RiseMe
Sitreps 2 Steercos logo
Sitreps 2 Steercos Verified
Consulting, Business Services, Strategic Management

Director of Defense Sales

Rosslyn, VAOnsiteFull TimeDirector$150,000–$165,000 /yrPosted 2 months ago

Is this role right for you?

Upload your resume and get a skill-by-skill breakdown — see exactly where you match, where you're close, and what to highlight. Not a mystery percentage.

Get a tailored resume highlighting what this role needs.

Required skills

  • Director of Defense Sales
  • Defense Tech Software
  • in person
  • Rosslyn office
  • uncapped commission
  • equity
  • founding direct sales role
  • Full-Time Employee
  • Travel up to 40%
  • U.S. security clearance

Nice to have

  • selling software
  • AI/ML products
  • defense
  • services
  • hardware
  • exercise planning cycles

Role summary

Early-stage Defense Tech Software company seeks a Director of Defense Sales in Arlington, VA. This full-time, in-person role focuses on direct sales within the defense sector, requiring a strong track record in government business development and defense contracting. The position involves prospecting, demoing, and closing deals with military units and program offices, with up to 40% travel. Prior military service and a network within DoW organizations are essential. Experience with exercise planning, operational planning, and selling software/AI/ML products is preferred. The role offers a base salary of $150k-$165k plus uncapped commission and equity, with flexibility in commission structure and ramp.

Director of Defense Sales

Company: Early-Stage Defense Tech SoftwareLocation: Washington, DC / Northern Virginia. In person, Rosslyn office.Compensation: $150,000 to $165,000 base, plus uncapped commission and equityCommission: Structure and ramp are flexible with this founding direct sales role.Role Type: Full-Time EmployeeTravel: Up to 40%, to be in front of customersClearance: Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

About the Client

We're on a mission to ensure warfighters are prepared for every challenge they face. We are committed to assembling a world-class team of exceptional problem solvers, combining expert engineering talent with deep experience in National Security.

We build AI for the most important problem in defense: making sure the force is ready to fight. Our software is deployed and in use with DoD partners today. The office is in Rosslyn.

About the Role

We're looking for a relentless, customer-facing seller to own our direct sales motion. This role is for someone who moves fast, gets in front of operators and staffs, and converts conversations into signed work. You'll spend your time in front of units, commands, and program offices, running demos, shaping requirements, and closing.

If you want a defined territory and an inherited playbook, this isn't it. If you want to build a pipeline from zero and win, it is.

Exercise planning and operational planning are the initial focus areas for this seat, so knowledge or experience in either is a real advantage.

Responsibilities

  • Direct Sales. Own new business from first contact through award. Prospect, qualify, demo, and close across services, combatant commands, and operational units.
  • Field Engagement. Get in the room. Work exercises, industry days, wargames, and conferences to generate qualified demand and build durable operator relationships.
  • Deal Execution. Drive opportunities through the fastest available contracting pathway, including O&M sales, CSOs, OTAs, consortium vehicles, and simplified acquisitions.
  • Pipeline Discipline. Maintain an accurate, current pipeline. Forecast honestly, kill dead deals early, and communicate what engineering needs to know and when.
  • Voice of the Customer. Translate operator problems into clear product feedback, and translate capabilities into language a staff officer or contracting officer can act on.

    • Requirements

    Must-Haves

  • Prior military service inside a DoW organization.
  • A track record of originating and closing government business, with specific deals you can point to and describe.
  • A live network across DoW operational units, staffs, or program offices that you can activate in your first 30 days.
  • Working fluency in defense contracting pathways (OTAs, CSOs, IDIQs, consortium structures) and the ability to pick the right one under time pressure.
  • Comfort demoing software yourself, without an engineer in the room.
  • High tolerance for ambiguity and a bias toward action in an early-stage environment.
  • Willingness to travel up to 40% to be in front of customers.
  • Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance.

    • Nice-to-Haves

  • Experience selling software or AI/ML products into defense, not services or hardware.
  • Familiarity with exercise planning cycles, wargaming, and operational assessments.
  • Experience at an early-stage defense tech or govtech company.
  • Active U.S. security clearance.

    • Compensation & Benefits

  • Competitive salary and equity to share in our success
  • The chance to join a founding team and directly shape the future of the company
  • The opportunity to work with cutting-edge AI technology in a defense context
  • Full health and dental benefits, 401(k), commuting benefits, lunch when in office
  • Office in Washington, DC / Northern Virginia

    • On how you get paid. We have deliberately put the emphasis on earning through closing rather than on collecting a salary. Commission is uncapped and the structure is genuinely open: if you have thrived under a model before, we want to hear it, and the rate can go above the usual range on larger deals. We are also flexible on ramp. The right person for this seat should be confident they can do very well on incentives.

    Ready to apply?
    You'll be redirected to Sitreps 2 Steercos's application page.

    Similar roles

    See how RiseMe works

    Match, tailor, and prep so you send fewer applications and land more interviews.