Head of Defense Sales

Knak Digital

Head of Defense Sales

Washington, DC
Full Time
Paid
  • Responsibilities

    We are seeking a senior defense sales leader to own and scale our expansion into the US Department of Defense. This is a high-impact role for a strategic builder who has successfully sold software into defense organizations and knows how to stand up a new revenue motion from the ground up.

    You will own the defense go-to-market strategy, build pipeline, develop key partnerships, and close complex, mission-critical deals across DoD and national security customers.

    This role reports directly to executive leadership and has clear growth potential into building and leading a dedicated defense sales team.

    What You Will Do

    As Head of Defense Sales, you will be responsible for driving all defense-sector growth. You will:

    • Build and execute the full DoD go-to-market and partnership strategy

    • Identify, qualify, and close new business across defense programs and commands

    • Develop relationships with senior government stakeholders, integrators, and technology partners

    • Translate complex technology into clear mission and operational value

    • Lead capture strategy, proposals, pricing, and account planning

    • Partner closely with product, engineering, and leadership on customer requirements

    • Represent the company at industry events, demos, briefings, and onsite engagements

    • Own an individual quota with the opportunity to build a team as the business scales

    What We Are Looking For

    Required Experience
    • Proven success selling software into the US Department of Defense

    • Track record of closing new logos, not just managing existing accounts

    • Strong understanding of defense procurement, budgeting, and acquisition cycles

    • Ability to build pipeline and GTM motion independently in a fast-moving environment

    • Experience working with system integrators, defense primes, and platform partners

    • Strong ability to communicate technical value to both mission and technical audiences

    • Comfortable working across time zones with distributed teams

    • High ownership mindset with strong strategic and execution skills

    Preferred Experience
    • Active or recently lapsed DoD or IC clearance

    • Background in data, analytics, cyber, AI, or privacy-enhancing technologies

    • Experience in startup or growth-stage environments

    • Established network across Army, SOCOM, Space Force, Navy, Air Force, or Combatant Commands

    Location

    US-based. East Coast or DMV preferred. Strong candidates in key defense hubs including Huntsville, Denver or Colorado Springs, Tampa, and San Diego will be considered.

    Why Join

    • Competitive compensation with uncapped commission

    • Opportunity to build a defense sales function from the ground up

    • Work with cutting-edge technology supporting critical national security missions

    • High-visibility role with direct executive access and long-term leadership growth

    • Collaborative, mission-driven, and innovation-focused culture

  • Compensation
    $200,000 per year