Senior Sales Engineer

Raft Company Website•McLean, VA

4h•$150,000 - $250,000•Onsite

About The Position

Raft (https://TeamRaft.com) is a leading defense technology company dedicated to empowering the U.S. military and government agencies with cutting-edge AI/ML and data solutions. With headquarters in McLean, VA, our mission is to transform complex data into actionable insights, enabling mission-critical decisions on Earth and beyond. Raft builds three flagship products: Raft Data Platform ([R]DP), a robust, edge-ready platform that enables seamless data fusion and analytics from the tactical edge to the enterprise; Raft Application Platform ([R]AP), a secure, scalable DevSecOps Platform for deploying mission-critical applications On-Prem or in the Cloud, compliant with DoD DevSecOps Reference Design; and Raft AI Mission System ([R]AIMS), an innovative lightweight AI platform that fuses data, AI agents, and language models for accelerated military decision-making. We’re looking for an experienced Senior Sales Engineer to support our business development team and join our passionate team of high-impact problem solvers. As a Senior Sales Engineer, you will serve as the bridge between our product and sales teams, translating the capabilities of Raft’s products into compelling technical narratives that resonate with defense customers. You will lead dynamic product demonstrations, conduct hands-on technical discovery sessions, align Raft’s capabilities to customer requirements, and partner closely with engineering to ensure our solutions meet real mission needs. This role sits at the intersection of customer engagement, product expertise, and rapid technical storytelling. Your ability to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders—from warfighters to program managers to program officers—and your ability to move fast, build tangible demos, and make the product come alive in front of a customer, will be essential in driving Raft’s continued growth across the DoD and Intelligence Community.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related STEM field
3+ years of experience in sales engineering, solutions engineering, software engineering, or similar hands-on technical roles
Proven track record of showing the attitude and drive to translate customer requirements into winning technical solutions
Hands-on engineering background with the ability to stand up quick demos, write code, integrate APIs, and wire up datasets without waiting on an engineering team
Experience conducting technical demonstrations customized to customer pain points that clearly demonstrate solution value to DoD and government audiences
Exceptional presentation and storytelling skills, with the confidence and energy to command a room, engage customers directly, and make complex technology feel tangible
Strong understanding of data platforms, AI/ML solutions, cloud architectures, and their applications in defense contexts
Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams across sales, engineering, and product
Fast learner, analytical thinker, creative, hands-on, with a high-energy, customer-facing disposition and the drive to be in front of customers
Willingness to travel up to 30% for client meetings, demos, and industry events
Candidates must be eligible for and willing to be submitted for a U.S. government Top Secret/SCI security clearance upon hire
Must be a U.S. citizen

Nice To Haves

Military background or experience working directly with DoD organizations
Experience with battle management systems, data fusion platforms, or AI/ML applications in defense
Understanding of edge computing and tactical deployment considerations
Familiarity with classification levels and secure information handling
Certifications relevant to defense technology sales

Responsibilities

Serve as the technical lead on strategic pursuits, translating mission needs into differentiated solutions built on [R]DP, [R]AP, and [R]AIMS
Own the technical narrative across the full sales cycle, from first customer conversation through proof of value, down-select, and contract award
Rapidly build and deliver quick, focused demos that extend or build on top of our core products with mission-specific datasets and scenarios, bringing a customer’s specific problem to life in days, not months
Actively write code across both sides of the house—some days contributing pull requests that ship into the core product, other days writing quick-turn demo code to stand up a customer-specific scenario on a tight timeline
Deliver live demonstrations and proofs of concept that showcase capability in realistic mission scenarios across cloud, edge, and air-gapped environments
Craft compelling decks, storyboards, and technical briefings that showcase the unique features and differentiation of Raft’s products to both technical and non-technical audiences
Conduct technical discovery sessions tailored to customer pain points, surfacing requirements and shaping opportunities earlier in the acquisition lifecycle
Serve as the voice of the customer back to Product and Engineering, surfacing capability gaps and emerging mission needs that inform the roadmap
Engage directly with senior customer stakeholders including program managers and program officers, building technical credibility and long-term trusted-advisor relationships
Represent Raft at industry events, customer site visits, technical exchanges, and industry days, including classified customer engagements