How do I find and work for small/mid-tier US Defense Contractors (or defense tech startups) from Europe? (Business/Finance grad)
Hey everyone,
I’m a business/finance major based in Greece, and I’m looking to break into the business/ops side of US or European defense contracting.
I’ve realized that the massive primes (Lockheed, Boeing) might have too much red tape and ITAR/clearance walls for a non-US citizen. So, I want to target smaller or mid-tier US or European contractors, defense tech startups or logistics/services companies operating in Europe. I know they need finance, supply chain, and BD associates to handle government bids, manage regional budgets and run ops, but I have no idea how to actually track them down.
I’d love some advice on how to navigate this side of the industry. If anyone here works on the business side of a mid-tier contractor, defense startup, or manages EU-based contracts, I’d love to connect.
Any reality checks, advice on where to look, or just general industry knowledge would be massively appreciated. Thanks.