Sr. Director, AI & Analytics Partnerships

Wanna join the adventure?
Loft Orbital is seeking a Sr. Director, AI & Analytics Partnerships to lead the development of a strategic partner ecosystem around AI, data analytics, and advanced software tooling. This role will drive our efforts to integrate AI into mission operations, spacecraft autonomy, satellite tasking, and customer data delivery.
You will build partnerships with AI/ML startups, hyperscalers, analytics platforms, cloud providers, research labs, and government stakeholders to enhance Loft’s software-defined space infrastructure. The ideal candidate is a technical and strategic leader with deep experience forging high-impact, cross-functional partnerships in frontier-tech sectors.

About this Role:

• Define and execute Loft’s partnership strategy across the AI/ML landscape to support mission operations, customer data processing, and next-gen autonomy.
• Identify, evaluate, and structure partnerships with companies and institutions in the AI, ML, cloud, edge computing, and analytics domains—ranging from enterprise to early-stage innovators.
• Work closely with product, mission systems, and software teams to scope partner integrations that enhance Loft’s platform—such as ML-based scheduling, onboard inference, anomaly detection, and data analytics pipelines.
• Collaborate with sales, marketing, and customer success to launch joint offerings with partners and bring AI-powered capabilities to customers across commercial and government verticals.
• Engage with government and enterprise stakeholders to position Loft as a leader in AI-enabled space infrastructure.
• Lead negotiations of partnership agreements, strategic alliances, licensing models, and collaborative research programs.

Must Haves:

• 10–15+ years of experience in strategic partnerships and business development, ideally at the intersection of artificial intelligence, and space, aerospace, or defense technology
• Deep understanding of AI/ML technologies, data pipelines, and analytics infrastructure—with the ability to evaluate technical fit and integration opportunities.
• Understanding of how to build partnership programs to facilitate on-boarding to Loft’s technology & certification of partners’ capability on our infrastructure.
• Track record of closing and scaling strategic partnerships with enterprise tech and commercial analytics providers
• Strong executive presence and stakeholder management skills; able to work cross-functionally across technical, commercial, and government-facing teams.
• Experience navigating regulated industries (e.g. defense, dual-use tech, space) and understanding of data sovereignty, compliance, and export control considerations.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, or business. Master’s, MBA, or technical graduate degree preferred.

Nice to Haves:

• Experience driving strategic partnerships with onboard processing or compute providers, across the space or defense sectors

Some of Our Awesome Benefits:

• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance option for employees and dependents
• Flexible Spending (FSA) and Health Savings (HSA) Accounts offered with an employer contribution to the HSA
• 100% employer paid Life, AD&D, Short-Term, and Long-Term Disability insurance
• Flexible Time Off policy for vacation and sick leave, and 12 paid holidays
• 401(k) plan and equity options
• Daily catered lunches and snacks
• International exposure to our team in France
• Fully paid parental leave; 14 weeks for primary caregiver and 10 weeks for secondary caregiver
• Carrot Fertility provides comprehensive, inclusive fertility healthcare and family-forming benefits with financial support
• Off-sites and many social events and celebrations
• Relocation assistance when applicable

 *Research shows that while men apply to jobs where they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other marginalized people tend to only apply when they meet 100% of the qualifications. At Loft, we value respectful debate and people who aren’t afraid to challenge assumptions.  We strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don’t check all the boxes.
Who We Are
Loft Orbital builds “shareable” satellites, providing a fast & simple path to orbit for organizations that require access to space. Powered by our hardware & software products, we operate satellites, fly customer payloads onboard, and handle entire missions from end to end - significantly reducing the lead-time and risk of a traditional space mission.
Our standard interface enables us to fly multiple customer payloads on the same satellite, with capabilities such as earth imagery, weather & climate /science data collection, IoT connectivity, in-o