Senior Sales Director, Aerospace & Defense

USA Rare Earth, LLC

60d

About The Position

The Senior Sales Director, Aerospace & Defense leads USA Rare Earth’s commercial growth in the aerospace and defense market. The role owns an end-to-end book of business, from strategic account planning and new program capture through demand forecasting and year-over-year account growth. The position calls for deep aerospace and defense industry relationships, an understanding of long technical sales and government contracting cycles, and the ability to work independently while collaborating with Product Management, Engineering, Operations, and other internal leaders to win and grow programs with OEMs and integrators. Target markets include military aircraft (fixed-wing and rotary), unmanned aerial systems (UAS/UAVs), precision-guided munitions and missile systems, ground vehicle actuation and targeting systems, naval propulsion and sonar systems, avionics, radar and electronic warfare platforms, and defense-grade electric actuation and control systems. The role also owns demand planning and forecasting for assigned accounts, maintains CRM and pipeline discipline, leads negotiations and deal execution, and contributes market intelligence and strategic planning for the aerospace and defense segment. The work is primarily in a home office or typical office environment, with frequent customer-site visits and travel-related environments. Travel of 60% or more is required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Communications, Engineering, or a related field.
10 or more years of progressive commercial or sales experience, including at least 5 years focused on aerospace and defense or an adjacent industry.
Demonstrated success managing complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles and growing account revenue year over year.
Experience with industrial demand planning and forecasting in a manufacturing or industrial supply environment.
Proficiency with CRM platforms; Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales or Salesforce.com experience is specified in the qualifications.
Proven track record building and growing complex technical accounts in long sales-cycle, highly regulated industries.
Strong executive presence and communication skills for engaging senior customer and internal stakeholders.
Ability to independently manage the full sales cycle, from prospecting through contract negotiation and account growth.
Ability to translate customer programs into production-aligned forecasts.
Disciplined pipeline management and CRM processes.
Ability to collaborate and work independently in a fast-paced, growth-stage environment.
Working knowledge of aerospace and defense procurement processes, including prime contractors, Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers, and government contracting practices (FAR/DFARS).
Understanding of ITAR/EAR export control regulations as they relate to defense-related sales activities.
Familiarity with MIL-SPEC qualification processes and long program qualification cycles.
Ability to travel 60% or more.
Ability to perform the essential functions of the job, with reasonable accommodations available for individuals with disabilities.

Nice To Haves

MBA or another advanced degree.
Existing relationships with aerospace and defense primes, Tier 1 or Tier 2 suppliers, or defense agencies.
Active or prior security clearance.
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales is preferred; Salesforce.com or HubSpot is also acceptable.

Responsibilities

Identify and engage OEMs and integrators in the target markets that integrate rare earth magnets into mission-critical systems.
Own and grow an end-to-end book of business, acting as the primary relationship owner for key accounts and target programs.
Lead technical sales and manage the full government contracting process from initial engagement through program award.
Develop and execute account plans aligned with annual revenue targets.
Build and maintain executive-level relationships with customer engineering, procurement, and program management organizations.
Guide customers through material qualification and program approval processes, coordinating internal resources for technical evaluations.
Lead development of MOUs, joint development agreements, and supply agreements to secure multi-year volume commitments.
Convert early-stage agreements into production slot orders and purchase orders.
Represent USA Rare Earth at defense tradeshows, industry briefings, and customer meetings.
Own demand planning and forecasting for assigned accounts, coordinating with Operations, Supply Chain, and Manufacturing to align production capacity with customer program timelines.
Deliver monthly forecasting and demand plans while maintaining forecast accuracy of 80% or greater.
Translate customer program schedules, ramp curves, and volume forecasts into actionable production plans.
Monitor aerospace and defense demand trends, budget cycles, and program awards to inform company-wide planning.
Maintain accurate, current account, opportunity, and pipeline data in the CRM.
Maintain CRM pipeline coverage of 10x annual revenue targets and report on pipeline health, win/loss trends, and account growth against targets.
Develop and maintain multi-year account plans and pursuit roadmaps for strategic customers.
Collaborate with Contracts, Application Engineering, Program Management, Quality, and Operations to ensure compliance and on-time delivery.
Negotiate and close business under FAR/DFARS-compliant terms, including flow-down clauses and risk mitigation.
Lead contract negotiations, pricing strategy, and commercial terms for new and renewal business.
Coordinate with Marketing on positioning, messaging, and campaign support for the aerospace and defense segment.
Partner with executive leadership on strategic planning, market entry, and investment prioritization.
Monitor the competitive landscape, program timelines, and industry trends in aerospace and defense.
Provide voice-of-customer feedback to Product, Engineering, and Leadership to inform roadmap and capacity decisions.
Contribute to long-range strategic planning for the aerospace and defense segment.
Travel 60% or more for customer engagements, tradeshows, and internal meetings.