Deal Desk Lead

Smiths Group•Edgewood, MD

About The Position

Smiths Detection is seeking an experienced Deal Desk Lead to build, standardize, and scale deal operations. The role serves as a strategic bridge among Sales, Legal, Finance, Capture/Contracts, and Product teams, supporting complex, long-cycle U.S. Government deals while maintaining streamlined approvals for Commercial and State, Local, and Education (SLED) transactions. The Deal Desk Lead advises on complex enterprise deals, pricing and commercial structures, public-sector compliance, approval workflows, and quote-to-cash operations. The position also leads deal reviews and pricing analysis, tracks operational and margin KPIs, and partners with Product and FP&A on new offerings and price-book changes. The role supports the company’s commercial outcomes while protecting it from undue risk.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
5–8+ years of direct experience in Deal Desk, Sales Operations, Revenue Operations, or Commercial/Federal Contracts, ideally in enterprise B2B and/or B2G sales, IT hardware, or hybrid solution environments.
Deep familiarity with U.S. Government procurement vehicles and regulations, including GSA schedules, GWACs/IDIQs, FAR/DFARS effects on commercial pricing, and channel partner margins.
Hands-on experience with SLED purchasing, including state procurement codes, cooperative contracts, and fiscal budget timing.
Working knowledge of SaaS revenue recognition principles (ASC 606), ARR/ACV metrics, and subscription renewal economics.
Advanced expertise with Salesforce CRM and enterprise CPQ systems such as Salesforce CPQ or DealHub.
Expert financial modeling skills in Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.
Knowledge of contract law, risk management, and negotiation strategies.
Strong contract negotiation skills, particularly for complex, high-value agreements.
Excellent communication, organization, and analytical abilities; ability to identify risks and recommend effective mitigation strategies.
Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities.
Ability to maintain accurate, auditable commercial records and collaborate across diverse teams.
Ability to plan and execute assigned contract activities independently, make timely decisions within delegated authority, escalate issues appropriately, and work with legal subject-matter experts when needed.
Current or ability to obtain a Secret-level national security clearance.
U.S. citizenship required.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, legal studies, contract management, Business Administration, Accounting, or Economics; equivalent practical experience is also noted as preferred.
Professional qualification in contract management.
Experience with federal, state, and local government contracting.
Familiarity with contract lifecycle management tools.
Experience with contract management or CRM systems.
Experience working alongside Defense/Intelligence capture teams or managing deals requiring FedRAMP/DoD IL-authorized solutions.
Strong cross-functional diplomacy and the ability to balance governance and fiduciary duty with a high-touch, solution-oriented approach for Sales teams.

Responsibilities

Advise Sales and Marketing management on complex, non-standard enterprise deals across U.S. Government, SLED, and Commercial accounts.
Help develop pricing models, discounting frameworks, multi-year ramp structures, and commercial packaging that protect gross margins and accelerate time to close.
Work with Contracts, Legal, Finance, and other stakeholders to align deal terms with company policies, guidelines, and public-sector procurement constraints.
Identify business terms in solicitations and contracts and lead negotiations in accordance with company policy, guidelines, and delegated authorities.
Support pricing compliance with FAR/DFARS, COTS determinations, and GSA MAS discounting and Price Reductions Clause monitoring.
Structure teaming, subcontracting, and reseller margins across Federal Systems Integrators and distribution partners, and adapt contracting terms for SLED frameworks.
Implement and enforce Sales approval matrices and escalation thresholds.
Own and optimize the Quote-to-Cash workflow in Salesforce and CPQ to improve quote turnaround and non-standard contract review times.
Manage Commercial deal-review processes with efficient, high-velocity workflows.
Chair weekly Deal Desk review sessions and conduct win/loss pricing retrospectives and pipeline margin health checks.
Track and report Deal Desk KPIs, including quote turnaround time, deal velocity, discounting by tier and segment, margin realization, and contract concessions.
Partner with Product and FP&A to operationalize new SKU rollouts, packaging tiers, and price-book adjustments across sales channels.