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Director, Strategic Initiatives - EMEA

Roles & Responsibilities

  • 8+ years of space industry experience with direct ownership of business development, sales, partnerships, or commercial initiatives across the value chain (space primes, satellite operators, space agencies, MoDs).
  • Proven track record of originating, shaping, and executing complex, multi-year partnerships involving governments, primes, and commercial operators, including innovative deal structures and go-to-market approaches.
  • Strong understanding of space and Earth observation markets, including institutional procurement, program structures, and commercial contracting models.
  • Demonstrated success in business development, partnerships, corporate development, or adjacent MA/JV initiatives within the industry (not advisory-only roles) with credible leadership and ability to engage senior executives and cross-functional teams across EMEA.

Requirements:

  • Drive long-term partnerships and strategic programs that expand Loft's platform across EMEA, from opportunity shaping through contract execution and scale-up.
  • Own and advance Loft’s highest-impact growth opportunities in Europe and the broader EMEA, collaborating with executive leaders at partner organizations, primes, and agencies to ensure partnerships are executable, technically sound, and scalable.
  • Build national and regional partnerships, embed Loft’s infrastructure into multi-year programs, secure distribution and integration agreements, and support select joint ventures or investment-driven efforts.
  • Lead complex, high-value pursuits and engage with institutional and commercial stakeholders, including cross-functional collaboration with Product, Engineering, and Operations; travel up to 30% across EMEA.

Job description

Wanna join the adventure?

As Director of EMEA Strategic Initiatives at Loft, you will drive long-term partnerships and strategic programs that expand our platform across EMEA. This role is ideal for a senior business development leader with experience working across satellite operators, space primes, and government customers—and a proven ability to convert complex collaborations into sustainable revenue.

You will work closely with executive leaders at partner organizations, primes, and agencies to shape Loft’s most important initiatives. This includes embedding Loft’s infrastructure into multi-year programs, building national and regional partnerships, securing distribution and integration agreements, and supporting select joint ventures or investment-driven efforts.

About the Role:
  • This is a hands-on leadership role focused on owning and advancing Loft’s highest-impact growth opportunities in Europe and the broader EMEA sphere—from early opportunity shaping through contract execution and program scale-up.
  • You will lead complex, high-value pursuits and serve as Loft’s senior counterpart to institutional and commercial stakeholders, collaborating closely with Product, Engineering, and Operations to ensure each partnership is executable, technically sound, and built to scale.

  • Must Haves:
  • 8+ years of space industry experience, with direct ownership of business development, sales, partnerships, or commercial initiatives across the value chain (e.g., space primes, satellite operators, space agencies, MoDs).
  • Proven record of originating, shaping, and executing complex, multi-year partnerships bringing creative thinking to deal structures, partnership models, and go-to-market approaches involving governments, primes, and commercial operators.
  • Strong understanding of space and Earth observation markets, including institutional procurement, program structures, and commercial contracting models.
  • Proven ability in sales/business development, with value placed on additional experience in corporate strategy/strategy consulting in A&D or GovTech, or M&A/venture in government-driven sectors
  • Demonstrated success in business development, strategic partnerships, corporate development, or adjacent M&A/JV initiatives within industry (not advisory-only roles).
  • Credible, trusted leadership experience, with the ability to engage senior executives and public-sector stakeholders, align cross-functional teams, and drive decisions across EMEA.
  • Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation abilities in English.
  • Adept at working across international, geographically dispersed teams.
  • ••Ability to travel up to 30% across EMEA for client meetings, events, and partner engagements.

  • Nice to Haves:
  • Direct ownership of government, agency, or prime-led programs—from opportunity shaping through execution and delivery.
  • Hands-on experience working with engineering, product, or operations teams, with practical understanding of satellite systems or mission delivery.
  • Established relationships across space primes, agencies, or NewSpace operators, with experience managing cross-border programs and stakeholders.
  • Knowledge of French, German, Spanish, and/or Arabic.

  • Some of Our Awesome Benefits:
  • Equity, we want you to have an active role in our success
  • Up to 35 days of Paid Time Off (vacations & RTT ) and flexible working hours, we want you to be at your best
  • Health and life insurance, we care about your health
  • Lunch Vouchers, because let’s be honest, we love food! (we even have a slack channel about it #loft-gourmand)
  • Cross-office travel opportunities between San Francisco, Colorado, and Toulouse to learn from our differences
  • Company and team off-sites and many other events to work & celebrate together
  • Relocation assistance to Toulouse when applicable
  •  *Research shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other underrepresented people tend to only apply when they meet 100% of the qualifications. At Loft, we value respectful debate and people who aren’t afraid to challenge assumptions.  We strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don’t check all the boxes.

    Who We Are

    Loft: Space Made Simple. 

    Founded in 2017, Loft provides governments, companies, and research institutions with a fast, reliable, and flexible way to deploy missions in orbit. 

    We integrate, launch, and operate spacecraft, offering end-to-end missions as a service across Earth observation, IoT connectivity, in-orbit demonstrations, national security missions, and more. Leveraging our existing space infrastructure and an extensive inventory of satellite buses, Loft is reducing years-long integration and launch timelines to months. With more than 25 missions flown, Loft’s flight heritage and proven technologies enable customers to focus on their mission objectives. 

    At Loft, you’ll be given the autonomy and ownership to solve significant challenges, but with a close-knit and supportive team at your back. We believe that diversity and community are the foundation of an open culture. We are committed to hiring the best people regardless of background and make their time at Loft the most fulfilling period of their career.

    We value kind, supportive and team-oriented collaborators. It is also crucial for us that you are a problem solver and a great communicator. As our team is international, you will need strong English skills to better collaborate, easily communicate complex ideas and convey important messages.
    With 4 satellites on-orbit and a wave of exciting missions launching soon, we are scaling up quickly across our offices in San Francisco, CA | Golden, CO | and Toulouse, France.

    As an international company your resume will be reviewed by people across our offices so please attach a copy in English.

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