Business Development Manager

Business Development Manager - U.S. Department of Energy

College Park, MD, US | Full-time or Part-time | Permanent | Hybrid 

Salary: $175,000 to $250,000 DOE  

The salary range for this role is broad, as we are able to consider varying levels of experience.  Any offer made will carefully take into account level of experience (including relevant industry experience), transferable relevant skills and previous relevant achievements.

About us 

Riverlane’s mission is to master quantum error correction (QEC) and unlock a new age of human progress. From advances in material and climate science, to complex chemistry simulation for new drug design, quantum computers will help humanity solve some of its most important challenges. But without QEC, the industry’s defining technical challenge, such breakthroughs can never be achieved.  Riverlane is the world leader in QEC technology. QEC is a complex problem that requires a range of skills, talent and passion.  

Having raised more than $125M in funding to date to accelerate our cutting-edge R&D in quantum error correction (QEC), Riverlane partners with many of the world’s leading quantum hardware providers and government agencies to make fault-tolerant quantum computing a reality. We’re making remarkable progress and growing fast.  

About the role 

Reporting to the Chief Commercial Officer, the successful candidate will be responsible for growing Riverlane’s business with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and DOE National Laboratories. The role combines business development, capture management and technical solution shaping: identifying opportunities, building relationships, developing white papers, responding to RFIs, and leading proposals in response to RFPs, grants and other government funding opportunities. 

This individual will engage with DOE lab leadership, technical representatives, program managers and industry partners to understand mission needs and craft compelling solutions that apply Riverlane’s quantum error correction technologies. Opportunities may include direct sales to DOE national labs as well as partnered solutions delivered with other technology companies, systems integrators or research collaborators. 

While the position may involve occasional engagement with other U.S. government agencies, such as Commerce/NIST, it is expected to be primarily focused on DOE. The successful candidate should be comfortable travelling to DOE national labs as needed to build relationships, develop opportunities and support capture efforts. This is a senior individual contributor role with no direct reports, requiring strong ownership, sound judgment and the ability to operate independently across technical, commercial and government stakeholder groups.

What you will do

• Identify, qualify, shape and close DOE and DOE national lab opportunities, including direct sales, funded program awards and partnered solutions with industry collaborators. 

• Build trusted relationships with DOE lab leadership, technical representatives, program managers and relevant industry partners. 

• Lead capture activities for DOE programs, including white papers, RFIs, RFP responses, grant proposals and related customer-facing materials. 

• Work with Riverlane technical teams and external partners to craft solutions that align Riverlane’s capabilities with DOE mission priorities. 

• Serve as a knowledgeable representative of Riverlane’s technologies, including quantum error correction and related product capabilities. 

• Coordinate internal proposal, technical and commercial inputs to ensure submissions are persuasive, compliant and strategically aligned. 

• Travel to DOE national labs and relevant partner or customer sites as needed to develop opportunities and support capture efforts. 

What we need

• Technical background in quantum computing, advanced computing, physics, engineering or a related field; M.S. or Ph.D. preferred; comparable experience also considered. 

• Experience writing white papers, RFIs, proposals or grant applications for U.S. government customers, ideally DOE or DOE national labs 

• Experience building relationships with government customers, national labs, research organizations, systems integrators or industry partners 

• Ability to translate technical capabilities into compelling solutions for government programs and mission-driven customers 

• Ability to write clearly, succinctly, and persuasively 

• Willingness to travel regularly to DOE national labs, customer sites and partner meetings as needed, likely up to 30-40%. 

• Ability to meet applicable U.S. government customer, contract, export-control, and site-access requirements, which may include U.S. citizenship depending on the program or engagement.

Even better if you have…

• Existing relationships or prior experience with DOE, DOE national labs, federal research programs or U.S. government capture processes 

• Experience working in a quantum computing or other advanced computing lab 

• Experience working with industry partners to develop joint solutions, consortium proposals or multi-party research programs 

What can you expect from us 

• A comprehensive benefits package that includes an annual bonus plan, private medical insurance, life insurance, and 401K contributions  

• Equity, so that our team can share in the long-term success of Riverlane  

• Generous paid time off and enhanced family leave  

• A diverse work environment that brings together experts in many fields (including software and hardware development, quantum information theory, physics and maths) and over 20 different nationalities  

• A learning environment that encourages individual, team and company growth and development, including a regular programme of learning events and training and conference budgets 

How to apply 

Please upload your resume and covering letter by clicking 'Apply'. Your covering letter should explain why you are applying for the job and what skills and experience you can bring to the role. 

We review CVs as we receive them and interview as soon as we have applications that look like a good match. We do not use closing dates. So, please apply as soon as possible to avoid missing out on this role. 

If you have any queries, please contact jobs@riverlane.com. 

Everyone is welcome at Riverlane. We are an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from eligible and suitably qualified candidates regardless of age, disability, ethnicity, gender, gender reassignment, religion or belief, sexual orientation, marital or civil partnership status, or pregnancy and maternity/paternity. 

Women and other underrepresented groups may be less likely to apply for a role unless they meet all or nearly all of the requirements.  If this applies to you, we still encourage you to apply - you may be a great fit, even if you don’t meet every single qualification. We’d love to hear from you. 

If you need any adjustments made to the application or selection process so you can do your best, please let us know. We will be happy to help. 

GDPR notice: Riverlane collects and processes personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws. If you are a European Job Applicant see the privacy notice for further details.