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Shield AI, a venture-backed defense-tech company, is seeking a Simulation Specialist to drive growth of the Aechelon simulation portfolio across the AMER defense, aviation, and synthetic training markets. Aechelon develops high-fidelity simulation, visual systems, geospatial databases, sensor simulation, and mission rehearsal tools used by defense customers, primes, simulator OEMs, integrators, and partners.
In this role, you will serve as a specialist seller and business development resource within the Go-To-Market team. You will partner with sales leaders, account owners, program leadership, product, and technical teams to identify, qualify, shape, and advance simulation opportunities with U.S.-based customers and partners. This is a customer-facing position requiring the ability to translate Aechelon capabilities into mission-relevant value, support complex pursuits, and build a credible pipeline.
Key responsibilities include:
- Serve as the specialist business development resource for the Aechelon simulation portfolio across assigned accounts and priority pursuits
- Partner with cross-functional teams (sales, business development, program management, product, marketing, contracts, technical) to identify and advance opportunities
- Support achievement of annual sales goals by developing new customers, partners, and opportunities aligned with product offerings
- Maintain visibility into a two-year sales forecast and opportunity funnel, including named programs, estimated value, budget timing, customer stakeholders, procurement paths, technical fit, competition, risks, and next steps
- Actively pursue new customers and partners outside Aechelon's traditional customer base while supporting existing relationships
- Participate in customer meetings, capability discussions, demonstrations, trade events, and follow-up actions
- Articulate Aechelon's simulation value proposition in a clear, mission-relevant, customer-oriented manner
- Connect customer requirements to product capabilities and coordinate technical support for demonstrations and solution definition
- Manage or support preparation of customer-facing materials, presentations, proposals, quotations, white papers, and competitive positioning
- Provide regular opportunity updates and reports to senior management on pipeline status, forecast changes, customer engagement activity, and support needs
- Contribute market, customer, and competitive insight to improve messaging, campaign focus, product positioning, and win probability
- Drive disciplined follow-up across active opportunities and ensure internal stakeholder alignment
- Exercise sound commercial judgment and protect Aechelon from poorly scoped commitments
- Build trusted working relationships with U.S.-based defense, government, aviation, simulation, prime contractor, OEM, and integrator stakeholders
- Support account strategy and opportunity planning for assigned customers and pursuits
- Represent Aechelon professionally in customer briefings, industry events, demonstrations, and partner discussions
- Understand customer budgets, constraints, operational needs, and training objectives
First-year success metrics include developing fluency in Aechelon's simulation and defense training value proposition, building a prioritized AMER territory and account plan, creating and maintaining a qualified pipeline, improving Aechelon visibility through customer engagement, advancing multiple opportunities into active evaluation stages, providing strong specialist support to sales teams, clearly connecting simulation capabilities to customer value, and maintaining disciplined forecasts and internal coordination.
REQUIREMENTS:
- 5+ years of experience in simulation, sales, business development, capture support, account management, overlay sales, or related customer-facing roles
- Experience supporting or driving complex technology sales in enterprise, government, defense, aerospace, simulation, training, or mission-systems environments
- Demonstrated ability to identify and qualify new business opportunities, manage key accounts or pursuits, and contribute to sales targets
- Strong communication, presentation, public speaking, active listening, and interpersonal skills
- Commercial acumen and ability to position technical solutions in terms of customer value, mission relevance, and operational outcomes
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, negotiation, organizational, and follow-through skills
- Ability to work cross-functionally, influence stakeholders, and manage multiple active opportunities and customer needs
- Familiarity with Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project or equivalent)
- Bachelor's degree in business, engineering, aviation, defense, a technical field, or equivalent practical experience preferred
- Software engineering experience related to training simulation preferred
- Must be eligible to work in the United States and meet company, customer, and program access requirements
- Ability to comply with applicable export-control, security, confidentiality, and customer-site requirements
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience in simulation and training, visual systems, geospatial databases, mission rehearsal, sensor simulation, autonomy, aerospace, or defense technology
- Experience building relationships with partners, contractors, end users, primes, simulator OEMs, and systems integrators
- Experience supporting proposals, quotations, demos, technical evaluations, capture efforts, or large business opportunities
- Respected network or credibility within the simulation and training industry
- Familiarity with ISO 9001:2015 quality management systems or experience in a quality-driven defense/aerospace environment
- Experience in a specialist seller or overlay role supporting sales leaders and account teams
