ViaSat

Commercial Strategy & Pricing Lead

ViaSat$228K — $360K *
Aerospace & Defense
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 15+ years of experience in commercial strategy, pricing, or business development, with 5 years in a VP role.
  • Bachelor's in Business, Finance, Economics, or Engineering; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
  • Proven track record in closing complex commercial agreements in connectivity or satellite industries.
  • Experience leading bid and pricing processes in B2B or government contexts.
  • Familiarity with both channel/distribution and direct enterprise sales models.
  • Exposure to NTN, satellite communications, IoT, and automotive connectivity is a plus.
  • Experience in global organizations, with understanding of diverse cultural and regulatory issues.

Responsibilities

  • Define commercial strategy for multiple product lines based on market dynamics and financial goals.
  • Assess market entry modes and build investment cases aligned with product leaders.
  • Establish market intelligence processes to inform pricing and competitive positioning.
  • Develop effective distribution strategies for service provider models.
  • Architect coherent pricing frameworks across product lines and segments.
  • Lead bid review processes ensuring alignment and efficiency in commercial evaluations.
  • Partner with finance for robust P&L modeling supporting pricing and investment decisions.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health and wellness offerings.
  • Opportunities for additional cash or stock incentives.
  • Support for personal and professional development.
  • Flexible work arrangements available.
  • Collaborative and inclusive work culture.
Full Job Description
What you'll do

We are building a global Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) business anchored on a LEO satellite constellation and ground infrastructure that serves as the connectivity fabric for an expanding portfolio of commercial markets. The business currently encompasses - with additional lines anticipated as the platform matures. Our go-to-market philosophy spans two strategic modes: acting as a connectivity service provider through channels and distribution partners, and, where market economics are compelling, becoming a full-stack solution provider with direct customer relationships and end-to-end accountability. The VP, Commercial Strategy & Pricing will be a key architect of how we execute across both modes.

The Vice President, Commercial Strategy & Pricing is a senior executive with business-wide authority over commercial strategy, pricing architecture, bid governance, and deal execution across all NTN product lines. Reporting directly to the SVP of the NTN Business, this leader sits at the intersection of strategy, finance, and business development - partnering closely with P&L leaders, Finance, and executive leadership to shape how the business competes, prices, and wins in the market.

This is a high visibility role that demands a blend of strategic vision, financial rigor, and operational discipline. The successful candidate will be as comfortable presenting commercial strategy to the C-suite as they are negotiating a complex multi-year agreement with a Tier-1 operator or OEM in any of the verticals.

The day-to-day

Commercial Strategy & Market Development
  • Define and own the commercial strategy across Direct-to-Cell, IoT, Direct-to-Automotive, Autonomy, and Global Safety Communications product lines, ensuring alignment with market dynamics, competitive positioning, and financial objectives.
  • Identify and assess market entry modes - service provider, full-stack provider, or hybrid - for each segment and build the business case for investment decisions aligned with the product line leaders
  • Map competitive landscapes, benchmark pricing, and establish market intelligence processes that feed continuously into commercial positioning.
  • Develop channel and distribution strategies where the service provider model is appropriate; build direct commercial relationships where full-stack economics are superior.

Pricing Architecture & Governance
  • Architect the pricing framework across all product lines, ensuring coherence across segments while preserving flexibility for market-specific structuring.
  • Develop pricing strategies that are consistent, reflective of market expectations, and aligned with corporate strategy.
  • Establish commercial guardrails - floor pricing, margin thresholds, contract terms - in partnership with Finance and Legal to protect business economics at scale.
  • Monitor the competitive pricing landscape and translate insights into actionable strategy recommendations for product line teams and executive leadership.

Bid Review & Proposal Management
  • Lead and manage the bid review process and internal stakeholder alignment across the organization, ensuring rigor, consistency, and speed in evaluating commercial opportunities.
  • Establish and enforce bid governance standards, including review cadences, approval thresholds, and documentation requirements.
  • Serve as the primary decision-maker and escalation point for complex or high-value bids requiring executive review
  • Drive deal velocity without compromising deal quality; build repeatable commercial playbooks that empower product line teams.

Financial Modeling & Business Case Development
  • Partner with Finance to develop robust P&L models that underpin bids, pricing decisions, and commercial proposals.
  • Evaluate economic models for bids to assess profitability, risk, and strategic fit before submission.
  • Ensure business models are tightly aligned with financial outcomes - connecting pricing strategy to margin targets, revenue forecasts, and P&L performance.

Deal Structuring & Negotiation
  • Lead or oversee all material commercial negotiations - including anchor deals, strategic partnerships, and MNO/OEM/enterprise agreements - from term sheet through execution.
  • Drive the process for obtaining approvals on major bids and pricing decisions from leadership and P&L leaders.
  • Prepare and present executive-level analyses, recommendations, and decision packages to senior leadership and the Board as required.

P&L Partnership & Revenue Accountability
  • Partner directly with each product line P&L leader to align commercial execution with revenue targets and financial objectives.
  • Own the commercial pipeline across product lines; provide consolidated revenue forecasting and risk assessment to the SVP and leadership team.
  • Identify cross-product-line commercial opportunities - bundling, anchor customer expansion, platform upsell - and design mechanisms to capture them.
  • Be accountable for overall commercial performance metrics: ACV, TCV, win rates, time-to-close, revenue mix, and bid profitability by market.

Leadership & Organizational Development
  • Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing commercial function - spanning commercial strategy, pricing, and bid management - capable of scaling with the business across multiple geographies and product lines.
  • Cultivate a culture of commercial excellence: customer-centric, analytically rigorous, and execution-focused.
  • Act as a strategic partner to Finance, Business Development, Product, and Operations to ensure integrated commercial planning.
  • Lead or contribute to partnership and M&A evaluations that carry commercial strategy implications.
  • Represent the commercial function in leadership forums, Board-level reviews, and external industry settings.

What you'll need

  • 15+ years of progressive experience in commercial strategy, pricing, business development, or go-to-market leadership, with at least 5 years at VP level or equivalent.
  • Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics, Engineering, or a related field required. MBA/Advanced degree preferred
  • Demonstrated track record closing large, complex, multi-stakeholder commercial agreements in connectivity, telecom, satellite, or adjacent technology markets.
  • Proven experience leading complex bid and pricing processes in a B2B or government contracting environment.
  • Experience operating across both channel/distribution and direct enterprise sales motions; able to design and switch between them based on market context.
  • Prior accountability for revenue or P&L in a multi-product or multi-segment business is strongly preferred.
  • Exposure to NTN, satellite communications, IoT, automotive connectivity, safety-critical communications or adjacent mobility markets is a significant differentiator.
  • Experience operating in global or multi-regional organizations, with direct exposure to diverse business cultures, regulatory environments, and market dynamics.
  • Track record managing or leading distributed teams across multiple regions/geographies.

What will help you on the job

Capabilities
  • Commercial architecture: able to design pricing models, market entry strategies, and deal structures from first principles.
  • Bid governance: experienced leading end-to-end bid review and approval processes for complex, high-value opportunities.
  • Financial acumen: hands-on experience building cost models, economic models, and business cases that connect pricing strategy to P&L outcomes.
  • Negotiation: senior executive presence across the table from MNO C-suites, automotive OEM procurement, and government/safety agencies.
  • Cross-functional influence: works effectively across product, engineering, finance, legal, and policy without requiring formal authority.
  • Analytical: translates market data, customer feedback, and financial models into clear commercial decisions and priorities.
  • Communication: crisp, credible communicator - from investor decks to term negotiation rooms to internal all-hands.
  • Global mindset: comfortable operating across geographies with diverse regulatory, competitive, and cultural contexts.
  • Team management:experience building, managing, and developing high-performing teams, with a track record of hiring and mentoring commercial or pricing talent.

Leadership Attributes
  • Strategic thinker who can translate market intelligence and financial data into compelling commercial strategies.
  • Decisive and comfortable operating with ambiguity under tight timelines.
  • Strong executive presence with the ability to influence and align senior stakeholders.
  • Collaborative and transparent leadership style that builds trust across functions.
  • Results-oriented with a bias for action and clear accountability.


What Success Looks like:

In the first 12 months, the VP, Commercial Strategy & Pricing will have:
  • Established a coherent commercial strategy and pricing architecture - including bid governance standards - across all five product lines.
  • Closed or substantially progressed anchor commercial agreements in at least two product line segments based on product line maturity
  • Built and operationalized a commercial function - team, tools, playbooks, and bid processes - capable of scaling with pipeline growth.
  • Identified and presented to the SVP a credible set of full-stack provider opportunities where direct market engagement is worth the investment.
  • Created pipeline visibility and revenue forecasting discipline that gives leadership confidence in commercial trajectory.
  • Established trusted relationships with P&L leaders, Finance, and executive leadership as the go-to authority on commercial and pricing decisions.

Salary range

$228,000.00 - $360,000.00 / annually.For specific work locations within San Jose, the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, the base pay range for this role is $283,000.00- $425,000.00/ annually

At Viasat, we consider many factors when it comes to compensation, including the scope of the position as well as your background and experience. Base pay may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. Additional cash or stock incentives may be provided as part of the compensation package, in addition to a range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits, dependent on the position offered. Learn more about Viasat's comprehensive benefit offerings that are focused on your holistic health and wellness at https://careers.viasat.com/benefits.

About ViaSat

ViaSat is a global communications company that provides satellite and wireless networking technology, services, and solutions. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Carlsbad, California. ViaSat offers a range of products and services, including satellite broadband internet, in-flight Wi-Fi, and secure networking systems for government and military customers. The company has more than 6,200 employees and operates in over 50 countries. ViaSat is publicly traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the ticker symbol VSAT.
Learn more about ViaSat
Size
7,000 employees
Market Cap
$2.2 billion
Industry
Net Income
-$2 million
Founded
1986
5 Year Trend
+12.3%
Revenue
$2.2 billion
NASDAQ

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