Defense Lead

US-based (Southern California preferred) | Full-time, Remote

Defense supply chains are broken. Programs stall because procurement teams can't find qualified suppliers fast enough. Parts get delayed. Costs spiral. The US industrial base has the capacity. The system is just inefficient and outdated.

Jiga solves this.

We're the manufacturing platform that teams at NASA, Collins, Archer, and Leidos use to source custom parts. Our AI matches defense buyers directly with qualified US manufacturers, resolves issues before they happen, and builds lasting relationships that turn into repeat production wins. Growing exponentially YoY.

DoD procurement is undergoing its biggest reform in 60 years. The new mandate: speed, efficiency, and mid-tier suppliers. We're positioned to solve exactly the critical problems in the defense industrial base.

We're hiring someone to help build Jiga's defense business.

The job

Own the full motion: relationships with primes/Tier 2/3 contractors and defense tech companies, an advisor network that opens doors, events in DC and defense hubs, and the path to large production contracts.

You'll work directly with the CEO. You'll have budget for travel, events, and relationship-building.

What you'll do

Build relationships that turn into contracts:

• Develop and own relationships with Tier 2/3 defense contractors and defense tech startups
• Identify, qualify, and close large production opportunities
• Be the face of Jiga in defense. Hold the room with senior procurement and engineering leaders.

Build the ecosystem:

• Recruit and manage advisors who accelerate credibility and open doors
• Host intimate, high-signal events in defense hubs (DC, Texas, Arizona)
• Represent Jiga at defense conferences and shape how we show up in the industry

Shape the category:

• Build your own thought leadership presence
• Collaborate with marketing on defense positioning and premium materials
• Feed insights back to product on what defense customers actually need

You're a fit if

• Deep defense network. You've spent 10+ years in the ecosystem: Tier 2 contractors, defense tech, or adjacent. You know the buyers, the influencers, and how deals actually get done.
• Operator DNA. You'd rather send the email, book the meeting, and close the deal than delegate it. You're allergic to strategy decks that never ship.
• Founder-like ownership. You don't wait for a playbook. You write it, test it, rewrite it.
• Presence. You can hold a room with senior leaders and speak at a conference without breaking a sweat.
• US citizen, US-based in a defense manufacturing hub

This role is not for you if

• You need structure handed to you before you can move
• You're optimizing for short-term quota over building something that matters
• You prefer talking about strategy to executing it
• You want to manage a team before you've proven the model yourself
• Ambiguity makes you uncomfortable

How we work

Remote-first. We don't count hours. We measure what ships.

Most work happens async. We play games online together, ask hard questions, and fly everyone out once a year for a week somewhere beautiful. Previous offsites: Spain, Greece, Albania.

We trust our team to deliver. If that sounds like freedom, keep reading.

What you get

• Real stakes - Your work directly affects whether the US industrial base can keep up
• Full ownership - Build an entire vertical with autonomy and budget
• Equity-heavy comp - We're building toward a massive outcome and you'll share in it
• Resources - Budget for events, travel, advisors, and relationship-building
• No BS - Autonomy, honesty, speed.