The posting
About Electra
Air travel is about to become something more: more direct, more accessible, and more connected to the places where people live, work and want to be. Every day in the U.S., people make 35 million trips of 50–500 miles, stuck in traffic or routed through crowded hubs. Chances are, you've been one of them. At Electra, we're changing that with the EL9, a nine-passenger, hybrid-electric aircraft that takes off and lands in just 150 feet. Our Ultra Short technology opens up thousands of new places to fly, beyond conventional runways, congested airports and long drives. We're backed by Lockheed Martin, Honeywell and Safran. Operators worldwide have signed intent-to-purchase agreements for the first 2,200 aircraft we produce, and we're moving toward first test flights in 2027.
Getting a new kind of aircraft airborne takes more than ambition. It takes our kind of bold: people who think big while working in the real world. Who move ideas into action and collaborate without silos. Who put people first and make room at the table for everyone. Who challenge one another without diminishing one another.
Sound like you? Then look beyond what you thought were your own limits, and help us take flight beyond runways.
The Role
Electra seeks a highly effective, strategic, well-networked, and collaborative Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) to lead Electra's engagement with the commercial market and, importantly, to bring together the necessary ecosystem to launch the entirely new category of Direct Aviation.
Reporting directly to the CEO, the CCO will lead a team that consists of professionals that hold three core accountabilities: Selling, Marketing, and Market Development.
Selling: The CCO and team are responsible, globally, for converting Electra's 2,000+ backlog of EL9 commercial market LOIs and its non-LOI'd commercial sales pipeline into firm, fixed price Deposit Agreements, featuring significant, non-refundable Pre-Delivery Payment (PDP) deposits. The team will also be responsible for ensuring airline customers have access to finance and lease solutions for EL9 aircraft procurement.
Marketing: The CCO and team build, maintain and deploy the suite of operational modeling tools and marketing collateral that support customer evaluation of the EL9 from the multiple perspectives of Fleet, Network and Operations. In addition, the CCO develops and delivers Electra's customer partnership for commercial market demos.
Market Development: Market Development has three intersecting components: delivery of commercial market demos, access point development and associated operational regulatory enablement. Access point development encompasses creation of Electra's partnerships with the third parties who develop and operate Ultra Short access points to accommodate EL9 operations. In addition, this work will include further strategic assessment of in-house access point development. Operational regulatory enablement encompasses working directly with the FAA and State and Local authorities to establish approvals, policy, and guidance to support Ultra Short operations at novel access points on- and off-airports, including managing Electra's eIPP commitments with DOT.
This is a high-impact executive role requiring significant experience in global aviation, rigorous commercial negotiation, aviation finance, market development efforts, regulatory and government engagement, and proven success in building a revenue engine in an analogous environment. Prior start-up experience is a significant plus.
What You'll Do
Executive & Strategic Leadership
- Serve as a strategic advisor and business partner to the CEO, Board of Advisors, and executive leadership team
- Partner cross-functionally with product development, engineering, manufacturing and supply chain operations, test and certification, and in-service operations leadership to align commercial customer strategy with product and operational readiness
- Partner with Electra Defense leadership to align overlapping engagements between the Commercial and Defense businesses
- Support Board presentations, investor discussions, and strategic growth initiatives
Selling, Marketing & Market Development Leadership
- Lead development and execution of the company's global commercial revenue strategy across all use cases, including regional airlines, mobility operators and network partners, cargo and logistics providers, and enterprise customers
- Build, maintain and deploy the suite of operational modeling tools and marketing collateral that support customer evaluation of the EL9 from the multiple perspectives of Aircraft Performance (take-off and landing distance analyses, payload/range analyses, configurations, extreme conditions analyses), Fleet (acquisition, financing, management, etc.), Network (market demand, route structure, mixed platform integrations, minimum revenue guarantee planning, airline P&L modeling, etc.), and Operations (cost, revenue, maintenance, training, access point parameters, etc.)
- Develop and deliver customer partnership for Electra's commercial market demos, specifically designed to advance customer sales campaigns, industry-wide Ultra Short adoption, and company positioning with investors, suppliers, governments and other key stakeholders
- Structure and close complex, long-cycle (multi-year) sales campaigns, from Deposit Agreements to Sales Agreements, that advance commercial sales in alignment with the company's financial growth and pricing strategies
- Establish relationships with aviation financiers and acquisition/PDP financing deployment models to support customer finance-ability of EL9 acquisition
Infrastructure Leadership
- Drive ecosystem development for Direct Aviation as a new category, between developers, communities, regulators, airports, other access point operators, State and Local authorities, and other key stakeholders
- Construct Electra's partnerships with the third parties developing Ultra Short access points to accommodate EL9 operations
- Lead strategic assessment of in-house access point development
- Work directly with the FAA and State and Local authorities to establish approvals, policy, and guidance to support Ultra Short operations at novel access points on- and off-airports
Collaboration with Electra Defense
- Be a supportive partner to the Electra Defense team, collaborating on enterprise initiatives that link the commercial and defense selling agendas
Global Market Development
- Identify and prioritize global markets for Direct Aviation adoption, including North America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia-Pacific
- Develop and execute market entry strategies, partnerships, and localized operating models
- Evaluate international expansion opportunities, joint ventures, and strategic alliances
Revenue Operations & Customer Alignment
- Establish pipeline management, forecasting discipline, and revenue operations infrastructure
- Manage customer skyline against long-range planning aligned to certification timelines, production ramp, and network deployment
- Partner with product development, manufacturing & supply chain operations and in-service operations to align offerings with customer requirements and market demand
- Translate customer insights into inputs for vehicle capabilities, service design, and network operations, for both the EL9 and future product development
- Together with the VP of In-Service Operations, ensure successful customer adoption, deployment, and long-term engagement
Leadership & Team Development
- Build and lead a world-class global revenue organization across sales, partnerships, market development, and Ultra Short integration
- Recruit, develop, and mentor high-performing commercial leaders
- Foster a high-accountability, collaborative, and execution-oriented culture
- Serve as a trusted cross-functional partner across the organization
What You Bring
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Aviation, or related field
- 18+ years of progressive commercial, business development, or revenue leadership experience
- Significant executive leadership experience in aerospace, aviation, defense, mobility, or infrastructure-scale industries
- Proven track record of driving revenue growth in complex, regulated, and emerging markets
- Experience with technical product selling, B2B selling, long cycle sales campaigns, and selling into complicated, large-scale enterprise customers
- Demonstrated success closing large, strategic, multi-year deals ($25M+)
- Experience building and scaling revenue organizations in high-growth environments
- Strong understanding of global market expansion and partnership development
- Proven ability to operate effectively in pre-commercial and scaling environments
- Exceptional executive communication, negotiation, and leadership skills
Bonus Points
- MBA preferred
- Experience in Advanced Air Mobility, Direct Aviation models, rotorcraft, or next-generation aerospace platforms
- Familiarity with certification processes
- Experience with international market development and global commercial operations
- Experience in venture-backed or high-growth aerospace organizations
- Familiarity with airspace integration frameworks
Compensation
Compensation details for this role will be shared during the interview process.
What We Offer
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance; STD, LTD, and life insurance
- Generous PTO, sick leave, and company holidays
- Paid winter break
- 401(k) with immediate vesting
- Free catered lunches, coffee, snacks, and drinks at our Manassas headquarters
- Free on-site parking
Electra is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This position may be subject to ITAR requirements.
