Key Account Director, Mid City (West)

Skydio•San Mateo, CA

4d•$144,000 - $200,000•Remote

About The Position

Skydio is hiring a Key Account Director to lead a regional team of Key Account Leaders selling to mid-sized public safety agencies with 41 to 100 sworn personnel. This is a first-line leadership role focused on recruiting, coaching, and retaining sellers; the director does not carry individual accounts and is accountable for the team’s number. The role includes improving deal strategy, joining the team in the field on competitive pursuits, and establishing territory, pipeline, and forecast discipline. The director collaborates with peer directors and teams across Channel, Sales Engineering, Business Development, Marketing, Strategic Relationships, Government Relations, and Mission Success. The director sets regional standards for integrity, teamwork, customer conversations, and practical use of AI tools. The team sells autonomous aircraft and AI in a competitive market, often alongside channel partners and against incumbent platforms and well-funded challengers. The role is remote and covers a Western U.S. territory: AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, HI, IA, ID, KS, LA, MN, MO, MS, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, TX, UT, WA, and WY. Travel of at least 50% is required. The director owns regional hiring and onboarding, seller coaching and development, retention, territory and quota design, regional pipeline coverage and forecast accuracy, partner strategy, and executive sponsorship of the team’s largest pursuits. They also represent regional customer insight, competitive intelligence, and product gaps to Marketing and Product. The compensation package for regular full-time employees includes base salary, stock options, and benefits. The annual base salary range is $144,000–$200,000 plus commission. Relocation assistance may be provided for eligible roles. Benefits listed include paid vacation, sick leave, holiday pay, a 401(k) savings plan, and eligibility to enroll in group health insurance plans.

Requirements

At least 2 years leading quota-carrying sellers as a first-line manager, with year-by-year team attainment history, including a missed year and what was changed.
At least 4 years of total experience in enterprise software, hardware, or SaaS sales, including personal success closing complex, multi-stakeholder deals.
Demonstrated success recruiting sellers, including a real network, a clear view of candidate quality, 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 guidance.
Strong voluntary retention history, a record of developing people into larger roles, and judgment to act when someone is not right for the role.
Experience selling or leading teams into SLED customers, with working knowledge of procurement vehicles and budget and grant cycles.
Fluency in selling with and through channel partners.
Daily, systematic use of AI tools, plus at least one workflow, analysis, or tool built or changed in the last two years that measurably improved the candidate’s or team’s work; candidates will be asked to demonstrate it.
Executive presence with customer leadership and the team, and high personal integrity under quota pressure.
Ability to travel at least 50% of the time and be based in the West Region.
Working knowledge of what it takes to get a program approved by a council or commission.
Obtain FAA Part 107 certification within the first 60 days of employment; strongly encouraged for all Skydio employees and required for certain positions.

Nice To Haves

Experience in public safety, specifically law enforcement, fire, or emergency management.
Experience building a team from a small base rather than inheriting a mature team.
Experience building an AI tool or workflow used by others, and ability to discuss what the first version got wrong.
Demonstrated curiosity and ability to explain how something outside sales works in plain language, with evidence of learning quickly.
Familiarity with MEDDPICC, Salesforce, Clari, BGov, GovWin, Slack, and Google Workspace.
UAV, robotics, or emerging technology background, and comfort in a fast-moving environment.

Responsibilities

Own hiring for the region by building a continuous talent pipeline, running a fast and rigorous process, and closing selected candidates.
Hire against defined standards, using evidence such as year-by-year attainment, deal mechanics, and examples of changes candidates have made to their work.
Run a structured candidate process with common questions, a live working session, independent scoring, and an evidence-based debrief.
Onboard and ramp new Key Account Leaders, with a clear path from their first day to their first award and accountability for the ramp.
Run one-to-ones and deal reviews that develop seller judgment.
Join demos, customer meetings, and executive conversations in the field, then provide specific, usable feedback.
Coach competitive selling, including POV strategy, early requirements shaping, differentiator framing, displacement plays, and account defense.
Build MEDDPICC rigor, channel fluency, and forecast honesty into team practices.
Improve team fluency with AI tools by building shared workflows for customer research, call preparation, RFP responses, and pipeline analysis, and ensure AI-drafted content is reviewed before it reaches customers.
Build a team with clear expectations, development paths, and meaningful recognition.
Own territory and quota design so assignments are achievable, equitable, and attractive to retain.
Hold early, honest career conversations, address disengagement, and act as an escalation path for team obstacles.
Own the regional number, including pipeline coverage, forecast accuracy, quarterly linearity, and related analysis.
Partner with Channel on partner strategy, joint planning, and deal structures.
Act as executive sponsor on the team’s largest and most competitive pursuits without taking over the deal.
Represent regional customer insight, competitive intelligence, and product gaps to Marketing and Product.
Model high integrity, teamwork, strong conversational skills, and practical fluency with AI tools.