Vice President, Marketing

Saildrone • Columbia, WA

1d

About The Position

Saildrone is seeking a Vice President of Marketing to join its DC Capture team. Reporting directly to the Chief Government Relations Officer, this executive will realign Saildrone’s marketing operations to Washington, DC and establish the strategic architecture needed to transition the company from early-stage growth to defense-market maturity. The role leads the development and execution of marketing strategy, campaigns, and operational frameworks that position Saildrone within the national security and defense ecosystem and support long-cycle federal acquisitions.

The Marketing Team shapes Saildrone’s global brand, drives strategic demand generation, and positions its platform to win major defense and federal contracts. Working at the intersection of policy and technology, the team partners with Sales, Government Relations, executive leadership, and external agencies to ensure marketing accelerates mission success, sales, and business growth.

Requirements

• 12 or more years of progressive marketing experience.
• Experience as a VP or senior leader, with a track record of scaling a company from late-early growth to mature enterprise status.
• Deep, verifiable expertise in the Washington, DC defense, national security, and federal contracting ecosystem.
• Demonstrated ability to build macro-level marketing campaign plans and business development strategies for complex, long-cycle B2G/G2G sales environments.
• Proven ability to manage and collaborate with top-tier external communications and crisis management firms with discretion and focus on high-fidelity delivery.
• Ability to analyze complex geopolitical and market issues and make rapid strategic pivots and budget reallocations under time and reputational pressure.
• Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to present strategic defense positioning, visionary storytelling, and marketing ROI to board members, federal partners, and cross-functional executives.
• Working knowledge of large-scale budgets and metrics-driven marketing requirements within a high-growth, venture-backed or public defense technology organization.
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally 20–30% of the time.

Responsibilities

• Develop and own the overarching marketing strategy to transition Saildrone from an early-growth brand to a mature, dominant player in the national security and defense ecosystem.
• Create and execute campaign plans and marketing strategies aligned with macro-level Business Development objectives and long-cycle federal acquisitions.
• Direct relationships with external public relations, public affairs, and crisis communication firms, selectively using outside counsel to maximize impact and delivery.
• Realign marketing operations to the Washington, DC ecosystem and establish foundational frameworks, metrics, and regional messaging for defense stakeholders and policymakers.
• Oversee significant marketing budgets, maintaining fiscal discipline, high delivery standards, and measurable return on investment across enterprise campaigns.
• Collaborate with Government Relations, Sales, and executive leadership to align messaging with geopolitical developments and federal procurement cycles.
• Establish a culture of ownership, strategic rigor, and delivery excellence across brand, digital, and public relations functions.
• Recruit, retain, and mentor a high-performing marketing organization, developing internal talent and optimizing the mix of in-house capabilities and external agency support.
• Perform responsibilities in accordance with Saildrone values and the ethical, security, and quality guidelines of the defense industry.

Benefits

• Competitive paid time off accrual, an annual holiday schedule, and paid sick leave.
• Medical, dental, and vision plans with significant company contributions for employees and dependents.
• Equity grants.
• 401(k) retirement plan with pre-tax and Roth contribution options.
• Annual professional development reimbursement.
• Relocation assistance for eligible roles.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: No Education Listed