Job Description:

Head – Defence Growth & Strategic Partnerships | Defence Technology & AI | Gurgaon

Job Title: Head – Defence Growth & Strategic Partnerships
Location: Gurgaon, Haryana, India
Experience: Recently Retired Lieutenant Colonel / Wing Commander / Equivalent
Industry: Defence Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Sovereign AI
Function: Business Development | Strategic Partnerships | Defence Engagement
Reporting To: CEO & Board
Employment Type: Full-Time

Job Overview

Our client, Defmate, is building sovereign AI solutions for the Indian Defence ecosystem, including a Defence Small Language Model (SLM) and AI-powered decision infrastructure designed specifically for the Indian Armed Forces.

We are looking for an experienced retired Lieutenant Colonel, Wing Commander or equivalent defence professional to join as Head – Defence Growth & Strategic Partnerships in Gurgaon.

This is a senior strategic leadership opportunity for a defence professional with strong operational, technical and stakeholder-management experience who can build relationships across the Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, DRDO, Defence PSUs, Ministry of Defence and government organisations.

The role will focus on defence business development, strategic partnerships, customer engagement, defence procurement, capability development and technology adoption.

The ideal candidate should have a strong understanding of the Indian defence ecosystem and the ability to connect operational requirements with emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, Defence SLMs, Defence Intelligence, Predictive Maintenance and AI-powered decision systems.

About Defmate

Defmate is building Sovereign AI for Indian Defence.

The company is developing defence-focused AI and decision infrastructure to transform fragmented operational, maintenance, logistics, intelligence and procurement data into trusted, mission-critical intelligence.

Defmate's technology focus includes:

• Defence Small Language Models (SLMs)
• Sovereign Artificial Intelligence
• AI Decision Infrastructure
• Defence Intelligence
• Predictive Maintenance
• Mission Planning
• Defence Logistics & Supply Chain
• Defence Procurement
• Defence Digital Transformation

Key Responsibilities

Defence Business Development

• Lead business development initiatives across the Indian Armed Forces, DRDO, Defence PSUs, Ministry of Defence and government organisations.
• Identify defence technology opportunities, capability gaps and potential business programmes.
• Build trusted, long-term relationships with senior military leadership, procurement agencies, user directorates and programme offices.
• Identify operational challenges that can be converted into technology solutions and commercial opportunities.
• Develop strategic growth opportunities for Defmate's defence technology solutions.

Strategic Partnerships

• Develop strategic relationships with DRDO laboratories, Defence PSUs, academic institutions, defence startups, system integrators and industry partners.
• Identify opportunities for collaborative research and technology development.
• Explore government-funded defence technology programmes, innovation initiatives and grants.
• Build strategic partnerships that strengthen Defmate's position within the Indian defence technology ecosystem.

Defence Customer Engagement

• Act as a senior point of contact between Defmate and defence customers.
• Understand operational requirements and communicate Defmate's technology capabilities to defence stakeholders.
• Support product demonstrations, technical presentations, Proofs of Concept (PoCs), user interactions and field evaluations.
• Capture customer feedback and translate operational requirements into actionable product inputs.
• Support successful adoption and implementation of Defmate's solutions.

Defence Procurement & Government Projects

• Participate in defence procurement programmes, RFPs, tenders and government technology initiatives.
• Support proposal preparation, technical documentation and commercial engagements.
• Monitor defence procurement opportunities and modernisation programmes.
• Coordinate user trials, field evaluations and capability demonstrations.
• Support projects through engagement, evaluation and potential induction.

Product & Technology Collaboration

• Work closely with product and engineering teams to convert defence-user requirements into product enhancements.
• Provide operational and defence-domain insights for product roadmap development.
• Help ensure Defmate's AI solutions address genuine defence capability requirements.
• Facilitate continuous feedback between defence users and internal technology teams.

Market Intelligence & Representation

• Monitor defence modernisation programmes, procurement trends and emerging defence technologies.
• Track developments in Artificial Intelligence, Defence AI, SLMs, predictive maintenance, logistics and decision-support systems.
• Represent Defmate at defence conferences, seminars, exhibitions and industry forums.
• Strengthen Defmate's positioning as a trusted sovereign technology partner for Indian Defence.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate should meet most of the following requirements:

• Recently retired Lieutenant Colonel, Wing Commander or equivalent officer.
• Technical arm or technical background preferred.
• Strong operational and/or technical experience in defence technology, engineering, systems or capability development.
• Strong understanding of Indian defence procurement and acquisition processes.
• Experience with DRDO, Defence PSUs, defence technology programmes, system integration or capability development will be an advantage.
• Strong professional network across the Armed Forces, DRDO, Defence PSUs and government ecosystem.
• Ability to understand complex technology products and confidently present them to military users, technical teams and senior leadership.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
• Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation and programme-management skills.
• Strong commercial mindset and ability to identify and develop business opportunities.
• Entrepreneurial approach and ability to work in a fast-growing technology company.
• Willingness to travel extensively across India.

Key Skills

Defence Business Development | Strategic Partnerships | Defence Procurement | Defence Technology | Defence AI | Sovereign AI | Artificial Intelligence | Defence SLM | DRDO Engagement | Defence PSUs | Government Relations | Military Engagement | RFP & Tender Management | Strategic Sales | Stakeholder Management | Programme Management | Proof of Concept | Capability Development | Defence Modernisation

Key Performance Indicators

Success in this role will be measured through:

• Strategic relationships established across the Armed Forces, DRDO, Defence PSUs and government organisations.
• Qualified defence business opportunities generated and converted into active engagements.
• Product demonstrations and Proofs of Concept successfully initiated.
• Defence field trials and evaluations successfully coordinated.
• Participation and success in defence RFPs, tenders and procurement programmes.
• Contracts, supply orders and revenue generated through defence engagements.
• Successful customer adoption and implementation of awarded projects.
• Customer requirements converted into measurable product improvements.
• Strategic partnerships established with DRDO, Defence PSUs, academia and industry partners.
• Research collaborations, innovation programmes and government-funded projects secured.

Why This Opportunity?

This is an opportunity for a senior defence professional to transition operational and military experience into a high-growth Defence AI and technology company.

The successful candidate will work directly with the CEO and Board and play a key role in developing strategic relationships, identifying defence capability requirements and supporting the adoption of sovereign AI solutions for the Indian Armed Forces.

If you are a recently retired senior defence officer with strong technical expertise, defence relationships, strategic thinking and business-development capability, this role offers an opportunity to contribute to the next generation of AI-powered defence decision infrastructure in India.

Apply for Head – Defence Growth & Strategic Partnerships

Candidates with relevant defence, technical, operational and strategic experience can apply through Orbit Global HR Consultants LLP.

Job Location: Gurgaon, Haryana
Role: Head – Defence Growth & Strategic Partnerships
Industry: Defence Technology / AI / Sovereign AI
Reporting: CEO & Board
Travel: Extensive travel across India