Director of Federal Sales (remote Washington DC)

Spacelift•Redwood City, CA

1d•Remote

About The Position

Spacelift is seeking a Director of Federal Sales to build and lead the federal go-to-market strategy. This role involves owning the territory plan, named-account list, channel strategy, and securing initial federal wins, with the responsibility of hiring a team to scale the operation. The company has achieved FedRAMP authorization, a significant advantage in the federal market. The Director will be responsible for closing deals personally for the initial period, then building out a team of Account Executives (AEs) and Sales Engineers (SEs) as pipeline grows. This position requires a proactive, builder mentality, with the ability to operate independently and establish the federal sales function from the ground up.

Requirements

Eight or more years of enterprise software sales experience.
At least four years of experience selling FedRAMP-authorized SaaS into civilian agencies, DoD, or both.
A track record of carrying and hitting a federal quota north of $3M.
Experience closing at least one deal over $500K ARR.
Hands-on experience selling through federal channel partners and contract vehicles (Carahsoft, GSA Schedule, SEWP V/VI, ITES-SW2, or equivalent).
Proven ability to structure deals for successful closure.
An active network across federal agencies and top systems integrators.
Ability to provide references.
Comfort operating as the sole federal leader for the initial period.
A builder mentality, prioritizing building over managing initially.

Nice To Haves

Background in selling DevOps, IaC, Kubernetes, observability, or developer platforms.
Experience taking a product from FedRAMP Moderate to High.
Experience taking a product from FedRAMP to IL4/IL5.
Active security clearance.

Responsibilities

Build and run the federal go-to-market motion from the ground up.
Own the federal territory plan, named-account list, and channel strategy.
Secure the first federal wins and close deals personally for the first two to three quarters.
Hire and scale the federal sales team, including AEs, SEs, and eventually a federal channel manager.
Own the federal sales number, build the plan, forecast accurately, and achieve targets.
Sell hands-on into civilian and DoD agencies and their systems integrators.
Stand up and manage federal contract vehicles (e.g., Carahsoft, GSA Schedule, SEWP V/VI, ITES-SW2).
Partner with marketing on federal events, content, and demand generation.
Collaborate with product and engineering on the IL4 and IL5 roadmap based on customer demand.
Ensure the company's FedRAMP authorization is leveraged effectively in sales efforts.