Navi — Founding Business Development Lead

Type: Full-time | Remote US (heavy travel + monthly SF time) Compensation: $135,000–$155,000 base + competitive equity (not an OTE role) Hiring count: 1 Visa sponsorship: None available (confirmed). Clearance preferred. Work authorization must be confirmed in outreach. Reports to: CEO (name not provided)

About Navi

Navi captures everything a pilot sees and hears and turns it into automated debrief intelligence. The platform is live at flight schools, business jet operators, and the U.S. Air Force — named deployments include Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Purdue University, UND, Sling Pilot Academy, and the United States Air Force. Demand is accelerating and the market is wide open. Sales today are entirely founder-led; this role is among the first 10 hires.

Founded: 2024 | Team size: 6–7 (seed-stage) | Total funding: Not disclosed Industry: Aviation / AI for flight training Website: flynavi.com Office: San Francisco (role is Remote US)

Why Candidates Should Join

• Founding ownership: Early-stage equity with real ownership in a category-defining aviation AI company; first BD hire, builds the function from scratch.
• Flight training perk: Company sponsors flight training to earn a pilot's license.
• Real traction now: Deals closing at airlines, flight schools, and the U.S. Air Force — visible impact from day one.
• Clear growth path: Scales into commercial leadership; a founding GTM hire eventually reports to this person as the company moves toward Series A.
• Benefits: 401(k) and health insurance.

Intake Call Summary

• An intake video is posted on the Contrario role page, but no transcript was available in the pasted HTML — no intake summary could be extracted. Pull key points from the video before scoring if needed.

The Role

Founding Business Development Lead owning the full BD cycle across airlines, private jet operators, and flight training centers — strategic and operational first, not a high-volume execution seat. Starts by owning nearly everything personally, then transitions to a senior team-building role as the company scales toward Series A.

What You'll Be Doing

• Own the full BD cycle from first contact through signed deal to live deployment, across airlines, private jet operators, and flight training centers
• Build and manage a pipeline of aviation customers: identify targets, get in the room, move deals to close
• Run pitches and product demos for operators, training directors, and aviation executives
• Negotiate and close commercial agreements, then partner with the team on deployment success
• Represent Navi in person at customer sites, industry events, and on the road
• Eventually hire and build the BD team as the company scales

Tech stack: N/A (BD role) — product is a hardware-plus-software debrief platform for flight training

Requirements

• 5+ years aviation sales experience
• Existing network across airlines / jets / flight training
• Full-cycle BD ownership, strategic + hands-on
• Remote US, heavy travel + SF time monthly
• Not an OTE role; base + equity
• No visa sponsorship available; clearance preferred

Green Flags

• Pilot's license or deep flight operations and training background
• Genuine, active network across airlines, charter or fractional operators, or collegiate and military flight training programs
• Track record building pipeline from zero without an existing playbook
• Early-stage or founding go-to-market experience
• Comfortable moving between strategic planning and hands-on execution in the same week

Red Flags

• BD or sales background limited to non-aviation industries with no aviation network to draw on
• Currently at CAE (a competitor); approach with extra care to confirm genuine interest in leaving, since sensitive company information will be discussed early
• Expects a traditional OTE-driven comp structure and isn't comfortable with a base-plus-equity model
• Needs a fully built playbook and defined roadmap to operate
• Purely an executor profile without appetite to eventually build and manage a team

Role Details

• Salary — $135,000–$155,000 base
• Equity — Competitive early-stage equity
• On-site policy — Remote US; extensive travel + some monthly time in San Francisco
• Visa sponsorship — None available (confirmed); clearance preferred — confirm work authorization in outreach
• Employment type — Full-time
• Location — United States (Remote)

Screening Questions

1. Current Location
2. LinkedIn
3. Why Navi?
4. What's the hardest problem you've ever solved?

Interview Process

Contrario pipeline stages only — no durations or descriptions were provided on the role page. Stage 1 — Pending Approval — Candidates awaiting initial approval. Stage 2 — Application Review Stage 3 — Initial Screen Stage 4 — First Round Stage 5 — Second Round Stage 6 — Offer Stage 7 — Hired — Candidate accepts and starts.