Job Title: Director of Business DevelopmentLocation: Remote / Hybrid in North America (Western US or Canada preferred)Travel:&nbsp; 25% or more&nbsp;Compensation: $100,000 - $130,000 CAD plus variable compensation (OTE $220 - $250)About UsOur portfolio company, Skyward Wildfire Technologies, is building the next generation of wildfire mitigation solutions. Leveraging proprietary lightning forecasting and suppression technologies, our mission is to help governments, utilities, and private sector partners anticipate, mitigate, and respond to lightning-driven risks. They operate at the intersection of advanced science, technology and urgent global need.&nbsp; If you’re passionate about making a real impact, they want you on their team!The RoleWe are seeking a Director of Business Development to grow Skyward’s commercial and government partnerships. This role will focus on selling innovative lightning forecasting and suppression technology and services, alongside the founder and C-Suite, into:<ul><li>Government wildfire agencies and emergency management services</li><li>Private sector partners such as utilities, insurers, forestry, and infrastructure operators</li></ul>As an early-stage technology business, this role combines direct sales, partnership development, and market positioning—turning cutting-edge science into real-world contracts and scalable business models.&nbsp;&nbsp;To start, this is an individual contributor role. You will be directly responsible for building the pipeline, engaging customers, and closing deals. As the company grows, you will have the opportunity to recruit, lead, and scale a small business development team to expand our reach and impact.Your expertise in contracting, positioning and business model innovation will help you find ways to deliver our solution in ways that address real customer needs.&nbsp; You will lean on existing relationships, form new ones and close agreements. This role requires a self-motivated, capable, and confident professional experienced in selling new technologies.Key Responsibilities<ul><li>Sales Leadership<ul><li>Drive revenue growth by selling long-term lightning forecasting and suppression technologies into target markets.</li><li>Build and execute a strategy and a sales pipeline with government wildfire agencies and private sector customers.</li><li>Identify, pursue, and close complex contracts, including government procurement</li></ul></li><li>Business Development &amp; Partnerships<ul><li>Develop new business opportunities in greenfield markets—helping define appropriate business models to unlock near term revenue while managing customer risk</li><li>Forge partnerships with complementary technology providers, research institutions, and integrators.</li><li>Lead &amp; close negotiations and contracting, ensuring win-win outcomes.&nbsp; Considerable demonstrable experience pricing to value creation rather than cost-plus, important as we strive for longer-term contractual commitments.</li></ul></li><li>Market Strategy<ul><li>Provide market intelligence and customer feedback to inform future product design and enhancements&nbsp; and commercialization and GTM strategy.</li><li>Analyze government and private priorities and budgets to position our solutions effectively within the wildfire prevention and lightning forecasting market.</li><li>Position Skyward as a trusted partner with wildfire services, utilities, and insurers.</li><li>Represent Skyward at conferences, working groups and government forums.</li></ul></li></ul>About You<ul><li>Proven Track Record: Proven track record selling into government agencies, wildfire/emergency management, utilities, or other highly regulated sectors with experience closing multi-year multi-million dollar agreements.</li><li>Business Development Mindset: Skilled at entering new categories, opening greenfield markets, and shaping early-stage demand.</li><li>Contracting Expertise: Creative and persistent in navigating complex government procurement and enterprise contracting processes.</li><li>People Person: A natural relationship-builder with strong communication &amp; negotiation</li><li>Self-Starter: Entrepreneurial spirit, thrives in the ambiguity &amp; urgency of a startup.</li><li>Ambitious &amp; Mission-Driven: Excited to tackle the global wildfire challenge and build a category-defining business.</li><li>Excellent Communication &amp; Presentation Skills: Ability to convey the value and technical details of our solutions clearly and confidently to diverse audiences.</li></ul>Qualifications<ul><li>7+ years in business development, sales, or partnerships, ideally selling new technology in emergency management, wildfire, defense, public safety, or tech sectors.</li><li>Experience closing multi-million dollar, complex annual contracts with government and/or enterprise customers.&nbsp; Familiarity with the intricacies of public procurement.</li><li>Previous success entering new industries and driving results</li><li>Bachelor’s degree in business, public policy, or related field (MBA an asset).</li></ul>Why Skyward?<ul><li>Join a mission-driven startup tackling an urgent climate crisis</li><li>Work alongside innovators at the cutting edge of atmospheric science, AI, and wildfire</li><li>Shape an entirely new business category in lightning risk forecasting and suppression</li><li>Competitive compensation with strong short &amp; long-term performance incentives</li></ul>&nbsp;How to ApplyPlease submit a brief letter of interest and your resume (in one document).&nbsp;

Active Impact Investments is a Certified B Corp based in Vancouver, BC, whose mission is to support environmental sustainability through profitable investment. With three limited partnership funds with over $200M in assets under management, we provide funds and talent to accelerate the growth of early-stage climate tech companies with $200K to $3M in revenue and significant growth potential. Our portfolio includes and is seeking some of the most successful startups in North America that are capable of achieving venture scale and becoming extremely profitable while solving the most urgent environmental issues.

Director of Business Development (Skyward)

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