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Shield AI, a venture-backed defense-tech company, is seeking a Senior Director of International Sales to lead and scale the Aechelon simulation business globally. Aechelon, an acquired simulation and synthetic reality technology platform, is being integrated into Shield AI's broader portfolio alongside Hivemind autonomy software and autonomous aircraft systems.
In this transformational and operational role, you will lead the International Aechelon sales organization, stabilize and scale the acquired business, and unlock cross-sell opportunities across Shield AI's simulation, visualization, and autonomy solutions. You will report to senior leadership and partner closely with Product, Engineering, Marketing, Customer Engagement, and Hivemind sales teams to position Aechelon within Shield AI's ecosystem and drive mission-critical customer outcomes.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead, develop, and coach the Aechelon International sales team; establish high-performance culture and accountability
- Drive post-acquisition integration of people, processes, systems, and GTM strategy
- Assess and upgrade talent, roles, and coverage to align with growth objectives
- Own the International GTM plan for Aechelon (segmentation, ICP, account strategy, pipeline generation, positioning)
- Identify and execute cross-sell and bundling opportunities across Aechelon, Hivemind, and Shield AI offerings
- Expand footprint across defense, government, and enterprise simulation/training markets
- Establish operating rigor (forecasting, deal reviews, MBRs/QBRs, dashboards, KPIs/OKRs)
- Improve pipeline quality, deal velocity, and forecast accuracy
- Standardize sales processes (qualification, CRM hygiene, deal stages, governance) across the integrated team
- Personally lead key pursuits and executive-level engagements in complex, multi-stakeholder deals
- Build deep relationships with defense agencies, primes, and enterprise customers
- Position Aechelon as a critical component of mission-ready simulation and operational environments
- Expand relationships with Large Systems Integrators (LSIs), primes, and strategic partners
- Enable partner-led growth in simulation, training, and visualization programs
- Align partner strategy with Shield AI's broader autonomy and platform roadmap
- Partner with Product and Engineering to inform roadmap based on customer needs and market signals
- Align Marketing and Customer Engagement to drive demand generation and customer success
- Serve as a key voice in shaping Shield AI's integrated platform GTM strategy
Measures of Success (First 6–12 Months):
- Successful integration of Aechelon sales team into Shield AI operating model, systems, and culture
- Improved forecast accuracy, pipeline hygiene, and operating cadence
- Increased win rates and deal velocity through standardized, repeatable sales motions
- Measurable growth in Aechelon standalone revenue and cross-sell revenue with Shield AI products
- Clear territory, coverage, and account strategy
- Strong leadership bench with defined structure enabling second-line scalability
Requirements:
- 15+ years of B2B sales experience in technically complex domains (simulation, visualization, AI/ML, autonomy, SaaS, aerospace/defense, or similar)
- 5+ years of senior sales leadership, including leading through transformation, integration, or scaling phases
- Proven success integrating or scaling acquired sales teams and driving consistent revenue growth
- Strong technical credibility with engineering, product, and operational stakeholders
- Deep understanding of GTM fundamentals (segmentation, coverage, pipeline strategy, positioning)
- Demonstrated ability to sell complex, multi-product/platform solutions
- Excellent executive communication and cross-functional leadership
- Bachelor's degree required
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in modeling & simulation, synthetic environments, or visualization platforms
- Experience selling into defense, government, aerospace, or mission-critical enterprise environments
- Experience working with Large Systems Integrators (LSIs), primes, and partner ecosystems
- Familiarity with autonomy, training systems, or digital battlefield environments
- Experience driving post-M&A integration and GTM unification
