Head of Sales (Player-Coach) - GovSignals

Unusual Ventures • Washington, DC

1d • $150,000 - $250,000

About The Position

We’re at an inflection point. The product is the best on the market, the market is responding, and now we need someone who will take our existing processes and layer in the sales machine that takes us to the next level.
This is a role for a rare kind of leader—someone who has done this before. Not just managed a team, but built them. Designed the process from scratch, hired the early reps, written the playbook, and driven revenue through sheer force of will and operational discipline. You know what great looks like because you’ve created it. Now you want to do it again, in a category that’s being invented in real time.
Reporting directly to the CRO co-founder, you’ll be a true partner in shaping our next wave of go-to-market strategy, sales process, and team architecture. You’ll spend roughly 60% of your time carrying and closing your own book of business—leading from the front—and 40% building the team and systems underneath you. When your reps get stuck, you get on the call. When a deal needs architecture, you draw the map. When the process breaks, you fix it.
This is not a role for someone who is ready to step back from work. If your best days selling are behind you, this isn’t the right seat. But if you’re an operator who loves the craft of selling as much as the craft of building, and you want the total compensation upside to match the effort—we should talk.

Requirements

• Proven track record of building and scaling a sales team from early stage through meaningful revenue milestones—you’ve designed the system, not just run inside one
• Strong personal selling record: history of closing six- and seven-figure enterprise SaaS deals as an individual contributor
• Experience as a founder, early sales hire, or sales leader at a high-growth startup where ambiguity was the norm and you thrived anyway
• Deep expertise in consultative, value-based selling—you diagnose before you prescribe
• Ability to operate as a strategic partner to leadership on pricing, positioning, and GTM design
• Strong hiring instincts: you know how to find, assess, and close elite sales talent
• Exceptional executive presence and C-suite engagement skills
• Proficiency in CRM systems and a belief in rigorous pipeline discipline

Nice To Haves

• Government contracting familiarity preferred but not required

Responsibilities

• Carry and close your own enterprise pipeline end-to-end: prospecting, discovery, demos, deal structure, and close
• Partner with the CRO on GTM strategy, sales process design, pricing, and competitive positioning
• Hire, onboard, and develop a team of elite Account Executives who sell consultatively and close with conviction
• Jump into your reps’ deals—diagnose what’s stuck, sharpen the narrative, and help close alongside them
• Build and continuously refine sales playbooks, qualification frameworks, onboarding programs, and coaching rhythms
• Approve quotes, structure creative deals, and navigate complex multi-stakeholder buying processes across the team’s pipeline
• Own pipeline reporting, forecasting accuracy, and CRM discipline for the full sales organization, including all conference pipeline
• Collaborate with Marketing, Product, and Client Success to tighten positioning, improve feedback loops, and accelerate revenue
• Engage existing clients to deepen relationships and unlock expansion opportunities
• Represent GovSignals at industry events, conferences, and in senior prospect conversations

Benefits

• 100% employer-paid medical, vision, and dental (Bronze coverage)
• Equity: Meaningful stake in a well-funded, fast-growing startup—we want you to win big when we win big

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 1-10 employees