Senior Director - U.S. Defense Sales

Janes

$200K — $220K *
Aerospace & Defense
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10+ years in U.S. defense or intelligence market
  • Proven leader of high-performing sales teams in SaaS or tech
  • Experience in closing complex, high-value deals
  • Deep knowledge of defense missions and technologies
  • Cross-functional collaboration experience with Product and Marketing
  • Strong skills in pipeline management and Salesforce
  • Exceptional communication skills

Responsibilities

  • Develop and execute DoW market strategy
  • Identify growth opportunities in defense intelligence
  • Drive short- and long-term revenue growth
  • Lead and develop 5 Sales Directors as trusted advisors
  • Establish performance standards and KPIs
  • Build relationships with senior defense stakeholders
  • Manage renewal and expansion strategies
  • Ensure effective pipeline management and forecasting

Benefits

  • 20 days vacation
  • 9 days flexible time off
  • 12 paid holidays
  • Paid parental leave
  • Health insurance (medical, dental, vision)
  • 401k retirement plan with company match
  • Hybrid work schedule
  • Company paid life and disability insurance
  • Volunteering time
  • Learning and development opportunities
Full Job Description
JOB PURPOSE

Janes is seeking a mission-driven Defense Sales Leader to shape and accelerate growth across the U.S. Department of War (DoW) market. This is a strategic leadership role responsible for developing and leading a team of five Sales Directors covering the full U.S. defence territory. Reporting to the Vice President of Sales, Americas, you will define and execute a disciplined go-to-market strategy, while ensuring Janes is positioned as a trusted intelligence partner within mission-critical defence environments. This role goes beyond revenue delivery. It requires a leader who understands defence missions, builds credibility at senior levels, and drives sustainable growth through long-term partnership and operational value.

HOW YOU WILL CONTRIBUTE AT JANES

Mission-Aligned Market Strategy
  • Develop and execute a focused DoW market strategy aligned to defence intelligence priorities and customer mission needs.
  • Identify high-impact growth opportunities across mission areas and defence intelligence segments.
  • Drive structured pipeline development to support sustained short- and long-term revenue growth.
  • Maintain accurate forecasting and clear revenue visibility across the portfolio.

Leadership & Team Development
  • Lead, coach and develop a team of five Sales Directors (individual contributors), empowering them to operate as trusted advisors across their territories.
  • Establish clear performance standards, KPIs and accountability measures.
  • Foster a high-performance culture grounded in preparation, credibility and customer impact.

Senior Stakeholder Engagement
  • Build and maintain executive-level relationships across defence commands, agencies and mission components.
  • Position Janes as a foundational intelligence capability embedded within customer workflows.
  • Own renewal and expansion strategy to drive year-on-year portfolio growth.
  • Partner cross-functionally with Product, Marketing, Partner Sales, Customer Success and Research, Development and Analysis, to ensure customers maximise value from Janes' platform and capabilities.

Operational Excellence
  • Drive disciplined opportunity qualification and pipeline management.
  • Ensure strong Salesforce governance across forecasting, reporting and opportunity tracking.
  • Leverage customer insight, competitive intelligence and product knowledge to strengthen market positioning.

THE REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE FOR THIS ROLE ARE
  • 10+ years of experience operating within the U.S. defence or intelligence market.
  • Proven track record leading high-performing sales teams within SaaS, data, analytics or technology services.
  • Strong experience closing complex, high-value deals and engaging senior stakeholders across defence organisations.
  • Deep understanding of defence missions and the ability to align intelligence and technology solutions to operational requirements.
  • Experience collaborating across global cross-functional teams including Product, Marketing and Customer Success.
  • Strong forecasting and pipeline management capability, including Salesforce proficiency.
  • Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
  • Willingness to travel approximately 25%.
  • Active U.S. Security Clearance (or eligibility) highly desirable.

Janes is entering a pivotal phase of growth within the U.S. defence market. We are seeking a leader who understands the realities of mission environments and can translate operational insight into sustained strategic and commercial impact.

If you have operated within defence ecosystems and now lead through influence, credibility and disciplined execution, this is an opportunity to shape how trusted intelligence supports national security decision-making at scale. Join us to build enduring partnerships within the Department of War and deliver measurable mission advantage.

Benefits
  • 20 days vacation
  • 9 days flexible time off
  • 12 paid holidays
  • Paid parental leave
  • Health insurance (medical, dental and vision)
  • 401k retirement plan with company match and immediate vesting
  • Hybrid work schedule/flexibility
  • Company paid life and disability insurance
  • Healthy Half
  • Volunteering time
  • Weekly fresh fruit delivery
  • Learning & Development opportunities (LinkedIn learning, Mentoring)

Salary Range:

Base salary range: $200,000 - $220,000 per year

Compensation at Janes is determined by factors such as job responsibilities, education, certifications, experience, skills, internal and external equity, clearance level (if applicable), market data, organizational requirements, applicable employment laws, and location. Additional compensation may include an annual bonus or monthly commission, subject to the terms of these plans.

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