Growth Lead, Space Force

Thread AI•New York, NY

3d•$280,000 - $400,000•Remote

About The Position

Thread AI is hiring a Growth Lead to develop a Space Force portfolio for Lemma, its AI workflow orchestration platform. The role focuses on mission-data analysis and space-operations workflows that connect information, models, and existing systems. The initial accounts and mission areas will be agreed with Thread’s federal leadership before the employee starts, with adjacent opportunities developed as they are identified. This individual-contributor role carries a bookings target. The Growth Lead owns daily pursuits through award and coordinates technical and commercial contributors. Contract delivery takes over execution after an award, while the Growth Lead retains the commercial relationship and responsibility for expansion. The role works directly with federal leadership and the team building Lemma, and insights from pursuits and evaluations will inform the product. The position is full-time and remote in the United States, with the Washington, DC area preferred. Travel may be up to 50%. An active U.S. Secret clearance or higher is preferred but not required. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or nationals, or U.S. lawful permanent residents.

Requirements

Five or more years owning growth, business development, or sales to U.S. defense customers, with responsibility for a revenue target; equivalent experience demonstrating the same commercial ownership is considered.
Funded software or technology awards personally helped originate and win, with the ability to explain the buyer, obligated funding, and personal contribution.
Deep knowledge and current customer relationships within at least one relevant part of the Space Force, such as a mission area, command, program office, or acquisition organization, and evidence that those relationships advanced software buying decisions. Relevant Air Force space experience counts; Space Force service is not required.
Working knowledge of national-security-space software acquisition and budgeting, including how technical evaluations, mission integration, and operational acceptance affect purchases.
Evidence of building pipeline and independently leading pursuits through capture, proposals, and award.
Clear writing and product judgment, including the ability to explain AI workflows and their limits to customers and turn conversations into actionable pursuit plans.
U.S. citizenship or nationality, or U.S. lawful permanent resident status.

Nice To Haves

Experience winning awards through an OTA, CSO, SBIR Phase II or III, or BAA.
Space operations, intelligence, or acquisition experience paired with commercial software wins.
Experience selling mission-data, sensing, analytical, or command-and-control software in the national-security-space market.
Experience as an early seller at a software startup, building a territory before a mature sales process existed.
A record of moving a prototype or research effort into funded operational use and expanding into adjacent accounts.
An active U.S. Secret security clearance or higher.

Responsibilities

Build relationships across national-security-space operations and acquisition, establishing how proposed workflows fit existing mission systems and who can fund adoption after evaluation.
Build pipeline from a focused account list and qualify customer needs, funding, buying paths, and next customer decisions.
Shape opportunities early, select acquisition and teaming paths, and connect evaluations to follow-on buyers and budgets.
Own capture plans and proposals, write the commercial case, and coordinate technical, pricing, and legal contributions.
Lead discovery and initial Lemma demonstrations; plan deeper evaluations with technical support and agree on success criteria and delivery capacity.
Lead negotiations and close funded awards within delegated authority.
Develop expansion opportunities based on evidence of customer results.
Maintain an accurate forecast and provide delivery teams with a clear record of scope, assumptions, and customer commitments.