Idea · 1 Team-Members · Aerospace & Aircraft, AI & Machine Learning, Automation & Robotics, ... Safety & Security Solutions
CoFounder Chief Defense Partnerships Officer
Overview
- (Co-)Founder
- Business & Strategy
- Business Developer Growth & Venture Relations Operations Manager
- Full-time
- Espoo
- Flexible (Office and Remote)
- $200,000 - $250,000
- 10% - 20%
- Expert (10+ years)
- Master's Degree
- English
- Flexible hours
Description
Location: Finland / Europe preferred
Stage: Pre-seed
Compensation: Founder equity / milestone-based equity, salary after funding
About Njordyx
Njordyx is building a sovereign, modular autonomy layer for defense and security drones.
We are not building another closed drone platform. We are building the autonomy module: secure onboard logic, resilient mission execution, integration flexibility, and deployment options that fit sovereign and allied procurement realities.
Our defense edition is designed for GPS-degraded and communications-limited missions where offline execution, hardened deployment, trusted supply chains, and interoperable integration matter more than consumer drone economics.
We are building for defense integrators, sovereign operators, border/security actors, and allied partner ecosystems that need trusted modular autonomy rather than another locked full-stack platform.
Why this role exists:
Njordyx is at pre-seed concept stage.
We are now looking for a business co-founder who can help open the right defense-access pathways early: investors, grants, integrators, sovereign buyers, pilot pathways, and program discussions.
This is not a generic sales role.
This is not a passive advisor title.
This is a founder-level execution role for someone who can help turn a strong defense-tech concept into real strategic momentum.
What you will own
- Defense fundraising and strategic capital outreach
- NATO-aligned and dual-use ecosystem access
- Defense integrator and sovereign operator pipeline
- Early pilot, evaluation, and program discussions
- Grant and non-dilutive funding pathways
- Strategic positioning for allied procurement relevance
- Partner and investor materials for defense-oriented conversations
- Support in company-building, market access, and go-to-market shaping
What strong candidates usually have
- Direct experience in defense, dual-use, aerospace, robotics, autonomy, or security technology
- Track record in strategic partnerships, defense business development, or startup fundraising
- Ability to open conversations with defense integrators, sovereign buyers, public-sector stakeholders, or allied partner channels
- Experience with long-cycle, trust-driven, procurement-heavy environments
- Strong understanding of how early defense-tech companies build credibility before full product maturity
- Ability to help shape a defense-facing investor narrative, grant narrative, and partnership strategy
- Comfortable working hands-on in a pre-product startup
Especially valuable
- Prior work with NATO-adjacent, MoD-adjacent, dual-use, or sovereign innovation ecosystems
- Experience with early program capture, pilot access, or capability validation pathways
- Existing network across Finland, Nordics, EU, or allied defense-tech circles
- Experience with grants, accelerator pathways, strategic public funding, or dual-use innovation channels
- Prior founder, first business hire, or senior BD role in a deep-tech or defense-tech company
What success looks like in the first 90 days
- Build a qualified target list of defense-relevant investors, grant paths, and ecosystem entry points
- Open meaningful conversations with defense integrators, sovereign operators, or allied partner channels
- Identify realistic pilot, evaluation, or program-access opportunities
- Improve Njordyx’s defense fundraising and partnership narrative
- Help position Njordyx as a credible Nordic / European autonomy layer for trusted defense deployment
- Create early momentum toward pilot pathways, funding pathways, and procurement relevance
Who this role is for
This role is for someone who wants to help build a defense-tech company from the ground up and earn meaningful upside through execution, access, and strategic momentum.
Who this role is not for
- Passive advisors
- Generic sales profiles with no defense or dual-use exposure
- Consultants seeking founder-level equity only for introductions
- People looking for a title without hands-on execution
- Candidates with no experience in trust-based, long-cycle, procurement-oriented environments
You have strengths in
-
- Networking and Business Relationships
- Words and Communication
- Driving things forward and getting things done
- Structuring and strategic thinking
Your Skills
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- Communication and Leadership
- Business lead