Sr Director, Simulation - International

What you'll do:

   

·       Lead and develop the Aechelon International sales team; establish a high-performance culture, clear accountability, and strong coaching discipline 

·       Drive post-acquisition integration of people, processes, systems, and GTM strategy into Shield AI 

·       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 broader 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 

Required Experience & Capabilities:

·       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