Business Development Director - Norway

Employment: Full-time Arondite is a defence technology company building the foundational software and AI to power the autonomous age. Our aim is to revolutionise the way organisations collaborate with robots, sensors and autonomous systems and use the data they generate. We are driven by our determination to help defend our collective democratic values and by our strong belief that an elite group of engineers can make a big difference. We are ambitious, well-funded and building for the long term. You will join Arondite at a pivotal moment in the company’s journey. Our company is being built by exceptional engineers and operators: people who find high-impact, technically challenging work engaging and exciting, and who consistently deliver outsized impact. You will collaborate with other brilliant minds to solve some of the world’s hardest and most important problems. You will have ownership and autonomy from day one. There is no corporate ladder at Arondite. From your first day, you will directly influence the direction of the company and help shape how we build in a new market. We hire outstanding people and give them unusually high levels of autonomy; the ceiling is high for someone with the right ambition. If you are motivated by our mission and want to help build a company that matters, we would like to hear from you. About the role: We are expanding into Norway as part of our next phase of growth. Oslo is the proposed base for this effort because of its proximity to key customer organisations, but it is likely that this role will need to travel across Norway to meet potential customers and users. Our initial objective is to establish a trusted route into this relationship-driven market and create an early strategic go-to-market motion for Cobalt, while retaining the option to build a broader Norwegian office if the opportunity justifies it. Our Strategy & Partnerships team creates the relationships that bring our technology from concept to deployment. In Oslo, you would lead that effort on the ground. You will identify high-value problems for us to solve, build trusted relationships with defence and public-sector stakeholders, develop partnerships with Norwegian organisations, and help establish Arondite as a credible and complementary participant in the Norwegian defence ecosystem. This is a strategic and hands-on role. You will help define Arondite’s market approach in Norway while also doing the practical day-to-day work required to build pipeline, qualify opportunities and move conversations forward. You should be comfortable operating in ambiguity, working independently and representing the company with senior stakeholders across government, industry and partner networks. Norway is a relationship-led market. The role therefore requires strong in-person engagement and a high degree of credibility with local stakeholders. While the initial operating model may involve close support from London, this role is designed around building trusted access in Oslo and across the wider Norwegian defence landscape. You will work closely with product and engineering teams to translate market signals into product insight. The problems we are solving are technically ambitious, so you do not need to build the product yourself, but you do need to understand complex technical ideas, communicate them clearly and contribute meaningfully to roadmap, positioning and deployment discussions. Norway is a strategic partner of the UK in all domains. The UK Commando Force have a key mission in the High North and the Lunna House Agreement is critical to delivery of joint capabilities ranging from Anti-Submarine Warfare through to NATO operations. Cobalt’s relevance is as the software and integration layer that helps heterogeneous Norwegian and UK systems work together inside a shared operational picture. Your responsibilities will include Lead Arondite’s early business development and strategic engagement activity in Norway. Build and maintain relationships with stakeholders across the Ministry of Defence, including front-line units, NJFHQ, FFI and the wider Norwegian Armed Forces ecosystem or adjacent public-sector organisations. Develop relationships with Norwegian primes, technology partners and other organisations that can accelerate market access. Position Arondite as complementary to established Norwegian players, including where partnership or channel routes may be stronger than direct competition. Identify, qualify and progress commercial opportunities relevant to Cobalt and Arondite’s wider offering. Run structured customer discovery to test demand, refine positioning and surface priority use cases. Help shape opportunities connected to autonomy, counter-UAS, electronic warfare and interoperability with existing Norwegian and NATO architectures. Work with internal teams to translate market signals into product insight, roadmap input and go-to-market recommendations. Support partnership structuring, pricing discussions, proposal development and commercial negotiations. Represent Arondite credibly in meetings, events and external conversations with senior decision-makers, and indeed as a spokesperson for media and governmental affairs. Help shape Arondite’s longer-term Norwegian presence, including hiring insight, ecosystem mapping and growth priorities. Requirements You should have: Experience winning enterprise software, defence technology or complex public-sector deals in the Norwegian defence or national security environment A strong understanding of how Norwegian defence procurement, research collaboration and stakeholder engagement work in practice Experience building and maintaining senior relationships across government, defence, industry or technology organisations A track record of structuring and advancing partnerships in defence, public sector or other highly regulated environments Strong commercial judgement, including business case development, pricing awareness, communication and presentation skills The ability to work effectively in a fast-moving, high-growth company alongside engineers and technical teams The confidence to engage with technical subject matter and explain complex products to a wide range of audiences The ability to operate with high ownership and autonomy from day one You will be a key part of our early team in Norway, with significant opportunity to take on leadership responsibilities should you wish. Depending on your experience you may find yourself taking on a leadership role straight away. We know the ideal candidate may not match every line item exactly. If this role is close to your experience and you are motivated by the mission, we would still like to hear from you. Nice to have Understanding of the unique considerations involved in deploying AI solutions in defence contexts Experience selling AI or machine learning solutions in regulated environments Familiarity with responsible AI, defence AI ethics or assurance frameworks Awareness of export controls, security requirements and information-handling constraints relevant to defence work Knowledge of Norwegian and NATO interoperability challenges across heterogeneous autonomous systems and sensors Familiarity with the Trondheim autonomy and drone ecosystem in addition to the Oslo and Kongsberg establishment Right to work Applicants should have the legal right to work in Norway at the time of application, or a clear and realistic route to obtaining it. Final employment arrangements will depend on the operating model used for Norway. Security clearance We believe in working closely with defence customers. As a result, this role is likely to require you to hold, or be willing and eligible to undergo, Norwegian security clearance. The required level, sponsorship route, eligibility requirements, expected timelines and any interim working arrangements will depend on the final scope of the role and should be confirmed before external publication. Office vs hybrid working We are focused on building a positive, collaborative, engineering-driven culture. We therefore believe in making the office a friendly, comfortable and effective place to work, and we try to work in person where possible. Of course, there are times when it makes sense to work from home, and that is fine. You may also need to travel to visit customers, partners and events depending on the role. In general, however, you should only apply to join Arondite if you are excited to work closely with colleagues in person by default. For this role, Oslo is the intended base given the importance of being close to Norwegian defence stakeholders, while also being available for travel within Norway and to the UK as needed. Benefits You will be one of our early team in Norway and we are still finalising our benefits package. However, as a guide, we currently intend to progressively offer the benefits below: Generous equity scheme in Arondite so you have a stake in the company’s growth Generous employer pension contribution Private health and dental insurance Any resources, equipment and training that you need to do your job in a world-class way