General Manager, Business Development - Hawthorne - Surf Air Mobility

Description

Job Title: General Manager, Business Development & Strategy- Leasing

Location: Los Angeles / Hybrid / Remote with travel

Role Summary

The General Manager of Business Development & Strategy- Leasing is a high-impact, hands-on leader responsible for standing up the growth and commercial strategy for a joint venture business unit within a public company. This role focuses on market analysis and execution of leasing transactions while contributing to broader strategic planning. Working closely with the executive leadership team and JV/ 3rd party partners, this position blends analytical rigor with relationship management to help scale the platform, grow the fleet, and build long-term partnerships with charter airlines. This role will be a key partner in developing the commercialization strategy for OwnerOS, a proprietary software solution designed for the leasing vertical.

Key Responsibilities

• Market, Fleet & Opportunity Analysis
  • Research airline demand, fleet trends, lease rate factors, and competitor activity.
  • Support evaluation of target charter airlines, regions, aircraft types, and lease structures
  • Track market developments to inform pricing, placement, and portfolio decisions.
• Business Development & Strategic Support
  • Support the development and execution of business development and growth initiatives.
  • Prepare market analysis, business cases, and strategic recommendations for leadership.
• Airline Origination & Relationship Management
  • Support origination and management of charter airline customer relationships.
  • Participate in airline marketing, meetings, and industry events.
  • Assist in negotiations for operating leases, extensions, and sale-leaseback transactions.
• Deal Execution & Proposals
  • Prepare lease proposals, RFP responses, and marketing materials.
  • Build and maintain financial models in coordination with finance and technical teams.
  • Support contract execution through delivery and lease commencement.
• Capital & Partner Support
  • Support relationships with capital providers, OEMs, and service partners.
    
  • Contribute market data and analysis to fundraising and partnership efforts.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration (Startup Environment)
  • Work closely with finance, legal, and operations teams on transactions and with the technical initiative to develop software solutions that support the leasing program.
  • Provide market feedback to support asset selection, pricing, and risk assessment.
  • Take on a broad range of responsibilities typical of a lean startup environment.
• Execution, Monitoring & Reporting
  • Maintain and track business development pipeline and CRM activity.
  • Prepare reports on market trends, deal status, and performance metrics.
  • Support leadership with data-driven insights and recommendations.
• Core Skills & Competencies
  • Strong analytical and financial modeling skills
  • Effective communication and presentation abilities
  • Relationship-building and stakeholder engagement
  • Attention to detail and project coordination
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or a related field; MBA a plus.
• 5-7 years of experience in business development, commercial sales or strategic finance.
• Understanding of lease structures, aircraft economics, and market fundamentals preferred but not required.
• Experience working cross-functionally in a small or high-growth organization is a plus.

Additional Requirements

• Strong work ethic with a proactive, entrepreneurial mindset.
• Ability to operate with limited structure and evolving priorities.
• Strong written, analytical, and presentation skills.
• Willingness to travel as required.
• Proficiency in Google Workspace or Microsoft Office and financial modeling tools; CRM experience preferred.

Benefits

Competitive Salary: Attractive compensation package based on experience.

Health, Wellness, and Retirement: Full-time team members are eligible to participate in comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans. Additional benefits include air ambulance coverage, short-term disability, pet insurance, health savings accounts, company-paid life insurance, and a retirement/401(k) plan. Eligibility for any benefit begins the first day of the month following 30 days of employment.

Generous PTO plus paid holidays throughout the calendar year.

Team member Discounts: As a member of the airline community, team members and immediate family members have access to the My ID Travel program. This program provides travel privileges on participating airlines, including:

• Flight tickets at a significant discount, employee and family members can fly our planes (standby space available)
• Discounts on hotels and resorts
• Car rentals at reduced rates
• Discounted cruises

At Surf Air Mobility, we are committed to building a more inclusive ecosystem that integrates women, people of color, and other underrepresented groups into the cleantech sector and aerospace industry. We strongly encourage applications from qualified applicants and members of underrepresented groups. Surf Air Mobility is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with Surf Air Mobility is governed based on merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.