Sr. Director Business Development, Defense And Homeland Security

About Us At Saildrone, we sustainably explore, map, and monitor the oceans to understand, protect, and preserve our world. We provide real-time access to critical data from any ocean on earth, 24/7/365, and use proprietary software applications to transform that data into actionable insights and intelligence. Our fleet of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs), powered by renewable wind and solar power, have a minimal carbon footprint and operate without the need for a crewed support vessel.
Saildrone works with governments, civil agencies, foundations, universities, and private companies around the globe to drive better information about our oceans and seas—from sailing into the eye of a category 4 hurricane to obtain new data about how storms intensify, collecting new CO2 data in hard-to-reach areas, and counting fish biomass to inform sustainable fishery management, to mapping the ocean floor and reducing illegal fishing and drug trafficking. As a result of our work, we have been included on TIME's List of the 100 Most Influential Companies in 2024, Fast Company's list of the "World's Most Innovative Companies for 2022," and earned the Ocean Awards' Innovation Award, presented by the Blue Marine Foundation. Saildrone's hurricane mission was included as one of The New York Times' "Top 21 Things that happened (for the first time) in 2021" and Popular Science's "100 Greatest Innovations of 2021," and entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for recording the "highest windspeed recorded by a USV."
We are based in Alameda, CA, with offices in Washington DC and St. Petersburg, FL, and operate our missions worldwide. Saildrone is backed by top-tier investors in the frontier tech and sustainability sectors, including Social Capital, Capricorn, Lux Capital, BOND Capital, and Emerson Collective.
This is an exciting opportunity with a fast-growing team at the cutting-edge intersection of big data services and autonomous hardware. You will be an integral part of a high-performing multi-disciplinary team that delivers high impact for humanity and future generations.
The Role Reporting to the Vice President of Business Development, the Sr. Director of Business Development for Defense and Homeland Security is responsible for all account management business development and sales activities within specifically assigned Defense and Homeland Security customer sets. You will work closely with our external customers, including US Navy and international Navy partners, United States Coast Guard, Customs and Border Patrol and other defense organizations and coordinate internally with the Saildrone team, product managers, mission managers, and BD teams, to ensure successful mission outcomes with the highest standards of data quality. This critical role will have varied duties, from business development to capture and internal coordination to customer communication and long-term customer management, culminating in the successful delivery of high-quality data to our customers.
You will ultimately be responsible for developing and implementing the business strategy to ensure customer success across our product lines in the community. You will develop business prospects from both existing and new customers, working in the DC sales team, leading cross-functional teams comprised of Business Development, Government Relations, Product, Operations and Engineering teams.
Responsibilities Operate as Customer Account Success Manager for all Saildrone products with a focus on specific Navy and USG homeland security customers as the key leader responsible for ensuring customer satisfaction.Lead and assist with the development and execution of a strategic business development approach that creates new business opportunities and deepens customer relationships.Serve as customer point of contact, from opportunity development to proposal and contract negotiation through mission completion.Identify key stakeholders and business drivers within organizations to gain access to executive, business level decision makers within the U.S. Navy and international Navies and other D&I organizations globally.Coordinate with the government relations team to develop relationships with key government officials responsible for procurement and purchasing decisions, including senior leaders and contract officers.Facilitate customer on-boarding, management, and clear communication of mission objectives to the company, enabling successful mission delivery.Understand project milestones and dependencies, communicate them to the engineering, production and operations teams.Track project status and achievements, while predicting blockers and facilitating solutions.Help drive a strategic plan and technology roadmap, based on known upcoming customer requirements.Participate in and represent Saildrone at Maritime security conferences, trade associations conferences, and external meetings & working groups, staying abreast of relevant literature, papers and publications.Required Skills and Experience Deep familiarity and extensive relationships with US Navy and Homeland Security agencies.Proven private-sector track record successfully developing strategic go-to-market plans and capturing multi-million-dollar government contracts in the Defense and Homeland Security markets.Demonstrate advanced industry knowledge and its relevance to the application of Saildrone technologies.Ability to influence & direct multi-functional teams without formal authority.Demonstrated business acumen and ability to run forecasting and pipeline management within assigned accounts.Ability to identify and solve problems in a collaborative and cross-functional manner.A passion for national security and defense related technologies.High energy, focused tenacity, sense of humor with a desire to eliminate ambiguity.Intellectually curious, interested in data analysis and results-driven.20+ years of experience working with or for the US Department of Defense or Homeland Security Agencies with a Bachelor's degree or higher.The ability to travel up to 20% of the time.Desired Skills and Experience US Navy or Homeland Security agency experience.Must have knowledge and experience with the defense and federal government fiscal year, budgeting and procurement cycles.Demonstrated ability to effectively translate knowledge of the defense, federal, and commercial industry and new technology trends into real solutions for customers.Strong familiarity with autonomous systems and applications in the Maritime Domain.Active TS/SCI Security Clearance.Physical Requirements Work is performed on a computer and requires ability to operate a keyboard and other peripheral devices. Ability to travel internationally and domestically including vehicle, train, or airplane as modes of transportation.Location: This position is based in Washington, D.C. Saildrone's DC office is conveniently located at Metro Center in downtown Washington, D.C., between the White House and Capitol Hill. Only candidates with proper permits to work in the United States and a willingness to report to the office full-time and in-person will be considered.
Benefits:
Medical, dental and vision plans for you and your dependents.Short and relaxing ferry ride from the Ferry Building for SF residents.Enhanced Parental Leave Programs.Competitive benefits including excellent medical, life insurance, 401k plan.A reasonable estimate of the current range is $181,000 - $239,900 annually.
Catch up on the latest news about us: East Bay company Saildrone provided essential weather tool for Hurricane Milton - CBS News The Tiny Craft Mapping Superstorms at Sea – The New York Times TIME 100 Most Influential Companies 2024: Saildrone An Underwater Mountain was Newly Discovered off California Coast – San Francisco Chronicle Hacking the Anthropocene with Survivalist Robots [VIDEO] – Freethink An Unprecedented View Inside a Hurricane – EOS Saildrone's First Aluminum Surveyor Autonomous Vessel Splashes Down for Navy Testing – TechCrunch USVs Could Deter IUU Fishing – USNI Proceedings Saildrone Vehicles Track Whales around Offshore Wind Power – Workboat Mullen, Former Joint Chiefs Chairman, to Lead Board for Unmanned Tech Firm Saildrone – Breaking Defense The Navy Is Using Robot Ships to Deter Human Smuggling out of Haiti – Defense One Saildrone's Quiet Voyage: Autonomous Vehicle Aids Great Lakes Fish Stock Study – Up North Live Saildrone Featured Videos Playlist We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
At Saildrone, we value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace that welcomes people from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe that a diverse and inclusive team leads to innovation and better problem-solving. We encourage applications from candidates of all genders, ethnicities, races, sexual orientations, disabilities, and backgrounds.
Individual compensation packages are based on geographic location, scope of the role, relevant experience, and the ability to deal with complexity and problem solve within our organization, among other factors.
All employees are required to provide proof of authorization to work in the U.S. within their first 3 days of work. Please note that the Company does not sponsor employees for work visas or permanent resident cards to work in the U.S. If you need sponsorship for a work visa or green card, you will not be qualified for employment with Saildrone.

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