Aerospace And Defense: Strategy/Ops Combo Vs. BizDev

General background: I founded a fintech startup upon graduating college, raised capital, built and launched the product, and acquired traction. Ultimately shut down this past December as I no longer saw a realistic path to profitability (long sales cycles for low deal sizes was the ultimate killer). While looking for a new role in tech, my cousins reached out and asked if I'd be interested in temporarily working at their aerospace company to support a big contract they had coming up. It's a relatively small firm, but well-known within the industry. I ended up finding the work really interesting -- I'm not an engineer and getting exposure to it is completely new to me -- and they offered me a permanent position should I want it.

This is where the question lies: they had me write my own job description. Half of it is classic defense industry Business Development, the other half falls more into a Strategy/Ops role.

BizDev is continuing what I'm doing now: fighting and winning government contracts and bringing $$$ into the company. Strategy/Ops would be building new strategic partnerships, researching and presenting novel (to us) markets and pitching it to senior leadership, supporting the CEO with strategic acquisitions we have on the horizon, and supporting the COO with establishing our new plant to facilitate a wider manufacturing capability.

Ultimately, I'm seeking a role that will give me experience to launch another startup down the line.

Was hoping to get your input on the two options, any pros/cons that may not be immediately obvious, and thoughts on career progression (excluding an entrepreneurial stint).

Thanks all!

1 Comments
 

Fugit eum eos enim non cumque consequatur hic. Illo cupiditate laborum soluta nam ut. Culpa ipsam ut corrupti ad nobis reprehenderit tempora. Qui reprehenderit tempore sapiente ex. Et illo et corporis eligendi.

Sint et nihil consequatur velit voluptatem. Illum adipisci quas neque.

Minima corporis voluptatum eligendi unde amet quo. Voluptas enim ipsum accusantium vel.

Est id dicta dolorem autem aliquid natus. Repellat perspiciatis provident quibusdam dolore et ipsam. Modi soluta quod maxime. At rerum quisquam dolorum aut quis. Praesentium nam exercitationem quo qui. Iure dolore suscipit officiis. Velit fugit laudantium itaque quia.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (43) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (75) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (67) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”