and data-sharing agreements. Because Swan wins by becoming a common autonomy layer across many platforms, and not by building vehicles, the partner network is the engine of the company's growth, making this one of the most consequential roles at Swan. This role will report directly to the CEO.
Key Responsibilities
Develop and execute a comprehensive partnership strategy across Swan’s priority markets: defense platforms first (airborne systems including UAS, missiles/munitions, and contested logistics; maritime USV platforms), with expanding efforts in commercial aviation and commercial shipping.
Identify, engage, and secure partnerships with the full spectrum of platform OEMs, both new and established, across airborne and maritime platforms, prioritizing partners best positioned to field Swan’s technology at scale.
Independently source and cultivate deep, long-term relationships with key executives, program managers, and technical leaders at partner organizations, keeping your network current with a rapidly evolving ecosystem and establishing Swan as the indispensable and trusted provider for autonomous capability.
Own the entire partnership lifecycle, from first substantive contact through qualified exploration, pilot partnership development, and fully integrated, revenue-generating partnerships, nurturing each relationship well beyond deal signature to ensure partner success, deep technical integration, and long-term revenue growth.
Build and maintain a disciplined partnership pipeline with clear stages and objective entry criteria. Collaborate closely with Swan’s leadership team to define go-to-market strategy, partnership priorities, and revenue forecasts, providing clear visibility into the commercial pipeline. Communicate these to the company and to key stakeholders including the board of directors.
Lead the negotiation and structuring of complex commercial agreements, including licensing, joint development, and data sharing arrangements. You will be responsible for securing terms that support Swan’s long-term platform strategy and data-driven business models.
Conduct ongoing market analysis across defense and dual-use commercial markets to identify emerging trends, competitive threats, and new platform opportunities. Serve as the primary liaison between OEM partners and Swan’s product team, translating partner requirements and market feedback into actionable insights that shape our technology roadmap.
Represent Swan at industry conferences, trade shows, consortia, and partner events as a key evangelist for our technology and vision for the future of autonomous systems.
The Ideal Candidate
Possesses 6+ years of experience in business development, strategic partnerships, or program management within the defense, aerospace, or autonomous systems industries.
Has a demonstrated track record of building and sustaining complex partnerships with platform OEMs, ideally selling technology-based components (e.g., avionics, autonomy software, battle management, or control systems) into primes, neoprimes, and UAS manufacturers. This expertise includes not just closing deals, but nurturing them through to long-term growth and joint capture pursuit.
Brings a deep and current network across US and allied defense OEMs, including established primes, fast-rising defense technology companies, and relevant government program offices. Has a sharp grasp of how rapidly the UAS ecosystem has evolved over the past few years. Exposure to maritime autonomy and USVs is a strong plus.
Exhibits strong technical aptitude with the ability to grasp complex concepts in autonomy, robotics, and software, including areas like satellite navigation, computer vision, AI/ML, and distributed systems.
Is an exceptional negotiator with experience structuring technology and software deals to include licensing, data rights, and joint development, protecting core IP while enabling partner success.
Thinks like an owner, with an entrepreneurial mindset, hustle, and a bias for action. Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, ambiguous startup environment.
Spans strategy and execution. Thinks rigorously about which partnerships are worth building, then personally goes and makes them happen; neither purely strategic nor purely transactional.
Is an outstanding communicator and presenter, able to articulate a compelling vision and clear value proposition to both senior executive and deeply technical audiences.
Holds a Bachelor’s degree in an engineering or business-related field. An MBA or advanced technical degree is a strong plus.
Must hold or be eligible to get a U.S. Secret security clearance; TS/SCI preferred.
Swan is a fast-paced, innovative, and collaborative startup environment. We offer a top-notch benefits package, including:
Top-tier health, dental, vision, short-/long-term disability, and life insurance, with full employee coverage and partial coverage for dependents
Flexible/reasonable vacation and sick leave
401(k) plans, FSA, HSA, and commuter benefits
Swan is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, religion, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, uniform service, veteran status, disability status, or any other protected characteristic per federal, state, or local law. Swan considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures, and we work to create a welcoming and supportive environment for all applicants throughout the interview process.
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