Account Executive, Air Force

Scale AI • Dayton, OH

1d • $203,200 - $254,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Scale is hiring an Account Executive to lead its Air Force territory and bring agentic AI solutions into mission-critical operational workflows. This individual contributor role carries substantial leadership and commercial accountability: the AE owns the customer relationship, territory strategy, and commercial results, from identifying opportunities and shaping requirements through funded awards, renewals, and expansion.

The role focuses on scaling proven offerings into Air Force buying centers and converting successful deployments into funded, multi-year programs. The AE will pursue work with a clear funding path, secure executive sponsorship and programmed funding, and navigate defense acquisition processes. They will personally contribute to white papers, OTA responses, proposal development, and deal structures, while working with technical, delivery, product, and customer-success teams to align solutions with mission outcomes.

The AE will co-design agentic AI workflows with Solutions Engineers and operators, negotiate teaming and subcontracting agreements with major systems integrators and primes, and coordinate with Capture and peer account executives. The position is based in Washington, DC, Colorado Springs, CO, or Dayton, OH, and requires working on-site or with the customer three days per week and traveling at least 30% of the time.

Requirements

• At least 7 years of experience across Air Force operations, government acquisitions, complex enterprise IT sales, or defense business development; Air Force military or government civilian experience is strongly valued.
• Demonstrated success closing and implementing multi-year deals and getting funding into a budget line item.
• Deep understanding of Air Force modernization priorities and applications of AI/ML, computer vision, and autonomy.
• Demonstrated ability to move technology from demonstration to deployed capability within a major PEO or program office.
• Existing relationships across HAF, AFLCMC, PEOs, and DAF CDAO, as well as major primes and integrators.
• Active Secret clearance at minimum; active TS/SCI is strongly desired.
• BS/BA degree required.
• Ability to work on-site or with the customer three days per week in Washington, DC, Colorado Springs, CO, or Dayton, OH.
• Ability to travel at least 30% of the time.
• Ability to explain technical concepts such as RAG and agentic reasoning to technical evaluators.

Nice To Haves

• Technical degree or MBA.
• Active TS/SCI clearance.
• Experience serving in uniform or as an Air Force government civilian.

Responsibilities

• Own the Air Force territory and annual bookings target; manage the full sales lifecycle from opportunity identification and requirement shaping through funded awards and account expansion.
• Build and maintain a qualified pipeline of at least three times the bookings target.
• Introduce proven Scale offerings to new Air Force buying centers and qualify opportunities based on program expansion or a clear funding path.
• Secure executive sponsorship and programmed funding through POM, program-office, and production vehicles to move prototypes into deployed capabilities.
• Personally draft white papers and OTA responses, lead complex proposal development, architect deal structures, and navigate defense acquisition.
• Own long-term Air Force account strategy, defend renewals, maintain executive relationships, identify use cases, and secure follow-on funding.
• Stay close to mission outcomes and customer health, surface risks early, and coordinate with Engagement Managers, Technical PMs, Engineers, Product, and Customer Success.
• Work with Solutions Engineers and operators to design agentic AI workflows and translate warfighter mission problems into technical requirements.
• Negotiate with Tier 1 systems integrators and primes, including subcontracting and teaming agreements, to position Scale within larger programs.
• Coordinate with Capture and peer account executives, including resolving account ownership before engaging customers.

Benefits

• Equity-based compensation for eligible roles, subject to Board of Director approval.
• Comprehensive health coverage.
• Dental coverage.
• Vision coverage.
• Retirement benefits.
• Learning and development stipend.
• Generous PTO.
• Potential commuter stipend for eligible roles.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior