Full-Time

Growth Lead

Missiles and Strategic Air Systems

Canopy Aerospace & Defense

Canopy Aerospace & Defense

11-50 employees

Develops thermal protection systems for spacecraft

Compensation Overview

$130k - $170k/yr

+ Discretionary bonuses

No H1B Sponsorship

Littleton, CO, USA

In Person

US Citizenship Required

Category
Sales & Account Management (1)
Requirements
  • Bachelor’s degree in engineering, business, or a related field
  • 5-10+ years in business development, capture management, or strategic sales within aerospace, defense, or advanced aviation
  • Proven experience personally being responsible for realizing top-line revenue through successful capture for high-speed air systems applications
  • Direct experience with proposal writing and submission for government or prime-led programs
  • Strong understanding of DoD acquisition processes and customer decision dynamics
  • Demonstrated ability to engage credibly with technical, program, and executive stakeholders
Responsibilities
  • Own business development strategy and execution for supersonic aircraft programs across DoD, primes, and advanced aerospace customers
  • Identify, qualify, and mature opportunities from early concept through contract award
  • Lead capture planning, win strategies, and customer engagement activities tied to major, visible programs
  • Deliver measurable top-line growth aligned to company targets
  • Serve as a primary external-facing representative of Canopy A&D within the high-speed air systems ecosystem which includes weapon systems, advanced defense aircraft, emerging supersonic commercial transport systems, and maritime-domain defense applications
  • Build and maintain senior-level relationships with government customers, prime contractors, and strategic partners
  • Represent the company at industry conferences, trade shows, customer meetings, and networking events
  • Translate customer needs into actionable internal pursuits and offerings
  • Lead or support proposal efforts including RFP/RFI responses, white papers, and unsolicited proposals
  • Coordinate closely with engineering, operations, and leadership teams to develop compelling technical and cost narratives
  • Ensure proposals are compliant, competitive, and aligned with capture strategies
  • Monitor market trends, competitive landscape, and emerging supersonic programs
  • Provide insights to leadership on positioning, partnerships, and investment priorities
  • Support long-term growth planning within the supersonic aircraft domain
Desired Qualifications
  • Master’s degree in engineering, business, or a related field
  • Existing relationships with DoD customers, primes, or Tier 1 suppliers in the supersonic or advanced aviation space
  • Experience supporting early-stage program shaping and requirements definition
  • Prior exposure to both government and commercial high-speed air systems markets
Canopy Aerospace & Defense

Canopy Aerospace & Defense

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Canopy Aerospace & Defense designs, prototypes, and manufactures thermal protection systems for space and hypersonic vehicles. Their heat shields and insulation protect spacecraft from extreme temperatures during flight, with materials tested in real flight conditions to ensure reliability. The company leverages NASA-backed research, real-flight testing, and a focus on reuse and cost efficiency to stand out in a growing NewSpace market. Its goal is to meet rising demand from commercial and government space programs by delivering dependable thermal protection that improves safety and mission economics.

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

Grant

Total Funding

$6.3M

Headquarters

Chicago, Illinois

Founded

2021

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Advanced TPS market reaches $2.5 billion by 2030 from USAF, NASA demand.
  • Secured $2.8M USAF contracts and $850k NASA SBIR Phase II in 2024.
  • Raised $3.5M venture capital plus AFWERX, MDA awards for scalable production.

What critics are saying

  • SpaceX Starship integrated shields eliminate reusable rocket TPS demand within 12-24 months.
  • Tods acquisition integration fails, causing naval customer churn in 12-24 months.
  • Lockheed Martin in-house TPS displaces USAF production contracts in 18-36 months.

What makes Canopy Aerospace & Defense unique

  • Develops transpiration-cooled SiC TPS using additive manufacturing for hypersonics.
  • Acquired Tods Technology on November 4, 2025, adding maritime composites expertise.
  • Offers AETB re-entry ceramics, aluminum nitride heat exchangers from Colorado facility.

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Your Connections

People at Canopy Aerospace & Defense who can refer or advise you

Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Retirement plan participation (eligibility required)

Paid Sick Leave

Paid Vacation

Paid holidays

Discretionary bonuses

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

7%

1 year growth

16%

2 year growth

16%
CityBiz
Nov 4th, 2025
Canopy Aerospace & Defense Acquires Tods Technology

Canopy Aerospace & Defense, a portfolio company of Trive Capital, is excited to announce the acquisition of Tods Technology Ltd.,... Read More

PR Newswire
Nov 4th, 2025
Canopy Aerospace & Defense Acquires Tods Technology, Expanding Global Footprint in Advanced Composites and Acoustic Materials in the Maritime Domain

Canopy Aerospace & Defense acquires Tods Technology, expanding global footprint in advanced composites and acoustic materials in the maritime domain. News provided by. DALLAS and PORTLAND, Dorset, United Kingdom, Nov. 4, 2025 /PRNewswire/ - Canopy Aerospace & Defense ("Canopy A&D"), a portfolio company of Trive Capital, is excited to announce the acquisition of Tods Technology Ltd. ("Tods"), a UK-based designer and manufacturer of advanced composite structures and acoustic materials serving the maritime defense industrial base. The addition of Tods represents a significant expansion of Canopy A&D's global footprint and technical capabilities. Tods brings decades of proven expertise in structural composites, sonar domes, acoustic enclosures, and signature-management materials for both surface and subsurface vessels. Dr. Marco Villa, Canopy A&D CEO commented: "Tods' reputation and commitment to their customers' missions are world-class and deeply aligned with our values. Their longstanding partnerships with the Royal Navy and over 25 Navies worldwide expand Canopy A&D's global presence, supporting critical allied defense programs and strengthening supply-chain resilience between the United States and the United Kingdom. We are committed to building on their legacy by investing in infrastructure, equipment, and people to create an immediate synergy we cannot wait to exploit." The acquisition enhances Canopy A&D's ability to deliver advanced materials and engineered solutions across the full lifecycle of maritime defense programs, from design and development through qualification, production, and sustainment. By integrating Tods' composite and acoustic expertise with Canopy A&D's broader materials and manufacturing capabilities, the company strengthens its position as a leading partner to the global maritime defense industrial base - accelerating shipbuilding schedules and advancing mission-critical platform performance. About Tods Technology Tods Technology, based in Portland, Dorset, UK, is a leading designer and manufacturer of advanced composite structures and acoustic materials for naval and aerospace applications. The company's capabilities include the design, testing, and production of sonar domes, acoustic windows, and structural composites for submarine and surface-ship platforms, supported by global through-life services including in-yard installation, maintenance, and repair. About Canopy Aerospace & Defense Canopy Aerospace & Defense manufactures and delivers highly specialized materials with exceptional insulative, absorptive, and signal reducing characteristics to the space and defense markets. The Company assists OEMs from the initial design phase with R&D material and system engineering services to turnkey manufacturing through refurbishment services on reusable platforms. With deep domain expertise and responsive manufacturing, Canopy A&D acts as a seamless "Built-In" extension of its partners, filling critical gaps across long manufacturing chains. The company operates facilities in Los Angeles, Denver, Cape Canaveral, and the United Kingdom. About Trive Capital Trive Capital is a Dallas, Texas based private equity firm with more than $8 billion of regulatory assets under management. Trive focuses on investing equity and debt in what it sees as strategically viable middle-market companies with the potential for transformational upside through operational improvement. SOURCE Canopy A&D

Space.com
May 11th, 2025
How do you keep reusable spacecraft cool during reentry? Make them 'sweat'

A research team from Texas A&M University has partnered with Canopy Aerospace to develop and test a 3D-printed material that releases or "sweats" a coolant gas to protect spacecraft from the intense heat encountered when travelling back to Earth at high speeds.

The Defense Post
Sep 11th, 2024
USAF Funds Hypersonic Thermal Protection System That Sweats

Canopy Aerospace has clinched a $2.8 million USAF funding to develop a hypersonic thermal protection system based on transpiration-cooling.

The Defense Post
Sep 11th, 2024
USAF Funds Hypersonic Thermal Protection System That Sweats

Canopy Aerospace has clinched a $2.8 million US Air Force funding to develop a more resilient hypersonic thermal protection system (TPS) based on transpiration-cooling.