Senior Key Account Manager — Drones & Defense

Senior Key Account Manager — Drones & Defense 

Location: Los Angeles/Remote Reports to: VP, Global Sales Travel: 25-30% 

About the Job: 

Own and grow our largest defense/U.S. government and Tier-1 prime accounts across uncrewed systems (air, ground, maritime) and enabling tech (payloads, MANET/C2, autonomy, software). You’ll be the executive-face to the customer—technically credible, commercially sharp, and relentless about expansion—driving follow-up quotes, follow-up presentations, and multi-year growth. 

What You’ll Do: 

• Own strategic accounts: Serve as single-threaded owner for 3–8 marquee accounts (primes, SI’s, and select DoD/IC end-users); run QBRs/EBRs, executive alignment, and program cadence. 

• Expand within accounts: Build whitespace maps, multi-site rollout plans, and cross-sell/upsell (airframe + payload + comms + software + integration + sustainment). 

• Be technically credible: Understand (or quickly learn) UAS architectures, payload interfaces, datalinks (MANET, C2), autonomy stacks, integration constraints, and test/airworthiness basics; translate requirements to engineering and value to customers. 

• Drive pursuits & quotes: Generate timely follow-up quotes (ROM to firm), BOEs, options/CLIN structures, lead pricing reviews and approvals, and track from inquiry → PO. 

• Deliver follow-up presentations: Create and deliver mission-focused demos, tech deep dives, and ROI/mission-effect briefs tailored to user, PM, and exec audiences. 

• Program & issue management: Orchestrate trials, range events, and evaluations; manage risks, action logs, test cards, and after-action plans through closeout. 

• Forecast with precision: Maintain CRM hygiene, 90-day commit accuracy, and executive-ready pipeline views; drive MEDDIC/Challenger discipline across pursuits. 

• Contracting & compliance savvy: Partner with contracts/export/QA on T&Cs, DFARS flow-downs, ITAR/EAR, cybersecurity (CMMC/NIST basics), and quality (AS9100) needs. 

• Voice of Customer: Feed roadmap with validated needs (KPPs/KSAs, MOSA/interoperability, spectrum, SWaP-C, autonomy features). 

Where You’ll Influence in the Buy Cycle: 

• Pre-RFI shaping: User trials, CONOPS, draft requirements, and pilot funding. 

• RFI/RFP: Eval criteria, threshold/objective performance, teaming and price-to-win inputs. 

• Vehicle leverage: Expand via IDIQ/OTA/BPA/GWAC task orders and sole-source justifications where applicable. 

• Post-award scale: Options, multi-site fielding, training, and sustainment attachments. 

Required Qualifications: 

• 7–12+ years key account or enterprise sales in drone/UxS, C5ISR, robotics, or defense with material growth in strategic accounts. 

• Demonstrated ability to become technical fast and lead credible conversations with engineers, program managers, test directors, and operators. 

• Track record of follow-up quotes → orders and building multi-year, multi-program expansions. 

• Strong presentation skills (technical and executive); expert stakeholder mapping and deal strategy (MEDDIC/Challenger a plus). 

• Working knowledge of ITAR/EAR, defense acquisition paths (FAR/DFARS, OTA/CSO, IDIQ), and program lifecycles from prototype to production. 

• Bachelor’s in engineering, business, or related; advanced degree or DAU/NCMA credentials a plus. 

• Clearance: Active Secret or ability to obtain/maintain; TS/SCI preferred. 

• CRM (HubSpot), Microsoft Suite, collaboration (Teams), and standard proposal tooling knowledge. 

KPIs: 

• Net revenue and gross margin growth within named accounts 

• Expansion velocity (new sites/programs/payloads/modules per account) 

• Quote cycle time and quote-to-order conversion rate 

• Forecast accuracy (commit vs. actual), pipeline coverage (≥3–4× quota) 

• Program health (on-time demos, successful evals, CPARS-adjacent satisfaction)