Director, North America Sales

Iridium Satellite•McLean, VA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, North America Sales is accountable for strategic engagement and growth with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NAV CANADA. The role serves as Aireon’s primary senior representative and trusted partner across executive leadership and technical organizations, building relationships and shaping multi-year adoption roadmaps for Iridium’s space-based surveillance and data services. The Director translates customer priorities into jointly defined, funded initiatives and supports measurable operational outcomes. The position leads strategic account planning and business development, including opportunity shaping, customer satisfaction, renewals and expansion, and revenue growth through new products, services, and data-driven solutions. It provides input to Aireon leadership on North America strategy, commercial positioning, deal and partnership terms, customer insights, risks, and tradeoffs. The Director coordinates internal teams and external partners to deliver feasible, measurable customer commitments and represents Aireon across the North American ANSP and aviation ecosystem. The position primarily works in an office setting and is largely sedentary, with most work performed at a computer. Under Iridium’s Hybrid Work Policy, employees are expected to work at least four days per week (approximately 80%) in an Iridium office. Travel of up to 25% may be required for customer engagement, governance, and milestone delivery.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Aviation, Engineering, Business, Public Policy, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience in lieu of a degree.
12+ years of relevant experience in aviation, air traffic management, CNS/ATM, government/ANSP engagement, strategic accounts, business development, or a related field.
Expert knowledge of the FAA organization and decision pathways, and practical understanding of planning, budgeting, and funding processes governing how initiatives are prioritized and approved.
Deep understanding of the ANSP environment and Air Traffic Management concepts, including CNS/ATM technologies and operational use-case development.
Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and negotiate effectively in complex, multi-party environments, building consensus without direct authority.
Strong strategic account management and business development capability, including opportunity shaping, value-case development, and navigating complex procurement and customer environments.
Exceptional written and verbal executive communication skills, including the ability to synthesize ambiguity into clear recommendations, decision briefs, and stakeholder-ready messaging.
Sound judgment and decisiveness, including the ability to assess risk, manage tradeoffs, and respond effectively in high-visibility situations.
Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, mobilize cross-functional teams, and deliver measurable customer outcomes with high quality and follow-through.
Ability to travel up to 25% as needed.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience delivering FAA or ANSP pilots or evaluations, or integrating surveillance/data services into operational concepts and decision-support systems.
Familiarity with government/ANSP contracting models.
Existing relationships within the North America ANSP ecosystem.

Responsibilities

Own and drive North America strategic engagement with the FAA and NAV CANADA, serving as Aireon’s primary senior representative and trusted partner across executive and technical organizations.
Develop and execute multi-year account strategies and adoption roadmaps, translating customer operational priorities into prioritized use cases across oceanic and domestic airspace.
Lead the shaping of jointly defined initiatives, such as pilots, evaluations, and integration efforts, and support conversion into funded projects by aligning stakeholders, defining success measures, and navigating planning, budgeting, and procurement environments.
Serve as commercial and account lead for NAV CANADA, with accountability for customer satisfaction, renewals and expansion strategy, and sustained revenue growth through new products, services, and data-driven solutions.
Provide Aireon leadership with input on North America strategy, commercial positioning, and recommended deal or partnership terms; surface risks, tradeoffs, and customer insights.
Coordinate internal cross-functional teams, including Product, Engineering, Operations, Legal/Contracts, and Finance, as well as external partners, to deliver customer outcomes and ensure commitments are feasible, measurable, and executed.
Represent Aireon across the North America ANSP and aviation ecosystem, strengthening credibility in air traffic management modernization and expanding strategic relationships.
Travel as needed for customer engagement, governance, and milestone delivery, up to 25%.