Director, Sales Engineering

Job Description

About Us

Our client is a U.S. company that combines AI, big data, and deep domain expertise to give government, national security, and intelligence customers an in-depth understanding of their operating environment. We are a major technology innovator, shipping new platform capabilities every quarter, and our U.S. operations include a cleared workforce and a Facility Clearance (FCL), with a track record of supporting national security missions.

The U.S. Federal business is our fastest-growing unit, and this role is being created to scale the technical sales motion that supports it.

Overview

The client seeking a Director, Sales Engineering, U.S. Federal to lead and grow our U.S. Federal Sales Engineering team. This is both a hands-on technical sales leadership role and a people-leadership role: you will be the senior technical voice in our highest-stakes government pursuits while building, coaching, and scaling a team of Sales Engineers to match the growth trajectory of the business.

You will partner closely with Sales Directors and BD leadership to convert prospects into customers across the defense, intelligence, and federal law enforcement communities, while reporting into the Worldwide VP of Sales Engineering to ensure U.S. Federal pre-sales practices stay aligned with global standards and best practices.

Responsibilities

Team Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop the U.S. Federal Sales Engineering team
• Establish clear role expectations, success metrics, and career progression frameworks
• Identify and develop high-potential talent to support continued team growth
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement
• Represent U.S. Federal Sales Engineering priorities and capacity needs to the Worldwide VP of Sales Engineering

Pre-Sales and Technical Sales Leadership

• Lead the technical side of the sales process, helping convert prospects into customers
• Serve as the senior subject matter expert on our solutions for government agencies
• Act as the primary technical contact for prospects throughout the sales cycle on strategic pursuits
• Lead client discovery to identify pain points, assess product fit, and uncover opportunities
• Design tailored solutions aligned with client mission needs to support winning contracts
• Develop and deliver compelling demos, presentations, trials, and supporting technical materials
• Build and lead proof-of-concept and value workshops that support strong business cases and proposals
• Analyze client organizations, requirements, and infrastructure to craft effective RFP/RFI responses
• Ensure consistent, compelling, and differentiated customer-facing solution delivery across the team
• Oversee demo readiness, environment quality, and data integrity across all federal engagements

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with marketing, product, customer success, and R&D to improve customer experience based on trial and pilot feedback
• Serve as a voice of the federal customer into our quarterly product release cycle, given the pace of new solution releases
• Understand the market and geopolitical landscape and clearly communicate our technical and operational advantages

Required Skills

• 7+ years of experience as a Sales Engineer or pre-sales professional in a SaaS company selling to government agencies, with prior people-leadership or team-lead experience
• Experience managing large, successful tender bids
• Strong understanding of geopolitical situations and the corresponding interests of relevant agencies
• Previous experience with API integration and API-based solution delivery
• Technical familiarity with space-based collection platforms for imagery, radio frequency, and other electronic intercepts
• In-depth understanding of decision-making in government environments
• Experience deploying hybrid SaaS and agentic solutions
• Willingness to travel as needed (up to 33% of the time)
• Excellent interpersonal skills; quick learner; curious and open-minded
• Familiarity with CRM tools (Salesforce or similar) is an advantage
• Experience with GenAI tools is mandatory
• Intelligence or analyst experience is a plus, along with strong analytical skills
• Geospatial experience highly desired
• Experience working in a global company

Additional Details

Active TS/SCI clearance required. Washington, D.C. metro strongly preferred. Travel up to 33%.

Equal opportunity employer.