Director of Space Reconnaissance Business Unit

Director of Space Reconnaissance Business Unit Join to apply for the Director of Space Reconnaissance Business Unit role at Spire Spires Space Reconnaissance business unit delivers radio frequency (RF) intelligence, and geolocation from one of the largest multipayload satellite constellations in orbit. We enable governments and commercial partners to detect, and understand RF activity globally, supporting missions in defense, intelligence, and security. Job Description: As Director of Space Reconnaissance Business Unit, you will own the strategy, financials, product vision, technical roadmap, and operational strategy for Spires global RF geolocation and intelligence portfolio. You will oversee a distributed team spanning product management, engineering, data science, and solutions delivery across the U.S. and Rest of World, ensuring cohesive execution across both U.S. and nonU.S. product lines. This role is central to advancing Spires nextgeneration spacebased RF capabilities and shaping how persistent global signal intelligence is delivered to mission partners worldwide. Key Responsibilities Strategic Leadership Define and execute the Space Reconnaissance business strategy in alignment with Spires corporate objectives. Identify new market opportunities across defense, national security, and commercial intelligence sectors in cooperation with the Government Business Development & Sales teams. Build and maintain strong partnerships with government agencies, defense primes, and industry collaborators. Guide longterm R&D investments to sustain competitive differentiation in RF collection and geolocation. Own full P&L responsibility for the Space Reconnaissance business unit. Develop annual budgets, revenue targets, and margin goals; monitor financial performance and implement corrective actions. Evaluate and prioritize capital investments in satellite builds, sensor payloads, and data infrastructure. Drive profitable growth through recurring revenue models and longterm government contracts. Operational and Technical Leadership Oversee endtoend operational execution: satellite missions, payload development and data delivery in cooperation with Constellation Planning and Engineering. Ensure system reliability, mission assurance, and data accuracy that meet defensegrade standards. Champion continuous improvement and innovation in data analytics, and automation. Lead the strategic direction and roadmap for Spires Space Reconnaissance product offering, ensuring alignment between technology innovation and customer needs. Lead the evolution of multiintelligence fusion products combining RF and other sensor modalities for advanced insight. Oversee algorithm development, RF performance modeling, and productization of geolocation software pipelines across multiple frequency bands (VHF, UHF, Lband, S/Xband). Drive AWS stack optimization and secure data delivery through APIfirst architectures in partnership with cloud engineering teams. Drive customer adoption of new offerings through clear value propositions and operational performance. Business Development & Customer Engagement Serve as the sponsor for key accounts in the defense, intelligence, and government sectors in cooperation with the Government Business Development & Sales Teams. Lead the gotomarket strategy, including pricing, partnerships, and contract negotiations. Support technical sales, proposal development, and customer tasking, with focus on both U.S. and nonU.S. government customers. Ensure exceptional customer satisfaction through reliable delivery and responsive mission support. Represent Spire at industry events and conferences, articulating the companys leadership in spacebased RF intelligence and ISR. People & Culture Manage and mentor a global team focused on RF signal detection, geolocation algorithms, and spectrum analytics, fostering collaboration between U.S., UK, Canada, and EU offices. Foster a culture of innovation, accountability, and excellence in technical and operational execution. Champion crossunit collaboration within Spire to leverage shared assets and expertise. Risk, Security & Compliance Ensure product compliance with export controls and uphold best practices in data security and system engineering. Performance & Reporting Define and track KPIs across financial, operational, and customer success metrics. Report regularly to the COO on unit performance, strategy execution, and market developments. Qualifications Required Bachelors degree in engineering, Physics, Computer Science, or a related technical field. 5+ years of progressive leadership experience in aerospace, defense, space systems, or intelligence sectors. Proven track record managing a P&L and delivering revenue and margin growth. Deep technical or market understanding of RF systems, SIGINT, spacebased sensing, or geospatial intelligence. Prior experience working with defense, intelligence, or national security organizations. Demonstrated ability to grow products from concept to operational deployment in international markets. Proven success in leading crossfunctional technical teams and managing complex, distributed programs. Experience with regulated, securitycleared programs (e.g., ITAR, export controls, classified work). Excellent strategic, analytical, and executive communication skills. Preferred Advanced degree in Engineering, Physics, Aerospace, or Business (MBA or equivalent). Strong relationships with U.S. and allied government/defense organizations. Experience with commercial space ventures or newspace startups. Understanding of AI/ML applications in geospatial intelligence or RF data analytics. Experience with cloudbased architectures (AWS, Azure) and secure data delivery frameworks. International experience working across allied nations defense and intelligence markets. Spire operates a hybrid work model, and this position will require you to work a minimum of three days per week in the office. Access to U.S. exportcontrolled software and/or technology may be required for this role. If needed, Spire will arrange the necessary licensesthis is not something candidates need to have before applying. The anticipated base salary range for this position is listed below. Final base salary for this role will be based on the location, skills, experience and qualifications. In addition to base compensation, this role may be eligible for annual equity awards and our employee benefits program, including vacation, sick, and personal time off; optional medical, dental, vision, life, and disability coverage; a 401(K) plan; health and wellness reimbursement program; and participation in Spires Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Salary Range: $171,000 USD - $202,500 USD We are proud to be an equalopportunity employer and are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or veteran status. Please take a moment to review Spire's Global Data Privacy Notice for Employees, Contractors, Candidates and Visitors, as well as Spire's Privacy Policy. To help maintain a safe and secure workplace for Spire employees, all candidates who receive a conditional offer will be required to complete a background check. This may include criminal history and employment verification. #J-18808-Ljbffr