The posting
This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Director, U.S. Defense Sales based in the United States.
The Director, U.S. Defense Sales will lead revenue growth across the U.S. defense market, overseeing strategic sales of advanced hardware, data, and software solutions. This senior player-coach role combines hands-on business development and deal execution with leadership and coaching of an established sales team. The successful candidate will build relationships across military branches, defense agencies, acquisition organizations, prime contractors, and technology partners. A key focus will be developing new opportunities in maritime domain awareness, undersea warfare, and other national security applications. Working closely with executive leadership and cross-functional teams, the director will connect mission requirements with funding opportunities and viable paths to contract awards. This is a remote, full-time leadership opportunity for an experienced defense sales professional ready to shape growth strategy and deliver measurable commercial results.
Accountabilities
- Own the U.S. defense revenue target, building a qualified pipeline and closing strategic opportunities involving hardware, data, and software solutions.
- Manage, coach, and develop the existing defense sales team, helping team members strengthen customer relationships and achieve or exceed individual sales targets.
- Personally identify and develop new customer opportunities, leading hands-on sales execution from initial engagement through proposals, negotiations, and deal closure.
- Build and maintain relationships with operational users, program offices, contracting organizations, prime contractors, and technology partners.
- Connect customer mission requirements with appropriate funding opportunities and establish practical paths toward contract awards.
- Develop growth opportunities and new use cases, particularly in maritime domain awareness, undersea warfare, and related defense missions.
- Provide leadership with clear assessments of pipeline health, capture progress, risks, resource requirements, and recommended actions.
- Represent the organization at customer meetings, industry events, partner discussions, military exercises, and product demonstrations.
- Develop teaming and partnership strategies to strengthen priority opportunities and improve competitive positioning.
- Collaborate with Sales, Product, Engineering, Legal, Finance, Marketing, Operations, and executive leadership to ensure strategic pursuits are compelling, coordinated, and executable.
- Align acquisition strategies, funding considerations, capture activities, government affairs, and partnerships to support successful program awards.
- At least 10 years of experience in U.S. defense technology sales, with a demonstrated record of winning complex federal opportunities involving multiple stakeholders.
- Proven experience leading a sales team while personally originating and closing strategic deals.
- Direct responsibility for a team revenue target, with a track record of coaching sales professionals to achieve their objectives.
- Experience selling products and emerging technologies, including hardware-enabled solutions, data-as-a-service, software, and integrated technical capabilities.
- An established professional network across the U.S. defense, intelligence, and security communities, including military branches, acquisition organizations, program offices, systems integrators, prime contractors, government agencies, and industry partners.
- Ability to align operational users, program managers, contracting officials, funding stakeholders, policymakers, and partners around a clear path to contract award.
- Working knowledge of federal budgeting, authorization, and appropriations processes and their impact on sales pipeline development.
- Technical fluency and the ability to understand sophisticated hardware, software, and data products and communicate their value to defense customers.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, sound judgment, attention to detail, and consistent follow-through.
- Willingness to take a hands-on approach to partner strategies, customer presentations, proposals, and stakeholder follow-up.
- U.S. citizenship is required.
- Previously held or current Secret or higher U.S. government security clearance is required.
- Active Secret or Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) security clearance.
- Experience with maritime, ocean, weather, environmental, autonomy, sensing, data, or decision-support programs.
- Experience working in a fast-paced defense technology company.
- Background supporting the U.S. Navy, Air Force, Army, Special Operations Command (SOCOM), Intelligence Community, or other agencies with maritime or national security missions.
- Experience preparing federal proposals for hardware-enabled solutions, data-as-a-service, software, or integrated technical capabilities.
- Competitive base salary plus commission and equity.
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance coverage.
- Professional learning and development stipend.
- One-time home office stipend for remote employees.
- Relocation bonus for employees moving to the San Francisco Bay Area.
- Flexible paid time off (PTO).
- 10 company-wide office closure days, including the final week of December off for all employees.
- 12 weeks of paid parental leave, with an additional 4 weeks for birthing parents.
- Military leave and job protection for reservists and National Guard members under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).
- Annual company-wide onsite week and team events throughout the year.
- Remote working arrangement across the United States, including Washington, DC and the Bay Area.
- Full-time position with travel of up to 25%.
How Jobgether works:
We use an AI-powered matching process to ensure your application is reviewed quickly, objectively, and fairly against the role's core requirements. Our system identifies the top-fitting candidates, and this shortlist is then shared directly with the hiring company. The final decision and next steps (interviews, assessments) are managed by their internal team.
We appreciate your interest and wish you the best!
Why Apply Through Jobgether?
Data Privacy Notice: By submitting your application, you acknowledge that Jobgether will process your personal data to evaluate your candidacy and share relevant information with the hiring employer. This processing is based on legitimate interest and pre-contractual measures under applicable data protection laws (including GDPR). You may exercise your rights (access, rectification, erasure, objection) at any time.
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