International Business Development Manager

About the role

The hire will own the end-to-end international business development lifecycle for Antares, driving market identification, customer acquisition, and strategic partnership formation across global territories. This role is responsible for building and maintaining high-level relationships with national governments, defense and energy ministries, and prime contractors to position Antares as a trusted provider of advanced nuclear microreactors. The manager will evaluate and prioritize opportunity markets, developing tailored market-entry strategies that align with customer needs, regulatory environments, and commercial objectives. They will coordinate the creation of proposals, commercial agreements, and regulatory strategies while supporting leadership in negotiations and deal closure activities. The role requires representing Antares at government engagements, industry events, and customer meetings, translating market feedback into actionable insights for internal teams. The hire will monitor geopolitical, regulatory, and financing trends to recommend responsive business-development actions that de-risk international expansion. Collaboration with engineering, finance, and program teams will ensure that international opportunities align with Antares' technical capabilities and long-term mission. Ultimately, the role will help scale clean energy deployment from Earth to the Asteroid Belt by advancing secure, mass-producible microreactor solutions for defense, space, and commercial applications.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Build and manage an international opportunity pipeline, evaluating and prioritizing prospective markets while recommending where Antares should invest time and resources for maximum strategic impact.
• Develop market-entry strategies that integrate customer requirements, government priorities, regulatory pathways, financing structures, local partnerships, and competitive positioning into coherent implementation plans.
• Establish and maintain relationships with national governments, defense and energy ministries, utilities, prime contractors, private companies, and other prospective partners to expand Antares' global footprint.
• Coordinate the development of proposals, customer presentations, partnership structures, commercial agreements, financing approaches, regulatory strategies, and internal approvals across the full business-development process.
• Support the Chief Nuclear Officer and other leaders through direct customer engagement, high-stakes negotiations, and deal closure activities, ensuring alignment with Antares' strategic and financial objectives.
• Represent Antares at customer meetings, government hearings, and industry events, delivering clear briefings to leadership and recommending follow-up actions to capitalize on opportunities.
• Monitor relevant market, policy, procurement, regulatory, and financing developments in target countries, translating complex changes into actionable business-development recommendations.
• Collaborate across engineering, finance, regulatory, policy, and program teams to align international opportunities with Antares' technical capabilities, safety standards, and strategic objectives.
• Evaluate foreign procurement frameworks, export control regulations, and security considerations to guide compliant market-entry and sales strategies.
• Lead cross-functional workstreams that integrate technical feasibility, financial modeling, and commercial terms to support scalable deal execution in diverse jurisdictions.
• Prepare executive-level materials, including market assessments, opportunity reviews, and competitive analyses, to inform leadership investment decisions.
• Drive consensus among internal stakeholders to ensure timely responses to customer requests and alignment on offer structures, risk profiles, and implementation timelines.
• Track key performance indicators for international business development, identifying trends, gaps, and improvement areas to refine strategy and execution.
• Act as a subject-matter interface for international partners, providing clarity on Antares' value proposition, technology readiness, and deployment flexibility for terrestrial, underwater, and space applications.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of emerging clean energy policies, defense spending priorities, and space mission architectures to identify timely entry points for Antares solutions.

Requirements

• Hold a Bachelor's degree.
• Possess a minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience involving international governments, international customers, and/or business development, with a preference for candidates with energy or defense sector backgrounds.
• Demonstrate a proven ability to build and sustain relationships across government and commercial stakeholders while advancing complex, multi-party opportunities in regulated environments.
• Exhibit strong judgment and discretion when handling sensitive information related to national security, export controls, and strategic energy initiatives.
• Show capacity to work effectively in a fast-paced, mission-driven organization that operates at the intersection of energy, defense, and emerging space markets.
• Communicate clearly and professionally in written and verbal formats, with the ability to synthesize technical and commercial data into concise, decision-ready materials.
• Navigate ambiguity and manage competing priorities in a dynamic policy and regulatory landscape while maintaining progress on business development objectives.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams located in different regions, aligning technical, financial, and regulatory perspectives to support coherent market strategies.
• Adhere to Antares' high standards for safety, reliability, and regulatory compliance when engaging with international partners and government customers.
• Maintain organizational agility and a growth mindset, embracing continuous learning in nuclear technology, market dynamics, and international business practices.
• Be willing to engage with senior government officials and industry leaders in a professional manner that reflects Antares' mission and long-term strategic vision.
• Understand the importance of disciplined execution in large-scale infrastructure and technology deployment projects across diverse legal and operational frameworks.
• Commit to upholding Antares' cultural values, including systems thinking, rigorous analysis, and proactive problem-solving in complex environments.
• Hold a valid passport and be able to travel up to 25%, including international travel, to support customer engagements and market assessments.
• Demonstrate the ability to work long hours and weekends as necessary to support critical milestones and evolving business-development timelines.
• Be prepared to work from Antares' Washington, DC office, ensuring consistent presence and coordination with headquarters operations.

Nice to have

• Hold an MBA or a master's degree in international affairs, national security studies, or a related field.
• Possess experience communicating complex science, technology, energy, defense, regulation, and finance concepts to audiences with varied technical literacy.
• Have direct experience with government agreements, regulatory strategy development, project financing, commercial negotiations, and international market-entry planning.
• Demonstrate a track record of supporting senior executives through complex negotiations, government engagements, and commercial deal processes.
• Produce high-quality written materials with strong attention to detail, delivering concise, decision-ready recommendations for time-sensitive opportunities.
• Maintain foreign-language proficiency that facilitates relationship-building in key international markets.

Practical notes

• Ability to travel up to 25%, including international travel, is required.
• Long hours and weekend work may be necessary to meet critical milestones.
• The role requires the ability to work from Antares' Washington, DC office.