Marketing Manager, Founding Marketing Hire
About AventraAventra builds long-range, low-cost strike and ISR systems for the US and its allies: stratospheric platforms, precision glide vehicles, and ultra long range attack drones. Mass at range, at a price that changes the math. We're venture-backed, based in Herndon, Virginia, and flying hardware today. We are a mission-driven team moving at startup speed with defense-grade accountability. Our programs span contracted deliveries, government demonstrations, and ongoing system development, and our pace reflects the urgency of the problems we’re solving.
The Role
We're hiring our founding marketing hire — someone who can own the full marketing function end to end from day one and grow into a leadership role as the team scales. You'll work directly with the founders and executive team, shape how Aventra shows up publicly in a fast-moving defense-tech and national security landscape, and build the systems and team needed to support a company scaling through Series B and beyond. Strong performance in this role comes with a clear path to Head of Marketing, including hiring and managing a team.What You'll OwnOwnership
• Aventra's social media presence and brand voice across all platforms
• Content generation, from concept through production, in partnership with outside creative resources
• Inbound and outbound marketing campaigns, including planning, execution, and performance tracking
• A social and content calendar aligned to product milestones, funding announcements, and industry events
• Sourcing, hiring, and managing photography and video vendors/contractors
• Product collateral development (data sheets, one-pagers, web content, trade show materials) in partnership with engineering and product
• Client and partner-facing marketing support at conferences, demos, and industry events
• Building the marketing function's foundational systems (CRM/marketing automation, brand guidelines, content workflows) as the team scales
- 3-6+ years of marketing experience, with a track record of owning a marketing function or major workstream independently
- Strong written and visual eye; able to brief and manage outside creative vendors effectively
- Experience running both inbound (content, SEO, campaigns) and outbound (targeted outreach, event marketing, ABM-style campaigns) motions
- Comfortable operating with minimal structure and building process rather than inheriting it
- Client-facing and comfortable representing the company at industry events and in front of customers/partners
- Prior experience at a venture-backed startup, ideally at or near the founding marketing hire stage
- Prior exposure to defense, aerospace, government, or dual-use tech markets is a strong plus
- Willing to be based in Herndon, VA and travel roughly 20% of the time
- Competitive salary commensurate with experience
- Generous health coverage for employee and family, premium fully covered
- 4% 401k match
- PTO and Sick Leave
- Travel up to 25% to customer sites, and field test locations
- Ability to work in austere field conditions and military operational environments
- Flexibility to support urgent operational requirements and schedule changes
- In-person role based in Herndon, VA
- Collaborative environment supporting critical national security missions
- Direct support to warfighter capabilities and mission success
Aventra Defense Systems, Inc is a venture-backed startup building scalable, precision-guided capabilities for the next generation of combat. We are assembling a team of engineers and operators who believe in speed, simplicity, and delivering real capability to the field—not just PowerPoint slides.
$120,000 - $165,000 a year
Compensation details: 120000-165000 Yearly Salary
Listed under Marketing & Communications jobs.