Head of Growth - Business Development, Sales & Government Affairs
No salary listed
Expert
Bachelor's
Washington, DC, USA+1 moreMore locations: Atlanta, GA, USA
In PersonAtlanta or the Washington, DC metro area is preferred; travel 40–50%.
Sales & Account ManagementBusiness Development & Partnerships
No H1B Sponsorship
US Citizenship Required
About the job
Requirements
- 10+ years in defense or aerospace business development, capture, government affairs, program management, or sustainment and logistics leadership.
- Prior service in uniform, or senior civilian or industry experience in Department of War maintenance, logistics, or acquisition.
- Deep, current relationships across Department of War sustainment organizations and original equipment manufacturer aftermarket organizations.
- Personally closed and grown multi-million-dollar government or original equipment manufacturer contracts.
- Knowledge of the budget cycle, including planning, programming, budgeting, and execution; program objective memoranda; authorization and appropriations.
- Understanding of technical data rights, depot law, and qualification and technical authority.
- Technical familiarity sufficient to discuss cold spray, non-destructive testing, and Federal Aviation Administration Part 145 with engineers and brief a general officer.
- Experience at or near an early-stage company, or launching a new business line within a large company.
- Ability to travel 40–50% of the time.
- Willingness to register as a lobbyist under the Lobbying Disclosure Act if required.
- U.S. citizenship and an active Secret or Top Secret clearance, or the ability to obtain and maintain one.
- Bachelor's degree.
Responsibilities
- Build the growth function by setting strategy for business development, sales, capture, and government affairs, then hiring and leading the team.
- Take the first original-equipment-manufacturer-authorized part family through qualification to point-of-need execution and paid reorders.
- Negotiate master agreements and field-of-use licenses with original equipment manufacturers, allowing Lykos to repair and reproduce parts while original equipment manufacturers retain design authority.
- Partner with Product Support Managers, program offices, depots, and operational units to convert critical readiness items into funded programs.
- Use Other Transaction Authority agreements, public-private partnerships, Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs, the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program, and commercial original equipment manufacturer agreements.
- Build relationships on Capitol Hill and across the executive branch to advance policies for distributed sustainment and qualification reciprocity.
- Deliver win strategies, capture plans, proposals, and reliable revenue forecasts.
- Inform the product roadmap and platform development based on warfighter and original equipment manufacturer feedback.
- Identify candidate facilities for acquisition and represent Lykos at key stakeholder meetings and industry events.
Desired Qualifications
- Experience in advanced manufacturing, additive manufacturing, repair and overhaul, or aftermarket.
- Experience sustaining unmanned systems or robotics, including with Special Operations Command or the Army.
- Experience with mergers and acquisitions or integrating acquired businesses.
- Exposure to commercial regulated industries such as Federal Aviation Administration repair stations, energy, or rail.
- Existing relationships with defense-focused venture capital firms and prime contractors.
About the company
Interplay is a venture firm that starts companies with great people, helps teams develop their business, and then invests in them. Its process is described as three core activities: COFOUND (starting companies with strong teams), INCUBATE (helping great teams grow their business), and INVEST (financing companies led by capable founders). The organization emphasizes a family-oriented approach, using services that power about 10% of all VC-backed companies. The leadership and operating partners span multiple roles across major U.S. locations, signaling a hands-on, operational, and talent-focused model. Its goal is to support entrepreneurs from formation through scale by combining cofounding, structured development, and investment under one umbrella, differentiating itself with its focus on a broad, hands-on “family” network and service platform that fuels a large portion of the VC-backed ecosystem.
Company Size
11-50
Company Stage
N/A
Total Funding
$873M
Headquarters
New York City, New York
Founded
2012
Get referred to Interplay
See people who can refer or advise you
Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Interplay closed Fund III at $45 million in 2026, confirming fresh capital.
- Pepper raised a $50 million Series C in January 2026, signaling portfolio winners.
- Ollie sold to Agrolimen on February 11, 2026, proving real exit capability.
What critics are saying
- Interplay still shows zero tracked exits in third-party databases despite years of investing.
- Fund III's $45 million size limits follow-on power against larger Series A competitors.
- A narrow B2B marketplaces and vertical software thesis concentrates losses if that cycle weakens.
What makes Interplay unique
- Interplay runs Ventures, Studio, Accelerator, Platform, and Ascend under one operating system.
- Mark Peter Davis keeps the same investment team across fund vintages, sharpening consistency.
- Interplay pairs capital with services, using operating partners like Founder Shield and Venwise.
Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?
Benefits
- Hybrid Work Options