Business Development Associate

Job Description

Drones that think for themselves.

Not pre-programmed routes true autonomy where aircraft make intelligent decisions onboard, adapting to weather, obstacles, and airspace in real time without human intervention.

We're pioneering AI-powered, real-world autonomy for uncrewed aircraft, engineered to ensure mission success under challenging weather and complex terrain. By leveraging real-time environmental intelligence, Shearwater's drone-agnostic technology unlocks unprecedented range and endurance while delivering the resilience and predictability required for high-stakes missions.

You'll help bring this autonomy into real-world operations.

The Opportunity

As a Business Development Associate, you'll work across the early commercial lifecycle from identifying prospective operators, partners, and programs, to supporting early evaluations and pilot deployments. You'll help initiate conversations, qualify interest, and coordinate early engagements, while working closely with the founders and early customers to understand how Smart Flight is assessed and introduced into operations.

What you'll focus on

• Identifying and researching prospective operators, partners, and programs where Smart Flight is a strong fit
• Initiating first conversations and building early relationships through targeted outreach and disciplined follow-up
• Creating and maintaining visibility into early commercial interest and engagement using CRM tools
• Supporting product demonstrations, evaluations, and pilot programs as customers assess Smart Flight
• Coordinating onboarding and engagement with early users during trials and early deployments
• Capturing feedback from operators and pilots and relaying insights to product and engineering teams
• Conducting market and competitor research to inform go-to-market priorities
• Preparing outreach materials, demo decks, and customer-facing documentation

Why this matters

Early commercial engagement determines where Smart Flight is evaluated, how it is understood by operators, and whether it progresses from initial interest to real-world use. Your work directly influences which missions get tested, which partners engage, and how real operational feedback shapes the product bridging the gap between cutting-edge autonomy and operational deployment.

You Might Be a Fit If

You're comfortable starting conversations.
You're willing to reach out to new operators, partners, and programs, ask thoughtful questions, and follow up consistently. You understand that early commercial momentum comes from disciplined outreach, not waiting for inbound leads.

You think in trade-offs.
You can balance speed vs. depth, persistence vs. signal quality, and breadth vs. focus when qualifying prospects. You're comfortable adjusting approach as you learn which conversations are worth pursuing.

You're organized and execution-oriented.
You keep track of outreach, follow-ups, and next steps, and maintain clean records in CRM (Hubspot, Apollo) and shared tools. You take pride in closing loops and keeping work moving forward.

You're curious about how technology is used in the real world.
You want to understand how operators and pilots evaluate new tools, especially when reliability, safety, and performance matter. You're comfortable learning enough technical context to have credible conversations.

You're comfortable with ambiguity.
Priorities shift and processes evolve. You ask clarifying questions, adapt quickly, and stay productive even when the path isn't fully defined.

You communicate clearly.
You can write concise outreach messages, summarize conversations accurately, and relay insights to internal teams. You're professional, thoughtful, and comfortable interacting with a range of stakeholders.

You've had exposure to commercial, research, or technical environments.
This could come from a degree with hands-on projects, internships or co-ops, or a few years of experience in business development, partnerships, or customer-facing roles in a technical domain.

What We Offer

Meaningful responsibility early This isn't a passive role. You'll help create commercial momentum and influence where and how Smart Flight is tested and adopted.

Hybrid flexibility Work where you're most productive. We're based in Montreal and value focus time and thoughtful collaboration over face-time.

Growth with the company As Shearwater scales, this role can grow into business development, partnerships, or product-facing responsibilities.

Long-term upside As the company grows, high-performing team members may be considered for equity as their role and impact expand.

Apply

We're looking for people who want to take initiative in a domain that matters.

Location & work authorization: Candidates must already be legally eligible to work in Canada.

Apply at: ...

Don't meet every requirement? We care more about initiative, judgment, and willingness to learn than a perfect background.