Key Account Director, Small City (West)

Skydio•San Mateo, CA

4d•$144,000 - $200,000•Remote

About The Position

Skydio is a U.S. drone company focused on autonomous flight. The Key Account Director, Small City leads a regional team of Key Account Leaders selling to public safety agencies with 1 to 40 sworn personnel across the Western U.S. This is a first-line leadership role focused on recruiting, coaching, and retaining sellers. The Director does not carry individual accounts; the team’s results determine the region’s performance. The role requires managing a high-volume sales funnel through metrics such as conversion rates, cycle time, stage velocity, activity quality, pipeline coverage, forecast accuracy, and quarterly linearity. The Director coaches sellers on competitive pursuits, joins important field activities, establishes territory and forecast discipline, and identifies small-city agencies that may need to transition to larger-segment sales teams. The Director also models and promotes the systematic use of AI tools in sales work, ensuring AI-generated customer-facing materials are reviewed by people. The Director collaborates with peer segment and regional leaders and teams across Channel, Sales Engineering, Business Development, Marketing, Strategic Relationships, Government Relations, and Mission Success. The role is remote within the Western U.S. territory and requires travel at least 50% of the time. Compensation includes a base salary of $144,000–$200,000 plus commission, stock options, and benefits. Relocation assistance may be available for eligible roles.

Requirements

At least 2 years leading quota-carrying sellers as a first-line manager, with year-by-year team attainment results, including any missed year and changes made afterward.
At least 4 years of total enterprise software, hardware, or SaaS sales experience, including personal success closing complex, multi-stakeholder deals.
Demonstrated success recruiting sellers, including a candidate network, a clear hiring bar, a structured process, and the ability to close candidates.
An articulable coaching approach, with specific examples of people who measurably improved under the candidate’s leadership.
Strong voluntary retention history, a record of developing people into larger roles, and sound judgment about addressing poor role fit.
Experience selling to or leading teams serving SLED customers, with working knowledge of procurement vehicles, budgets, and grant cycles.
Fluency selling with and through channel partners.
Daily, systematic use of AI tools, and an example from the last two years of a workflow, analysis, or tool built or changed to measurably improve individual or team performance; the candidate must be able to demonstrate it.
Executive presence with customer leaders and the candidate’s own team, and high personal integrity under quota pressure.
Ability to travel at least 50% of the time and be based in the West Region.
Personal success in a high-velocity, high-volume selling environment.
Data-fluent coaching ability, including management of a funnel through its metrics and identification of the specific levers behind a seller’s results.
Experience building or maintaining a repeatable sales process that can scale with volume and headcount.

Nice To Haves

Experience in public safety, especially law enforcement, fire, or emergency management, and experience establishing or scaling a high-volume segment.
Experience building a team from a small base rather than inheriting a mature team.
Experience building an AI tool or workflow used by others, with the ability to explain what the initial version got wrong.
Demonstrated curiosity and ability to explain how a topic outside sales works in plain language, such as an agency budget, airspace waiver, or aircraft autonomy.
Familiarity with MEDDPICC, Salesforce, Clari, BGov, GovWin, Slack, and Google Workspace.
UAV, robotics, or emerging technology background, and comfort working in a fast-moving environment.

Responsibilities

Own hiring for the region, maintain a talent pipeline, conduct a structured hiring process, and close selected candidates.
Onboard and ramp new Key Account Leaders, with clear milestones and accountability for progress.
Coach sellers through one-on-ones, deal reviews, field demonstrations, customer meetings, and executive conversations.
Develop the team’s competitive selling skills, including POV strategy, early requirements shaping, differentiation, displacement, and account defense.
Build MEDDPICC rigor, channel fluency, and forecast honesty into team practices.
Develop shared AI workflows for customer research, meeting preparation, RFP responses, and pipeline analysis; ensure AI-drafted customer materials are reviewed before use.
Retain and develop team members through clear expectations, development paths, recognition, career conversations, and timely obstacle resolution.
Own territory and quota design to make assignments achievable, equitable, and sustainable.
Manage the region’s number, pipeline coverage, forecast accuracy, quarterly linearity, and supporting analysis.
Partner with Channel on partner strategy, joint planning, deal structures, reach, and coordination between partner-led and direct sales.
Act as executive sponsor on the team’s largest and most competitive pursuits without taking ownership of the deal from the seller.
Represent regional customer insights, competitive intelligence, and product gaps to Marketing and Product.
Coordinate with Mid-City and T1200 leaders on account routing, shared credit, and customer transitions.
Lead the team in a high-integrity, collaborative, customer-focused approach to public safety sales.