Defense Sales Lead

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Illinois.

📋 Description

• Develop and sustain a robust defense pipeline through fostering relationships with program offices, attending industry events, making partner introductions, and evaluating opportunities.

• Engage with program offices prior to solicitations, address sources sought notices and requests for information, and strategically position the company to meet requirements.

• Manage capture strategies, make teaming decisions, and oversee review checkpoints.

• Collaborate with technical personnel and the Director of Operations to create compliant proposal submissions within deadlines.

• Articulate ACTIVATE's hybrid capabilities encompassing on-premises HPC/GPU systems, accredited Government cloud solutions, and commercial GPU resources.

• Determine acquisition strategies for pursuits and cultivate partnerships with integrators and mission primes.

• Maintain precise forecasts that include win probabilities, timelines, and postponed pursuits.

• Collaborate with the Chief Executive Officer, Director of Sales, and Director of Operations on contracts and adherence to compliance.

• Stay engaged with accounts post-award.

⛳️ Requirements

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in selling technology or technical services to the Department of Defense or the Intelligence Community, including awards that you personally sourced and successfully closed.

• Proficient understanding of Federal acquisition processes: full and open competition, prototype other transactions, broad agency announcements, sole source justification, and the implications for small businesses.

• Experience with pre-solicitation capture efforts, not limited to proposal responses.

• Established relationships within at least one relevant purchasing community, such as a service research laboratory, a defense innovation or rapid acquisition organization, a combatant command, or a Defense agency computing program.

• Sufficient technical knowledge in cloud, HPC, or AI infrastructure to conduct initial meetings without the presence of an engineer.

• Proven CRM discipline and reliable forecasts.

• United States citizenship and eligibility for a Secret clearance.

• Preferred: experience selling accredited software platforms, FedRAMP, or Impact Level, where authorization contributes to the value proposition.

• Preferred: background in small business or startup environments, including qualification, pricing input, and execution.

• Preferred: familiarity with firm fixed price, cost plus, and time and materials contracts.

• Preferred: experience in establishing or enhancing a capture process.

🏝️ Benefits

• Medical, vision, and dental insurance.

• 401(k) plan with company matching contributions.

• Short-term disability coverage.

• Generous paid vacation and sick leave.

• Sales commission opportunities.